Click on picture to see a larger
view.
Sweet Home Missionary Baptist Church was the third
church organized near Langford Cove/Evant.
Rev. Noah Turner Byars organized
this church on 12 April, 1877, in the home of Mr. and Mrs. George
Washington
Griggs who lived in Hamilton County about six miles
northeast of the present town of Evant. In addition to Bro.
Byars and Mr. and Mrs. Griggs, other adults present were Mr.
and Mrs. D. W. White and Mr. and Mrs. Donahue.
The Sweet
Home Missionary Baptist Church participated in the organization of the
Hamilton County Baptist Association on 4 July, 1877, at the Cottonwood
Springs School.
Rev. NoahTurner Byars was the first missionary appointed by the Texas
Baptist Convention in 1848. He traveled
from one settlement to another holding "protracted meetings" and
organizing churches. As the congregation outgrew the Griggs’ log
cabin home and a brush arbor, a church building was erected about three or
four miles west of the Griggs’ home. The first pastor was likely Presley
O’Keefe, who also taught school in Langford’s Cove. In 1885
Sweet Home Baptist Church built the first church building in the
town of Evant. Being paid for by subscription, the church was
dedicated by Dr. R. C. Buckner on the second Sunday in May, 1892.
Since services were held only once a month, the Baptist congregation
shared their building with the Methodist congregation. In 1913 the name of
Sweet Home Baptist Church was changed to Evant Baptist
Church.
P. W. Springfield was the first full-time pastor in 1943. His
salary was ninety dollars a month plus rent and utilities. During his
ministry an educational annex and baptistry were added. A second
annex was added in 1948. In 1955 a new brick building was built with 7760
square feet. The first service in the new sanctuary which seated 300, was
held on 2 October, 1955, when Billy Butts was pastor.
llen Boone DeHart pastored this church from
September 20, 1931, through August, 1935.
Some of those who became members during his ministry
were: Mrs. Josh Massingill, Mr. Charlie Massingill, Mrs.
Monroe Smith, Miss Vollie Perkins, Mr. William McDonald,
Miss Bernice Kinsey, Miss Jessie Massingill, Mildred
DeHart, Doris Jean Sawyer, Iona Frasure, Van Dean
Winters, Charles Curtis Longmire, Lawrence Lane, Mr.
Putman Sawyer, Robert Norman Hamilton, Troy Massingill, Mrs.
Mary Penson, Miss Fay Massingill, Mr. Charlie Huell, Mr.
Happy Stewart, Mrs. Joe Griffis, and Mrs. John Henry.
Early pastors of Sweet Home Baptist
Church were:
Presley O’Keefe--1878-1879
D. I. Haralson--1881-1886,
1886
D. W. White--1887,
1890--1897
G. W. Herrington--1888
J. C. Combs--1889
W. N. White,
1898
Pinkney Hawkins,
1899
Early church clerks were:
W. B. Wright--1881
J. W. Brooks--1882--1883
S. C. Smith--1884,
1886
S. E. Smith--1885
J. R. Carter--1887--1891
P. H. Young,
1892--1894
James White,
1895
J. R. White,
1896--1897
R. S. Griggs, 1898
A. T. Stamp,
1899
Early messengers to the association were:
1878--D. W. White, J. W. Howard, and W. N.
White
1879--D. W. White, J. W. Howard, and J. P.
Murphree
1881--D. W. White, and J. P. Murphy; Elder
D. W. White and W. B. Wright
1883--W. B. Wright and D. E. Eliott
1884--D. W. White, W. B. Wright, and George
Griggs
1885--D. N. White and W. B. Wright
1886--D. W. White
1887--Elder D. W. White, A. J. Culpepper, and J.
W. Maness
1888 and 1889--D. W. White
1890-- D. W. White, S. E. Smith, A. J. Culpepper
1891--D. W. White, T. W. Kirkland, J. R. Carter
1892--D. W. White, P. H. Young
1893--D. W. White, W. N. White, P. H. Young, J. R.
White
1895--D. W. White, W. N. White, Dr. R. L. Howell, P.
H. Young
1896--D. W. White, W. N. White, J. T. White, P. H.
Young
1897--Rev.’s D. W. White, W. N. White, W. M.
Howell, Brethren G. H. Singleton, P. H. Howell
1898--Rev. W. N. White, Brethren P. H. Young, J. A.
Sheffield, R. S. Griggs, G. H. Singleton
1899--A. T. Stamp, P. H. Young, E. B. White, and
Rev. W. N. White.
1907 HCBA Minutes
1908 HCBA Minutes