PILGRIM BAPTIST
CHURCH (PIKE)
THE HISTORY OF LEONARD, TEXAS
1880 - 1980
by The Leonard Centennial
Commission
Pilgrim Baptist
Church was the predecessor of the Pike Baptist Church and the Pike community, in
northeast Collin County, settled sometime between 1860 and 1870. It had its
beginning in those turbulent times following the Civil War. The Pilgrim Church
was organized on the third Saturday in October 1868 with the Rev. Stephen
Marshall as moderator. Other ministers present were: Rev. Martin Gentry and
William Cummings. Deacons present were: Asa Blankenship and S. M. Smith.
The first Baptist
services in the community were said to have been held in the homes of the Rev.
Marshall and other early settlers. The first church building was erected about
one mile north of the present location of Pike, near the corner and across the
road northwest of the tract of land now known as the Andrew Sharp homestead.
This structure was later torn down and rebuilt, on the site of the house of
worship now in use by the Pike Baptist Church, in the early 1880's. However, it
was not until near the turn of the century that the name of the church was
changed from Pilgrim Baptist Church to Pike Baptist Church. The building in the
new location was destroyed by a storm and for several years, in fact until 1898,
the congregation held its services in the school house. The church building,
being remodeled and repaired from time to time, was still in use, until 1963.
Charter members of
the Pilgrim Baptist Church, and those uniting with the church in its early days,
included the following families: The Lees, Smiths, McClanahans, Boormans,
Marshalls and Gentrys.
A complete list of
pastors who have served the congregation during ninety years of its existence is
not available but the list does include: M. Gentry, S. M. Smith, J. W. Connelly,
W. T. Cordell, W. J. Owen, J. C. Price, W. H. Dunn, D. A. Fuller, E. M.
McDaniel, W. B. McDaniel, Lee O. Stephens, E. D. Reece, J. B. Wilbanks, F. B.
Rickerson, S. T. Gray, R. J. Fletcher, J. B. Ward, W. T. Newsome, J. W. O'Neal,
Roy Minor, L. T. Grumbles, Arthur Brooks, Young and J. H. Taylor, Dewey
Braswell, Peck Williams, R. L. Stanley and L. C. Goron. The present pastor is J.
D. Harton.
Deacon S. M. Smith
was the first clerk of Pilgrim Baptist Church and served in that capacity
several years. He was succeeded by Deacon T. W. Norman, who served as clerk a
total of twenty-five years. His daughter, Mrs. Willie Norman Newsome, served
twenty-four and one half years as clerk.
Among the deacons
who served during the early days of the church were: Asa Blankenship, S. M.
Smith, A. D. Mahan, J. G. Marshall, J. E. Lee, Henry Lee, J. Zachary, T. C. Ely,
G. S. Marshall, P. W. Price, T. K. Smith, R. H. Vaughan, H. Marshall, P.
McClanahan, J. Tucker, J. M. Russell, C. White, S. Roswell, B. W. Butler, Syrena
Marshall, Soney Smith, Elizabeth Marshall, Letha Blankenship, William Gentry,
Katy Matthews, Laurena Matthews, Mary J. Lee, Hannah Boorman, Mary McClanahan,
Susan McClanahan, Jane McClanahan, Jesusha Mahan, Elizabeth Vaughan, Barbara C.
Wallace, Pauline O. Ballenger, P. J. Goodwin, Artie Cummings, Malinda Butler,
Susan Gentry, Martha Ely, Lucinda Russell, Nancy C. Stroud, A. Goodwin and Sarah
L. Boorman.
Memorial of Thomas
Coleman and Leila Ada Fry was built and furnished by Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Dimmick
and all the Fry children in memory of their father and mother.
Mrs. A. R. McMurry p
42.
Pike
Churches Index
- Recommended citation:
- "Pike Baptist 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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