MANTUA CHRISTIAN CHURCH
Daily Courier Gazette, September 2,
1937
FOUNDED IN 1846
CHRISTIAN CHURCH AT VAN ALSTYNE ANTEDATES OWN COMMUNITY; NOW HAS 600 MEMBERS
In 1846 Texas had just been
admitted to the Union. Van Alstyne had not been established. They country was
sparsely settled and much of it was virgin forest or untilled plain.
But that was the year the
First Christian Church of Van Alstyne was organized. It is one of the oldest
Christian Churches in Texas. its establishment was on of the early organized
efforts to bring the religion of Jesus Christ into a country practically a
wilderness.
Collin McKinney, paternal
forbear of many of Van Alstyne’s citizens and after whom both McKinney and
Collin County were named, a man of power and influence in the early days of
Texas, was one of the organizers and charter members of the church.
Like a link between the day
of the church in swaddling clothes and the church in the fullness of its growth
there stands one man — Elder R. C. Horn, veteran McKinney Christian minister,
who died early in 1936 after serving as a minister sixty-eight years. His death
at 93 was untimely as the local church had planned a display at the Texas
Centennial in 1936.
Charter Members Listed.
To write a complete history
of the church would be no little task but many facts are worth preserving. In
1846 J. B. Wilmeth began to preach at private homes in the neighborhood of what
is now Van Alstyne and on the second Sunday in September, 1846, the first church
was organized at the home of Carroll McKinney with the following charter
members: J. B. Wilmeth and William C. McKinney,, elders; Nancy Wilmeth, Margaret
McKinney, Sarah McKinney, Ashley McKinney, D. L. McKinney, Collin McKinney,
Polly McKinney, Eliza S. Milam, Marcus S. McKinney, Bettie L. McKinney and there
Negroes: Niah, Polina, Anderson, Lucinda and Hannah. These nineteen constituted
the Liberty Christian Church in the beginning. They continued to meet from house
to house for preaching and worship.
Dr. Asbury Cartwright came to
this vicinity in April 1847, and gave his influence to the little church. In
March 1850, the place of meeting was moved to Liberty Church and continued its
work with various results. The body was reorganized by appointing William G.
McKinney, Asbury Cartwright and G. w. Vernon as elders and Collin S. McKinney,
G. Z. McKinney and Solomon DeSpain as deacons. At this time the membership
numbered sixty-nine. Wilmeth and Cartwright were the principal preachers, aided
occasionally by a traveling evangelist.
At that time Van Alstyne was
known as Mantua which is about two miles southwest of the present location of
Van Alstyne. When Van Alstyne was built, the people of Mantua moved to Van
Alstyne. The Masonic Lodge was organized at Mantua, but is intact today in Van
Alstyne. The church was organized at Mantua but later moved to Van Alstyne.
First Church Erected
.
In 1854 the first house of
worship was erected at Mantua. Soon Dr B. F. Hall joined the force of preaching
to the new and growing church. During the Civil War the women and the few men
left behind continued to hold meetings each Sunday. After the war the
congregation rallied its forces and began to rebuild. By 1871 the old house
became too small and it was decided to build a larger building.
Worship continued and new
preachers came to the aid of the veterans including Elder Horn, Joe Darnell, J.
R. Wilmeth, C. M. Wilmeth and Alf F. Douglas. Elder Horn was pastor in 1887 when
it was decided the church should be built in Van Alstyne. The building was
completed in December, 1888, as a cost of $4,400.
The Rev. C. M. Drew, then
pastor of the Mantua Church, preached the first sermon in the new house on Dec.
2, 1888. He continued as pastor of the church preaching alternate Sundays at
Mantua and Van Alstyne. In 1891 the Rev. C. M. McPherson became pastor. The name
of the church was changed from Mantua to Van Alstyne and the congregation in a
body moved to Van Alstyne. All of the Christian Churches in this section sprang
from the present Van Alstyne church.
The present edifice was begun
in 1914 and the final indebtedness was paid in 1919 at which time a dedicatory
service was held, the sermon being preached by the Rev. E. H. Holmes.
The church today stands on a
sound financial basis. Recently an organ was installed. Mrs. T. S. Cartwright
has served as pianist and organist twenty-five years. The membership is almost
600.
Mantua
Churches Index
- Recommended citation:
- "Mantua Christian Church,
Collin County Churches," Collin County, Texas History and Genealogy Webpage
by Genealogy Friends of Plano Libraries, Inc., <http://www.geocities/genfriendsghl>
[Accessed Fri February 13 13:37:28 US/Central 2004 ].
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