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On January 8, 1913, Mr. and Mrs. R. L. Chaney, Mr. and Mrs. John L. Lowe, and Mrs. E. F. Goodall met to organize the Wadsworth Baptist Church. The new church called Rev. McDonald as pastor and began to meet in a small one-room schoolhouse. Several families of different denominations moved into the area and began to attend the church. In the fall of 1913 a small tabernacle was erected. Rev. McDonald resigned to go into evangelism and Rev. Morrison came as pastor. He led in organizing a Sunday School, which still exists. A. Mr. Longwell was the first Sunday School superintendent. The school had six classes divided by brown muslin curtains. In 1914 Lenore Gibson moved to Wadsworth to teach, and she organized the first BYPU. The pastor came once a month to preach on Saturday night, Sunday morning and Sunday night. Later a junior BYPU was organized by Walter E. Branstette. In 1915 H. H. Staggs, a student at Palacios Baptist College, became pastor. Edith Woods was the organist and she was assisted by Isabel Stone, Mrs. John Lowe and Mrs. Tom Ryman. Rev. Staggs went to Baylor University in 1916, so the pastor from the First Baptist Church in Bay City preached on Sunday afternoons. R. E. Early of Wharton was called to pastor in 1924. After Early resigned in 1927, no regular pastor served the church until 1933. Sunday School, however, remained active through the years. During the Depression, Rev. R. L. Byed served as mission pastor and reactivated the church. Five members were present at that service, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Ryman, Mr. and Mrs. Jessie Ryman and Sarah M. Penticost. The WMU was also organized at that time. In 1936 Brother M. H. Duff became pastor and served for two years. A few years later Jo Derrick became the pastor. In 1943 Rev. C. L. Boone preached two Sundays a month and a Methodist minister from Matagorda preached the other two. The first Vacation Bible School was led by Rev. Boone. In 1946 Rev. John Partain became pastor and served until 1949, when he was replaced by Rev. Robert E. Black of Markham, who served until his retirement in January, 1967. In 1966 the congregation erected a new church plant, and R. P. Odom became the new pastor on March 15, 1967 and he continues as pastor in 1985.
Historic Matagorda County, Volume I, page
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