Henderson Missions, Southern Baptist

It appears that in the late 1930s and afterward the Southern Baptists in Henderson got busy spreading missions across the city, which ended with churches north, east, south, and west (just barely west)

Second Baptist (west of First Baptist, on West Main Street). It would seem that Second Baptist would be the oldest of the missions, judging by the name of the church. However, that is not the case. It is not the second Baptist church organized in Henderson, so the name choice must have been based on another reason. A sentence in a history of First Baptist Church suggests 1950: “In March of 1950 the Brotherhood organization began the First Baptist Mission on Texas Street. This church is now the Second Baptist Church located on West Main Street.” However, the church’s record gives the organization as October 4, 1961, with Paul Adams as the first pastor. This agrees with the statement in the history of Mission Springs Baptist Church: “…in 1961, a division arose within the congregation over whether or not the congregation should move from the church site. About half of the church membership, including church pastor Paul Adams, were in favor of moving the church to Henderson. Unable to reach an agreement satisfactory to all, brother Adams resigned and with the dessenting (sic) members, removed to Henderson where they founded the Second Baptist Church on West Main Street.” The 1962 Texas Baptist Annual lists Second Baptist as a newly organized church. Nevertheless, I have been told by persons who remembered that First Baptist started a mission down the hill in the area of Texas Street. Perhaps the mission work of First Baptist Church on Texas Street, and the group from Mission Springs combined to form Second Baptist Church.

Southside Baptist (south side of Henderson). Southside started as the Maddox Addition Mission of First Baptist Church, circa 1939, based on newspaper reports. Rezin R. Davidge was pastor in 1940, and possibly the mission pastor. Organized in 1944, according to East Texas Baptist Area information. In the 1980s, the church relocated their place of meeting from the Maddox Addition (the building on Jacksonville Drive) to 1801 Old Nacogdoches Road.

Eastside Baptist (east side of Henderson) organized in 1946 (according to East Texas Baptist Area information). Donald Richardson Turner was the first pastor. The mission started under an arbor, and later a small one-room building on the site where the building currently stands. Eastside dissolved after 2020, or more technically merged with Pine Hill Baptist Church. Now the building at 2300 East Main Street is used as a “campus” of Bethel Bible Church of Tyler. Eastside was a mission of First Baptist Church.

Henderson Daily News, Friday, August 5, 2016, p. 7

Trinity Baptist (north side of Henderson). Information on their web page at hub.biz says the church was established in 1952. First Baptist Church history gives that date as well. Trinity was a mission of First Baptist Church. Trinity Baptist Church meets at 1100 Kilgore Drive in Henderson.

Emmanuel Baptist (southwest side of Henderson). A much-later Southern Baptist mission work was Emmanuel Baptist Church. Emmanuel started as a mission meeting in the skating rink – probably in the late 70s or early 80s. In 1982 they requested a zone exemption to build on South Evenside.

Longview News Journal, Wednesday, July 14, 1982, p. 10-A