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# V . .
VOL. III. RICHMOND, I
The First
. The meeting of the Synod of Texas of the
Presbyterian Church, November 8th, 1911, in
the First Presbyterian Church of Galveston stirs
up some interesting reminiscences. Twentyfive
years ago this month, November the 4th,
the Synod met in Galveston the last time. After
the opening sermon by the retiring p-?.
Moderator, Rev. Josephus Johnson, of
Victoria, Rev. C. H. Dobbs, who still
lives and glorifies God in his old age and
total blindness in his residence at
Brownwood, Texas, was chosen Moderator.
The sessions of the Synod were '
held in the chapel, now the Sunday
school room, the church itself not being
nnmnlotoil at tViut- timo A m>oot mon.r -.Si
v, ceeded directly to Houston, where Mr. MCulJP^
lough became the chaplain to the Senate and Mr.
Allen to the House of Representatives. On the
-a- ^--adjournment in the spring Mr. McCullough
came down to Galveston and began to preach
V wherever he could find a convenient place, until
the City Company erected a house on the
northwest corner of Church and Nineteeenth
streets, where Dr. Hamner's residence now
stands, the ground floor of which was used for
offices, the upper room being secured for
preaching. It was known as "The Academy,"
snd sometimes as "The Galveston University." <
?? vaiuv U1U4V;, i.X VOV mttJUJ
changes have taken place in Galveston jjESuB
and in the church itself as well as
throughout the State since then.
It will be a matter of very great in- |
terest, especially to Galveston Presby- I
terians, as well as to the members of the 0
Synod and others, that, according to a fl
somewhat clearly defined ecclesiastical |H
tradition, the first sermon preached on
Galveston Island was during the year
1836 or 1837 by the Rev. Mr. Reid, a
Presbyterian minister. The service was
held near the Old Navy Yard, which was on
the flats at the foot of 24th Street. The second
sermon was preached by the Rev. W. Y. Allen,
of the Presbytery of South Alabama. He
lanaea in uaiveston tne last weex in Marcn,
1838. He was the chaplain to the House of
Representatives of the Republic of Texas, at
Houston, until the adjournment in May. During
the summer he repeatedly visited the island
and preached wherever an opportunity presented
itself.
From June to October of this year he is said
to have been the only minister within one
hundred miles of the coast. Returning to Alabama
early in the fall of 1838, he was set apart
to the work of an Evangelist. Returning again
to the Republic, he met the Rev. John McCullough,
of the Presbytery of Newton, and
they came in company to Galveston. Both nrn
gjEpj
NEW ORLEANS, ATLANTA, NOVEM1
Presbyteri.
= Galveston, =
And here was the beginning of the First Presbyterian
church of Galveston.
Mr. MeCullough faithfully preached and visited
among the people?meanwhile in the fall
passing through a severe yellow fever epidemic
and heroically standing at his post?until the
FIRST CHURCH, Galveston Texas.
importance of a House of Worship, for the use
of tiie congregation, was considered by a public
metijpg of the citizens, on the first day of
Decemlror, 1839.
I
The result of that meeting was the erection
)f the building used by the church until and
BRIAN
WESTERNPRESBYTER/am
*al Presbyter/an ?
thern Presbyter/an
BER 8, 1911. NO. 45.
sin Church
including Sabbath, May 28, 1876, after which
the congregation worshipped in the adjoining
chapel until the completion of the splendid
building still in comfortable use on the corner
of Church and Nineteenth streets.
On January 1, 1840, at a meeting held in the
,. "Academy." nrflsidpH nvm. k**
1 -"*=>*.
tj'j John McCullough, after a free and full
; discussion of the situation, action was
taken as follows:
ffitfrlnB Resolved, That we proceed forthwith
WBggEBA
to organize ourselves as a Presbyterian
Mr. McCullough then read a plan and
agreement as the basis of the associaRL
- t ion ; the introduction to which is as t'olWe,
whose names are hereunto subHn
scribed, do agree to associate ourselves
together as a Christian Church, to be
called 1'The First Presbyterian Church''
in the city of Galveston.
Fifteen names were then enrolled,
seven men and eight women, not one of
whom remains until the present time.
On January 12th the church held a
congregational meeting and by ballot
elected Edward L. Barnard and Carrol
M. Gahagan, ruling elders.
The first meeting of the session was held in
the "Academy," February 4, 1840, Mr. McCullough
and the two elders being present. They
appointed "the Lord's Supper on February
23rd for the first time." On Fehrnnrv iQtH
session again met as above and Rev. Daniel |
Baker, D. D.? being present, was invited to
moderate the meeting, when Wm, S. Stuart and |
Levi Tenney, afterwards Rev. L. Tenney, of |
blessed memory, were admitted on examination.
Then, at the organization of Brazos Presby- 1
tery at Chrisman's School House, near Independence,
Washington county, Republic of |
Texas, April 3, 1840, Rev. John McCullough reported
the organization on January 1,1840, with
"sixteen members, two Ruling Elders, six additions
since, and house of worship commenc
ea. Jt stands fifth in order of date on the Jj
roll. ltev. John McCullough, the first pastor of ^
the church, whose widow, an elect lady and Sjj
greatly beloved, remained faithful and active in
the service of the Lord and the old church, M
until within the last year God has taken her H
home ntwl ? 1
.t ..woe suns ana aaughters are still
with us, continued with the church about 15
months. From the old records of the church
it appears that the Rev. Isaac J. Henderson was
called as pastor in 1840 and the call was not
placed in his hands by Presbytery until March .3
6, 1848! He remained as pastor only one year. Jg
Then the succession of pastors and stated sup