H.R. No. 984
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Members of Dixie Missionary Baptist Church in Jasper
are marking the 160th anniversary of the founding of their church in
July 2013; and
WHEREAS, Thought to be the oldest African American house of
worship in Texas, Dixie Missionary Baptist Church was organized
around 1850 under the leadership of Richard Seale, who also served
as its first pastor; and
WHEREAS, Dick Seale was born a slave in Virginia in 1798 and
moved to Texas in 1850 with his master, who established a plantation
west of Jasper near Bevilport; Mr. Seale was a devout Christian who
had acquired an education as a child, and he was much in demand to
conduct Bible readings and to attend to the spiritual needs of the
local African American community; he held his first formal
devotionals under a beech tree before a sanctuary was constructed
in 1853; part of that original structure stood until 1967 and was
awarded a historic building medallion, and today the Dixie
Missionary congregation of 500 still worships in a sanctuary at the
same location; and
WHEREAS, Through the years, the church has benefited from the
dedicated efforts of many outstanding clergymen; the list of
distinguished men who preceded the current pastor, the Reverend
Barry Keys, includes Reverends Griner, Grigsby, Reed, Brown,
Peacock, Bridges, Gipson, and Norsworthy; and
WHEREAS, Dixie Missionary Baptist Church has long served as a
source of inspiration and guidance to those who worship there, and
its continued existence is a tribute to the unwavering commitment
of its members and leaders, both past and present; now, therefore,
be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
Legislature hereby commemorate the 160th anniversary of the
founding of Dixie Missionary Baptist Church and extend to the
congregation sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for the church as an expression of high regard by the Texas
House of Representatives.
White
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 984 was adopted by the House on March
27, 2013, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House