Elmont Baptist Church
Elmont, Texas

Van Alstyne Leader
October 16, 1969

Original Church Bulletin
Elmont Baptist Church was organized in 1869 by Rev. Thomas B. McComb, who also served as Pastor until 1894.  The congregation was formed from a group of pioneers who had been worshiping together since the mid 1840s, consisting of all denominations.  At first there was preaching only once a month, held under brush arbors and shelters made from tree limbs and cotton bagging.  The first Sunday School was organized by Mr. E. G. Gregory, Sr., in the early 1900s.  The first Training Union was started by Mr. John B. Stewart in the late 1920s.

The above picture is a photo of the original building of the Elmont Baptist Church, which was erected in the year 1889, and was used until 1939, when the building that is used today took its place.
Elmont is located about five miles west of Van Alstyne, and the church has extended the invitation to anyone who wishes to attend the 100th year celebration to attend.  The celebration will be held on October 26, 1969, and there will be dinner served on the ground.
Some of the ministers that have led the congregation over the years will also be present for the festivities on the 26th. [Transcribed with dates "as is"]

FREE LAND DREW SETTLERS TO CROSS ROADS
by Julie S. Morris

Rev. McComb was a farmer and blacksmith, but his real calling was a a Baptist minister.  Ordained in 1848, he was among the first ministers of any denomination in this area.  He pastored churches in several communities, including Weston and Farmington, and helped organize the First Baptist Church in Sherman.

In 1860, Rev. McComb was part of a Cross Roads group organized to establish a church.  They bought an acre and a half of land for $30 from Joseph and Mary Jackson and founded the New Home Baptist Church, now known as Elmont Baptist Church.  Rev. McComb was New Home's first pastor, and remained pastor until he retired in 1894.

Cash was hard to come by, and the group met under brush arbors and tabernacles made of cotton bagging thrown over pole frames.  Finally, in 1888, John Bowen led a cavalcade of seven wagons to Jefferson to obtain lumber to build the first permanent church house, which served until 1949. The round trip to bring lumber took six weeks.

John Bowen's daughter, Nova, rode on horseback throughout the community raising money for an organ for the new church.

At first preaching was only one Sunday each month because of finances and because the pastor had three other churches to preach at.  In the last 1920s the church advanced to half-time preaching or two Sundays each month.  In 1945 the church had a fulltime pastor, Rev. Ed Neill.
The first Sunday School was organized in the early 1900s by E.G. Gregory, Sr., who also served as Superintendent.  Sunday School was held on Sunday afternoons and during spring through fall, discontinued during the winter months due to the muddy roads.
In the late 1920s a Training Union or Baptist Young People's Union was organized and led by Mr. and Mrs. John Stewart.  A tabernacle was also erected about this time and was used during the summer months for worship services and revival meetings.  A storm destroyed the first tabernacle and a second was built on the west side of the church property; this was abandoned when the church building was built; the tabernacle was sold to Richard Coleman in 1973 who dismantled and moved it.

The building built in 1949 consisted of the first part, the auditorium and two annexes added in November 1973, a youth center, nursery and kitchen; a recreational court was added in 1979. ("Elmont pre-dates Civil War".  The Van Alstyne Leader, October 16, 1969)

Home Town Calendar 1998 [Van Alstyne]

Present Church Building 2010 by Elaine Nall Bay

This thumbnail sketch of an area, a community and a way of life is necessarily brief, touching only on the highlights of 15 decades.  Many people and events who contributed to the local history have not been included, due to time and space limitations.

I've made every effort to check the accuracy of my information, but some of the sources could not be corroborated.  Corrections and added information are always welcome.  

Special thanks go to Ruth Neill, Mildred Kalmbach and Cecil Mayes.  Ruth-Lee Cason shared not only memories but family documents and books.  Rev. Jim Poole, pastor of Elmont Baptist Church, offered several photographs; and Dr. Morris L. Britton offered much insight on early Grayson County roads.

Additional information on Elmont Baptist Church and Rev. T. B. McComb was published in the Van Alstyne Leader's Progress Edition, March 18, 1993; and the Grayson County clerk's office has deed records dating back to the beginning of the county.

Other sources include:

* "The Peters Colony of Texas," bu Seymour V. Connor, Texas State Historical Association, 1959;
* "The History of Grayson County, Texas," Grayson County Frontier Village, 1979, contains many family and local histories;
* "History of Grayson County, Texas," by Mattie Davis Lucas and Mita Holzapplle Hall, 1936, provides much detail on early settlements;
* "My County Childhood, Grayson County, Texas, 1893-1907,: are her personal memories, written in 1972.

These books and others, along with files on families and places of Van Alstyne are available in the Van Alstyne Public Library.

Elmont Baptist Church History

Churches
Elaine Nall Bay
©2014

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