Beginning in the mid 1800s, Mrs. Marcellus
Branch started a church on her plantation southwest of Florien. In
1861, the membership consisted of eight people. In the mid 1860s,
the location was changed to a piece of land donated by Mrs. Branch (at
Victoria, near Columbus on the Sabine River). By the end of the decade,
services had stopped because of the lack of members. The Victoria
property (except for the cemetery) was sold in 1974.
Some services were held in the early
1870s at a log cabin a few hundred yards away from the present church.
The congregation reorganized about 1871-72. A new church was built
by W.F. Sandel in 1874 for $75. It was used as a church on Sundays
and as a school during the week. In 1904, William Sandel donated
four acres of land to the church. The current church is located on
that property.
Led by the Missionary Society,
the idea for a new church began in 1920. The church members tried
building it themselves, but their attempt came crashing down after the
framework was put up. The new church, which included several classrooms,
was finally completed in 1930 under the leadership of Rev. L.E. Crooks.
It was dedicated on November 23, 1938 under the leadership of Rev. B.H.
Andrews.
In the early 1960s, the congregation
decided to build a parsonage.
In 1973, the congregation began
plans for a new church. A brick church was completed by the following
year under the leadership of Rev. Charles E. Scott. The first service
in the new church was a dedication service on January 20, 1974. The
new facilities also included a fellowship hall, kitchen, bathrooms, and
a pastor’s study. Additional classrooms were added in 1988. |
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