St. John Missionary Baptist Church

ST. JOHN MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH THIS HISTORIC CHURCH FORMED IN THE SPRING OF 1882. A GROUP OF WOMEN, LED BY MISSOURI BROWN, BEGAN A SUNDAY SCHOOL AND LATER INITIATED THE ORGANIZATION OF A NEW CHURCH. THE FIRST CHURCH BUILDING WAS USED AS A SCHOOL AND BECAME A CENTER FOR ALL DENOMINATIONS. REVEREND MORRIS ANDERSON OF GAINESVILLE SERVED AS THE FIRST PASTOR. THE ORIGINAL BUILDING WAS REPLACED WITH A ONE-ROOM STRUCTURE IN 1941 ON THE SITE OF TODAY’S CHURCH. UNDER REV. H.B. ALLEN, AN AUDITORIUM WAS ADDED IN 1947 AND A BRICK STRUCTURE REPLACED THE OLD CHURCH IN 1951. ST. JOHN MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH IS THE ONLY CHURCH IN THE AREA THAT IS PREDOMINATELY AFRICAN AMERICAN AND HAS SERVED THE COMMUNITY FOR OVER A CENTURY. (2012)

St. John Missionary Baptist Church is a historical marker in Decatur, Wise County, dedicated in 2012. It is one of 91 historical markers documented in Wise County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 162 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 33.2402, -97.5775 near Decatur. The nearest cataloged historic site is East Side Elementary School (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Waggoner Mansion, El Castile, and Decatur First United Methodist Church.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507017136. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.