The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1909-02-12
HISTORIC CHURCH BURNS.
Had Been Scene of Important Gath
by Or. r. H. Boyd.

ny DTs M IL BOyus
Special to the Globe.
San Antonio, Tex.--While a furious
gale was blowing during the cold
snap, which struck this city last
eek the historic Mount Zion Baptist
Church, on Santos street, mother
church of this city so far as Baptists
are concerned, was burned to the
ground. Several adjacent buildings
were at the same time destroyed.
The wind was blowing at velocity
of about 70 miles an hour coming di-
rectly from the north. The fremen
worked heroically, but could not
save the buildings. This church was
made famous from the fact that the
Negro Baptists of Texas in their
state convention which was held in
this city in 1892 split in this church.
II was practically the starting point
of dissatisfaction, out of which
came what is now the National Bap-
fist Publishing Board, located in
Nashville, Tenn. Your correspon-
dent learned from authoritative
sources that the Baptist family fell
out over what was commonly known
among them as the "Unifcation
Scheme" There were those in ia
vor of it and those against it. Great
preparations were made at the con-
vention held in San Antonio to adopt
it. One of the principal leaders OPP
posing the Unification was Rev. r. H.
Boyd, who was at that time pastor
of the Mount Zion Church. Leaders
On the other side favoring Unifcation
were prominent and under the leader
ship of Rev. E. w. D. Isaac, who was
president of the Texas Baptist State
Convention and pastor of New Hope
Church at Dallas. The convention
met tremendously in the ill-fated
structure and after opening, came the
split. 1t was estimated that those
opposing the Unification and those
favoring it were about evenly divi-
ded The names of both of these
conventions after this famous meet
ing, became known as the "Old Con-
yention" and the New Convention. {"
ibC Nnhl vi ldb uOl udu lldlly pas
tors, although it has been standing
for many years. The first pastor was
the venerable Rev. Nat Shelton. one
of the oldest ministers of the state,
who kept it until his retirement
from active ministerial work, Rev.
r. Rivers succeeding him. After
serving a time he was succeeded by
Rev. J. M. Rayford. It was 1891 that
Rev. R. H. Boyd was called and &C.
cepted the church. He left to take
charge of the state work after the
convention split, as superintendent
of Missions, for what was afterwards
known as the New Convention" but
which was really the General Baptist
Convention. Leaving this work, he
went to Nashville, Tennessee, where
he established with the aid of the
convention the National Baptist Pub
fishing Board. Rev. H. H. Williams
now of Galveston, Texas, succeeded
Rev. Boyd and Rev. Henderson, OF
Houston, Texas, succeeded Rev. Will.
liams, Rev. Curry was the last pastor.
nus, Ine IeCOIu VI Jue church, WHICH
was recently destroyed is compiled
from the days of its organization, be-
fore the Emancipation, up to Friday
night At one time it was the most
noted church in the state, especially
on account of it's Sunday-school and
its VIM. J. Simmons Literary So
ciety. These two meetings drew
from the professional, the business
and the better class of people ant
was the pride of this Alamo City
Plans for the rebuilding Of the churcl
are already being thoroughly dis
cussed.