First Christian Church
Van Alstyne
A Brief History of Our Church - The Oldest Christian Church in the State of Texas
The First Christian Church of Van Alstyne is recognized as the oldest Christian Church in Texas by virtue of the longest continuously worshipping congregation. These worship services began informally in 1841 in the homes of members, before being founded as The Christian Church in the winter of 1841-1842 by the McKinney family at McKinney’s Landing Red River. This pioneer family later moved to Mantua bringing their church family with them. It was here in 1846 that twenty-one members of this group formally organized the Mantua (or Liberty) Church. The charter members were: Collin McKinney, his wife Betsy (Leake) McKinney, Elder W.C. (Billie) McKinney, Margaret (Peggy) McKinney, Polly McKinney, Marcus S. McKinney, Ashley McKinney, Sarah (Sally) McKinney, D.L. (Leake) McKinney, C.M (Mile) McKinney, James S. McKinney, Deacon George McKinney, Nancy McKinney, Elder J.B. Wilmeth, Nancy Wilmeth, and Eliza Milam. Five members of black families were also Charter members: Vina, Polina, Lucinda, Hannah, and Anderson. These twenty-one Christian pioneers have been immortalized in the present church with a stained glass window depicting The Last Supper.
These members continued to meet in private homes until a log church was erected in 1850. A larger house of worship was built in 1854 to accommodate the growing congregation; and by 1871 that church had been outgrown and a new one built. With the advent of the railroad in Van Alstyne, Mantua, in effect, migrated to the new community. In 1888 during the ministry of Elder R.C. Horn, the congregation built their first church in Van Alstyne. When the remainder of the Mantua congregation joined this congregation in 1891, the name was changed to The First Christian Church of Van Alstyne.
In 1914, the first brick church in town was constructed by The First Christian Church. This church is noted for its extraordinarily beautiful stained glass windows which encircle the sanctuary. All the windows are dedicated to early church members who contributed so much to the growth of the church. This beautiful building still serves as an inspiration to today’s congregation, with many members able to trace their roots back through several generations who have worshipped here. A few have direct ties going back to our beginning in 1831.
Texas Historical Marker Text in front of Building:
The predecessor of this church, the First Disciples of Christ congregation in Texas, was founded during the winter of 1841-1842 at McKinney's Landing in Bowie County near the Texas-Arkansas border. Collin McKinney, pioneer settler and signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence, was the leader of the Bowie County congregation, which had worshipped informally since 1831. Between 1844 and 1846 the group moved to Liberty (later called "Mantua"), three miles southwest of here. In 1846 under McKinney and J. B. Wilmeth, the congregation was reorganized as the "Liberty Church" with eighteen members. In 1854, the First Mantua Christian Church was built. In this early structure a rail in the center aisle separated men from women. No offering plate was passed; donations were placed on the communion table. Members constructed their own "hymn books," which doubled as souvenir and recipe books. Founders of churches in many cities, including Galveston, Sherman, and Glen Rose, were members of the Mantua Church. In 1887 the Mantua Group organized the church on this site in the infant town of Van Alstyne, located on the Houston & Texas Central Railroad. In 1891 the Mantua and Van Alstyne churches joined memberships. (1968)
Our Beautiful Sanctuary
