A century ago, scattered farming families in central Orange County’s Winfree Community had a difficult time getting to church on Sundays. Horses, wagons and buggies were the main transportation. What is now Old Orange Baptist Church was nine miles away across dirt roads that often turned to mud. Sometimes water pooled in foot-deep holes.
A group of mostly young families decided to start their own Baptist Church. This Sunday that small church will celebrate its 100th anniversary. The Winfree Baptist Church, 19529 Highway 62 South, will have a celebration reception Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m. At 3 p.m. the Orange County Historical Commission will unveil a state historical marker at the site. Juanita Toronjo, a member of the commission and longtime member of the church, will unveil the marker. She and Judge Jerry Pennington, chair of the historical commission, wrote the history of the church to earn the marker. The anniversary weekend will continue with a worship service at 10:30 Sunday morning followed by a dinner.
The history submitted to the Texas Historical Commission for the marker said the roots of the church begin with the Winfree Community. It was started by Abraham Winfree, who settled in what is now Orange County in 1831 when the land belonged to Mexico. The modern-day area of the community is the land around Highway 62 South and FM 105.
The roots of the church go back to 1914 when the families decided to start the church through the East Texas Baptist Association. The Rev. F.A. Burton, pastor of the Old First Orange Baptist Church, served as the first pastor of the new church. It was first known as Burton Baptist Church in his honor. The official history said Oscar Winfree, Jesse M. Harmon and Henry Johnson, trustees for the church, paid $100 to by land from M.B. Aronson for a “White Missionary Baptist Church” in May 1914. The first building was completed in August 1915. Originally the church had 23 members. Four of them had the last name of Winfree and another five had the name of another pioneering Orange County family, Harmon.
After oil was discovered in 1921 in the nearby Orange Oil Field, a boomtown developed. “The Winfree Baptist church went on record as not tolerating any dancing, drinking or any other public sinning,” according to the history.
By 1923, the church needed a new building and construction was started next to the original. Will Winfree donated the materials and the construction was done by members of the church. On July 10, 1923, the church’s name was officially changed to Winfree Baptist Church. The history said the new church building was one big room with a raised platform at the front for the preacher and pulpit. Chairs to the side were used during revivals for a choir. The congregation sat on homemade wooden benches. It was heated by a wood-burning stove about half-way down the middle aisle.
Orange County grew during World War II and the post-war years. Construction of highways and paved roads brought more people building houses in the community. The membership also grew; so in 1959, the congregation decided to build a new church on more land. Almost six acres were purchased from Ivy Winfree Kimball. The land was about one mile south of the original site on Highway 62 and was on part of Abraham Winfree’s original 1831 land. The new building was dedicated in February 1961.
With continued growth, the church voted in 1972 to building an education building next to the sanctuary. It was dedicated in November 1973. However, on September 4, 1980, a fire destroyed the education building and damaged the sanctuary. The congregation met at a nearby elementary school and rebuilt on the foundation of the sanctuary.
The church bought another 5.5 acres in 1996 and eventually decided to build a larger building. The first service in that new building, which still serves as the sanctuary, was on June 26, 2005.
Today, the church that started with 23 members now has nearly 1,100 members. In addition, Winfree Baptist sponsored the creation of the Cowboy Church of Orange County.
The Rev. Keith Royal has served as pastor of Winfree Baptist Church for the past 20 years.
-Margaret Toal, KOGT-
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