About Harmony Missionary Baptist Church
Nacogdoches, TXHaving been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, and on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, we do now in the presence of God, angels and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ.
We engage, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church in knowledge, holiness, and comfort; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline and doctrines; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expense of the church, the relief of the poor and the spread of the gospel through all nations.
We also engage to maintain family and secret devotions; to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements and exemplary in our deportment; to avoid all tattling, backbiting and excessive anger; to abstain from the sale and use of intoxicating drink as a beverage; and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior.
We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember each other in prayer; to aid each other in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation, and mindful of the rules of our Savior to secure it without delay.
We moreover engage that when we remove from this place, we will, as soon as possible, unite with some other church, where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God's Word.
Tim Brewer
PastorChurch History
Following the Civil War many early settler families migrated from Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee and settled in Nacogdoches County along the Alazan Creek and its tributaries. A number of the heads of these families were members of the Masons and it is believed that the name for the Harmony Community may have originated from the Mason mantra “peace and harmony prevail”.
Between 1882 and 1886, to accommodate community needs for a church, a school and a burial place, the James Norvell Pitts family donated two acres of land upon which a school/church building and graveyard were built. Over the years, smaller tracts of land were donated by the family to total 2.5 acres.
Originally organized in the early 1880s as the Harmony Missionary Baptist Church of Christ, the church served the small farming community. Life was hard and continuity in the functioning of the church was somewhat sporadic. Throughout the ebb and flow in the numbers of families served by the church, God faithfully provided Christian leaders and pastors. The pastor’s pay oftentimes came in the form of jars of canned fruits and vegetables, “fryers” and small amounts of cash. Through much adversity and significant change including destruction of the building by fire, two world wars, the great depression, job migration, and the technology explosion, generations of Christian families in the community have persevered, reorganized, built and rebuilt when necessary, while holding fast to God’s charge to gather together to worship and share His Word.
Under the guidance of Rev. J. B. Routh, Missionary of the Shelby-Doches Association, the members reorganized in September 1926 after the church building was destroyed by fire. Services were held in the Alazan Methodist Church until a new building could be erected on the Harmony church property.
Although the records do not state the reason, church services were suspended from July 1949 to 1954. On July 10, 1954 a group of young families led by Roddy Brewer, Earl Gauntt and Clyde Fredrich, met and voted to reorganize under the name of Harmony Missionary Baptist Church. Repairs to the old church building began immediately. A traveling pastor was utilized and services were held the first and third weekends of the month with worship services scheduled both Saturday evening and Sunday morning. Sunday School was held every Sunday by Christian leaders from the community. In September, 1956, the worship service schedule was changed to include a Sunday evening service. Wednesday evening services were added In November of that year.
The church was led by eight different pastors between 1954 and 1963. On September 11, 1966, Rev. C. B. Anderson led the service dedicating a new sanctuary to accommodate the growth in membership. In 1976, a 24’ x 24’ space was added at the rear of the sanctuary for classrooms. In February, 1998, a metal building was erected to provide space for a kitchen/fellowship hall and additional classroom space.
Praising God for continuous growth and to respond to the need for Christian ministry in the community, on June 17, 2012, the membership voted to purchase an additional 5.44 acres to accommodate a new building of a size that will serve current and future generations. Clearing of the land began in the spring of 2013. A Building Planning Team, under the leadership of Brother Clem and Sister Wanda Russell began meeting in March 2014. A ground breaking ceremony was held Sunday, August 31, 2014. Construction of the new building began the following day. The children of the church hosted the first service in the new building on December 11, 2016 and performed their Christmas program celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. On March 5, 2017, Pastor Tim Brewer and Deacons Randy Brewer, Taylor Brewer, Carroll Bridwell, David Kolb, Brett Maisel and Clem Russell presided over the building dedication service and open house.
Harmony Missionary Baptist Church of Nacogdoches was incorporated on March 4, 2015 and is a member of the Landmark Missionary Baptist Association of Nacogdoches which operates under the leadership of the state and national Missionary Baptist Association.