Greater Ward A.M.E. Church

Greater Ward African Methodist Episcopal Church (Ward Chapel A.M.E. Church until 1972; then Greater Ward Chapel A.M.E. Church, 1972-2007) is the oldest congregation of its kind in the Acres Homes Community, located ten miles north of downtown Houston. Ward Chapel A.M.E. Church was organized in February 1913 and named in honor of Bishop Thomas M. D. Ward, the tenth bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The first place of worship was in the home of Rev. John T. Williams and his wife, Cassie, on what is now Tuskegee Street at Holly Street. In 1919, the Wright Land Company donated two lots on Apollo Street near Galilee Missionary Baptist Church, but the congregation opted to build on the west side of Arabella at Granville Street. After a 1934 fire, a new structure was erected there in 1935. The sanctuary on the east side of Arabella was erected in 1955, following a major building campaign. Rev. Ollie Lewis Dawson, one of the congregation’s longest-serving ministers, was a community activist and used the church as a meeting place to discuss social and civic matters. He was active with the NAACP, Acres Homes Church Union, A.M.E. Ministers Alliance and many other organizations. The church had numerous ministries, including several choirs, the Daughters of Ward, the Allen Christian League and vacation bible school. Ferguson Way was named for trustee Rendy Ann Johnson Ferguson. Trustee Wiley Adams successfully petitioned county officials to name nearby Tuskegee, Wilberforce, Paul Quinn and Dillard Streets in honor of historically black colleges and universities. The church continues to be a source of guidance and support for the Acres Homes Community.

Greater Ward A.M.E. Church is a historical marker in Houston, Harris County, dedicated in 2015. 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 29.8629, -95.4251 near Houston. The nearest cataloged historic site is Acres Homes Community (historical marker), about 0.2 miles away. Others within a short drive include Galilee Missionary Baptist Church, Cemetery Beautiful, and Rest Lawn Cemetery.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507018171. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.