Supplemental History - 2008
Then
The First Christian Church of San Marcos had its beginning in January of 1853 when the Reverend Henry Thomas rode into San Marcos on horseback and "formed a church of two zealous members." This news item was reported in the October 1853 issue of Millennial Harbinger, which was edited by Alexander Campbell in Bethany, West Virginia. Reports from Reverend Thomas on his work in this part of Texas were included in this publication in the column Church News.
This was virgin territory for Thomas who had come to Austin from a well-organized church in Paris, Missouri. He mentioned J. R. McCall of San Marcos in the Millennial Harbinger of March 1855. In the December 27, 1854 edition, he reported eight new members, "a labor of love of Brother J. R. McCall at San Marcos, now a church of twenty-two members." From Texas Disciples, a church paper published by Colby Dixon Hall, it was reported that Brother Thomas traveled in a triangle from Georgetown to San Saba, San Marcos, and Lockhart. At area conferences held in Georgetown, about 1853, and in Austin, October 22, 1856, Thomas acted as Secretary and sent the minutes of the meeting to the ěGospel Advocateî with reports showing the San Marcos Church, Hays County, had fifty members.
No further reference is found to Mr. Thomas, Mr. McCall, or the San Marcos Church after October 1856. Eckstein, in his History of the Churches of Christ in Texas says, "Most of the South suffered a serious spiritual decline during the Civil War. Preoccupied with pressing economic, social, and political problems, its people tended to postpone spiritual matters until a more propitious time."
Shortly after the Civil War, the San Marcos Church became active under the leadership of W. H. D. Carrington of Austin. In 1869 a church building was erected on Guadalupe Street, across the street from the present Post Office. The families involved were: U. A. Young, Ed. J. L. Green (1841-1924); Colonel S. D. Jackman (1825-1886); Thomas J. McCarty (1818-1895); I. B. Donalson (1895-1896); J. A. Driskill (1827-1908); and William Gosdin (1835-1892). Since the railroad did not reach this area until 1880, Green and Jackman hauled the lumber by wagon from Austin to erect the church building.
Discord arose in the church in 1873, mainly around the question of whether to use instrumental music. According to Eckstein, other doctrinal conflicts at the national level also caused the two groups to grow further and further apart. After an irate woman took an ax to the new organ and destroyed it, the progressive group, under the leadership of Ed. J. L. Green and Elder J. J. Williamson (1843-1899), withdrew from the Guadalupe Street Church and erected a building on the corner of San Antonio and Comanche streets in 1893.
The church built on a tract of land, a part of the Juan Martin Veramendi Grant of 1832, bought by Green in 1886 from J. H. Patterson. As Edward Northcraft (1833-1919) was an architect and a builder, it is assumed he built the 1893 structure, erecting a large one-room building of pine, 31 x 60 feet with handmade benches, tables, pulpit, chairs, and other furnishings, including an organ.
The 1893 structure was moved back on the lot and a new structure, which still stands, was added to it in 1909. It is the same as the original structure and faces on San Antonio Street. The new pine building was constructed with four tall, white fluted columns with Corinthian capitals on a porch ten feet above street level. This church was dedicated on April 3, 1910, as shown by an article in the San Marcos Leader, April 30, 1910. In 1945 the interior arrangement of the church was changed to provide a greater seating capacity. On February 2, 1949, a Hammond organ was dedicated. In 1953 a two-story educational building and fellowship hall was completed. An extensive renovation of the sanctuary occurred in 1963. An Official Texas Historical Marker was dedicated with a ceremony on April 12, 1976. In November, 1983, an Allen organ was installed in the sanctuary; all of the money for the organ ($25,000) was obtained through an every-member canvass of the congregation in a six-week period prior to the installation.
At approximately 2:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 30, 1984, fire broke out in the fellowship hall section of the building. The fire caused extensive damage to the fellowship hall, the kitchen, the ministerís office, the library, and two classrooms. The remainder of the building had varying degrees of smoke damage. Through the efforts of many church members and friends, the sanctuary was cleaned and services were held as usual on the following day.
On October 19, 1984, the church's trustees signed an agreement to purchase a fifteen acre tract on Ranch Road 12 as a future building site. In February of 1985 a Building Fund program was begun. The stated goal of the drive was to raise $200,000 over a three-year period of time. When the pledges were counted, they totaled over $260,000! Approximately $85,000 was given to the Fund in 1985. A Master Site Plan was developed and adopted by the congregation.
The year of 1986 was one of much planning and preparation in the life of the church. On June 8 the congregation approved the basic design of the new church facility to be built on Ranch Road 12, and in December the architect delivered the completed plans. The anticipated cost of the new church was $1,100,000. In 1986 $106,000 was given to the Building Fund.
The congregation grew numerically and spiritually in 1986. Participation in the Sunday School continued to broaden, and Bible study groups met the needs of those who chose to be part of them. Worship attendance exceeded all past records. On September 9, a contract was signed with Bel-Tex Construction Company for the erection of the new church facility. A ground-breaking ceremony was held on October 11 on the Ranch Road 12 site. It was anticipated the construction would be complete in August of 1988.
The 1990's brought continued growth to First Christian Church. The church was host to the 1990 and 1997 Bluebonnet Area Assemblies. Prior to the 1990 Assembly, work parties built a large deck on the back side of the Fellowship Hall; this addition has increased the area for serving meals and has provided a setting for a beautiful view of the Hill Country. In 1991, the position of Associate Minister was added to the staff. Under this leadership, youth activities expanded. The CATs (Children's Adventure Time), Chi Rho, and CYF groups continued to meet. Outreach, through mission trips and support of Habitat for Humanity, became a more significant factor in the life of the congregation.
In the year 2000, an additional staff position was added to keep up with the growth of the congregation. A second associate minister was hired with responsibilities focusing on youth work. Children and youth programming continued to experience growth. The church boasts one of the largest participating groups in the camp and conference programs in the Bluebonnet Area.
With attendance growing, plans were drawn for an expansion of current facilities to provide temporary space for Sunday School classes. Church members agreed to build this addition themselves. With lots of dedication and long Saturdays, this chapel addition was completed in 2001.
With a gift from some church members, beautiful stained glass windows were added. The windows tell the stories from the Bible from creation to the birth of Christ to Pentecost. This new space will later be redesigned for use as a chapel.
Now
The First Christian Church is affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the Southwest Region of the Christian Church, and the Bluebonnet Area of the Christian Church. It cooperates in and helps support the Campus Christian Community that is an ecumenical ministry to the campus community of Southwest Texas State University.
Future Plans
In the not-too-distant future, it is expected that a much larger building project will be undertaken. That phase will likely include space for additional Sunday School rooms, a library, a fellowship hall, a kitchen, and a recreation area.
