THE JUDSON BAPTIST CHURCH, CAYUGA, TEXAS 1854-1982

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Submitted by Scott Fitzgerald – scottfitzgerald@tyler.net East Texas
Genealogical Society, President June 9, 2005
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Originally published in The Tracings, Volume 2, No. 2, Fall 1983, Pages 59-
61 by the Anderson County Genealogical Society, copyright assigned to the
East Texas Genealogical Society.

THE JUDSON BAPTIST CHURCH, CAYUGA, TEXAS 1854-1982

In the year 1850, a group of Baptists in Anderson County, Texas, met and
organized what they believe to be the first Missionary Baptist church in the
count. The church was located at a place to be known later as Fosterville in
the northern part of Anderson County. The first pastor of this church was
Rev. R. R. Morrow, a young minister from the state of Tennessee. This
Missionary Baptist church continued to exist until sometime in l854 when it
was dissolved and its membership divided into two groups.

One group organized a church known as Pisgah Baptist Church located but a
few miles from the original church.

The second group from the old church at Fosterville lived about twenty miles
west of the Pisgah location. They felt that they needed a church nearer
their home community. The following minutes of their organizational meeting
were transcribed from the church records: "On September 20, 1854, A.D., the
following brethren and sisters met at an arbour near Charles Gilmore's in
the county and state aforesaid and received letters from the following:
Bros. Charles R. Cotten, Jacob Sutton, Zebulen H. King, James W. Jackson,
Isaah King, Peter C. Cotten; Sisters: Rutha E. Cotten, Elizabeth Pickering,
Rhoda H. Sutton, Mariah Clay, Pollyeann M. Cotten, Louisa T. Jackson, Nancy
Haywood, Martha M. Cotten and Margia Jackson.

"The Declaration of Faith as found in the Encyclopedia of Religious
Knowledge was read and received. An ordination prayer was led by Eld. R. R.
Morrow. Right hand of fellowship by the presbytery and pronounced a
Missionary Baptist Church, Presbytery, R. R. Morrow and John H. Rowland.

"The Church was called to order by appointing Bro. J. H. Rowland moderator.
Resolved, that we call this church 'Judson'; resolved that Bro. C. R. Cotten
be church clerk. Adjourned in order. Signed: John H. Rowland, Mod. C. R.
Cotten, Clerk.

On Saturday, December 18, 1904, the Judson Church met to celebrate their
fiftieth anniversary. Rev. L. D. Funderburk, who was pastor at that time,
writes into the church records that the old records quoted above were
brought forward and read. The Articles of Faith contained in the old book
were re-adopted by the membership and signed by a committee of men, namely,
J. W. Jackson, G. A. Cornwell, J. R. Compron, J. F. Duncan and Joe A.
Johnson. Three surviving charter member, attended the services: Elder J. W.
Jackson, his wife Louise, and P. C. Cotton. Elder Jackson, then seventy-five
years old, addressed the group and recounted much of the early history,
struggles and labor of the church.

Rev. Funderburk related that during the first fifty years the church had
been served by thirteen pastors. The most colorful of these were R. R.
Morrow and J. H. Rowland. Elder R. R. Morrow served a total of twelve years
and nursed the church through the tribulations of the Civil War. He became
so endeared to the community that he was addressed as "Father" Morrow. Elder
Rowland also earned love and respect of his contemporaries and the names
"Rowland and Morrow" became a symbol of devout Baptist evangelism in this
part of the state.

The Sunday School faculty of 1906 consisted of Bro. S. B. Horton; as
Superintendent, Bro. J. W. Seat assistant superintendent, Bro. E. R. Barton,
Bro. Miles Sutton, Sister Attie Cornwell, Sister M. C. Pitts were teachers.

In September, 1911, the church met and voted to erect a new building on land
donated by Bro. H. S. Clay. The church site at this tine was located where
Judson Cemetery now remains. Mr. Richard Barton, an alert and active man of
ninety-six years of age, who we recently interviewed in the home of his
daughter, Mrs. Elva Thornton, in Athens, tells us that the site of the
original Judson Baptist Church was located on a site several miles from
Judson Cemetery, across the present U.S. Highway 287, and south east of
Cayuga, where a so-called "lost cemetary1' exists. He said that the cemetery
is not really "lost" as far as old-timers in the area are concerned but that
there would be no evidence to the unsuspecting eye to indicate its presence.
He described the cemetery, as he knew it as a boy, with family plots marked
by field stone fences, versus his last sighting, when no evidence of graves
existed. He said that a pipeline crew during the oil boom rudely
"discovered" the cemetery when they broke into one of the graves with their
equipment and were forced to divert their line round the cemetery.
Incidentally, Bro. Richard Barton is still a deacon in the Judson Baptist
Church and often drives his car to church on Sunday mornings.

In 1922, Sister Jewell Barton, wife of Deacon Richard Barton, led some of
the women of the church and established a mission Sunday School. This
mission Sunday School met in the public school building several miles west
of the church. There were several families living nearer the school who were
not reached by the Judson Sunday School. Their number finally reached one
hundred and thirty eight. This mission continued to meet for two years, when
the church moved to its present site in Cayuga.

The Great Depression of the 1930's affected both the church and its
membership. On December 28, 1930 the members of the church decided to sell
one hundred chickens and apply the proceeds on the church debt. Their old
church property had been rented and the church share of the cotton raised
was applied to the debt. A form of tithe, to be caned "making a church
crop", was also introduced and the sale of this cotton was given the church.
Fortunately, the mid and late 1930's brought relief to the Cayuga community,
when a very productive oil field was discovered and developed in their area.

On September 26, 1951, the members of Judson Baptist Church met to observe
the Centennial Anniversary of the organization of their church. During the
first one hundred years thirty six men served as pastor. They were R. R.
Morrow, Moses Thomas, J. H. Rowland, Jno. Butler, A. W. Johnson, L. H.
Durham, W. J. Collins, U. W. Lunsford, J. W. Jackson, L. D. Funderburk, J.
J. Minchew, S. R. Gore, J. M. Griffin, W. L. Tubbs, Carrol Funderburk, B. N.
Moon, C. Williford, Marvin Johnson, W. L. Marlin, Bert Thompson, A. W.
Ludlow, O. B. Darby, R. A. Hannah, W. P. Lott, L. L. Morris, L. O. Harris,
M. L. Joines, E. E. Gilbert and O. E. McGaw, the pastor in 1954. This is not
the order in which these men served. Some served for only a short tine. Also
out of order are: J. V. Kelly, R. R. Morrow Jr., D. V. Rector, J. W.
Anderson, T. M. Dean, D. W. Whitfield, and T. E. Funderburk.

On September 23, 1979, Judson Baptist Church celebrated their one hundred
and twenty fifth anniversary. At that time Rev. T. D. Taylor was serving as
interim pastor. Since their centennial anniversary the number of pastors who
had served the church had now increased to forty four, including: Ara W.
Wagnon, Jonnie Godwin, Ben Hargrove, John Ramsey, Rupert Miller, Van N.
Houser and Jerry Cotten.

Their forty fifth pastor, Rev. Riley Pippin, is currently serving the Judson
Baptist Church membership.

From a crude "brush arbour" near Charles Gilmore's place in 1854, to a
modern building containing an auditorium, 16 class rooms, a library,
pastor's study, nursery and banquet hall in 1982, the Judson Baptist Church
and its membership stands as a living memorial to the little group of
Anderson County pioneers who had the foresight to recognize the religious
and moral needs of the community they were forming from this East Texas
wilderness. Their descendants, many of whom have served in this church, as
well as others who have become a part of this community church, certainly
owe them a debt of gratitude.

* * * * * * * * * * *

The contributor takes no credit whatsoever for accumulating the foregoing
story of the Judson Baptist Church; it is a story written by the clergy and
membership themselves, in records that have existed for one hundred and
twenty eight years. Some available information has been condensed or
eliminated; accordingly members with a genealogical interest resting in this
part of the county may consider the church records as a source of
information.

Special persons contacted for additional information were:

Mrs. Elva Thornton, of Athens, who graciously furnished us a copy of a
pamphlet entitled, "The Judson Baptist Church Story - 1854-1979", written
and compiled by Noella Adair, Myrtie Pritchett and Ruby Lewis.

Deacon Richard Barton, a nonagenarian, who is still very active in Judson
Baptist Church. Mr. Barton's first hand knowledge of the church history,
during his ninety six years of association therewith, was very enlightening.

Mrs. Ray (Truman Rhoda) Conard, of Cayuga, the sister of Robert Sutton
Johnson, who is an inactive deacon of the church, for updating the
information on pastors who have served the church.


Ray W. Read