Update on Elder M. S. Bourland

After writing about Melton Stuard Bourland in May of last year, I found some more information that I had not noticed at the time.

The Bourlands were in Texas at least by March of 1867, when he was present on “Saturday before the first Sabbath in March” at the Union Baptist Church near Nacogdoches, and conducted the divine services. At the conference of Union Church the next month – Saturday before the first Sabbath in April – “Elder M. S. Bourland and Sister S. A. Bourland presented a letter from Liberty Church Kentucky and were received.” This suggests the Bourlands may have first settled in East Texas near Nacogdoches.

The punctuated preacher and a stinging sermon

Here is a story about Brother W. G. Griffith and the chicken mites, a punctuated sermon preached just inside the Rusk County line. It is recorded in 50 Years in East Texas Pulpits: the Life of W. G. (Greer) Griffith, 1891-1974, James Wyatt Griffith. Henderson, TX: J. W. Griffith, page 8.

The County Line Missionary Baptist Church and Cemetery is in the Eulalie Community in southeastern Rusk County, but sitting just across from the Panola County Line. County Line was organized in 1884; J. H. McLeroy was the first pastor. William M. and Martha J. (Keating) Britton donated the land for the church and cemetery.