Antioch Missionary Baptist Church (1994)

The emancipation of slaves was heralded by federal officials in Galveston on June 19, 1865. Antioch became Houston's first African American Baptist Church when organized by nine former area slaves in 1866. Their first sanctuary, built nearby in 1868,served as the site of Texas' first African American Baptist Convention. The Rev. John Henry Yates (1828-1897), elected Antioch's first full-time pastor in 1868, led efforts to improve the education of Houston's African Americans and helped establish the Houston Baptist Academy in 1885. This sanctuary, built in 1875-79, began as a one-story structure designed by church member Richard Allen. It was enlarged in the 1890s and underwent major alterations in the 1930s. The nationally recognized Gothic Revival masonry building features stained glass windows containing portraits of prominent church figures, steep cross gables, pointed arch windows and doors, and a distinctive neon "Jesus Saves" sign. Once the center of a cohesive African American community, Antioch served as the mother church for many area African American Baptist congregations. The church continues to provide leadership in religious, civic, and educational activities as Houston's oldest and preeminent African American Baptist congregation. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1994

Antioch Missionary Baptist Church is a historical marker in Houston, Harris County, dedicated in 1994. It is one of 422 historical markers documented in Harris County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 849 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 29.7564, -95.3720 near Houston. The nearest cataloged historic site is Kellum-Noble House (historic place), about 0.2 miles away. Others within a short drive include Heritage Society, Nichols-Rice-Cherry House, and Origins of Freedman's Town.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5201010597. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.