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First Colony Bible Chapel, Houston, TX

First Colony Bible Chapel is the earliest known open brethren assembly in the Houston metro currently in Fort Bend Co., Texas. Joseph Jamison was saved on Feb. 11, 1880 under meetings by William Matthews and James Campbell in Cookstown, Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland, the latter of whom was discipled by Donald Ross. The meetings had been held since late 1879.

Joseph emigrated to Chicago in 1883 to work for Caleb Jason Baker's tent and awing company. Soon afterward, he moved with Caleb to Kansas City where he met his wife Lizzie Mills, and they remained in Kansas City at Troost Avenue Gospel Hall, KCMO until 1893 when they left to visit his cousin Annie Jamison Sweeney and her husband Jacob Jasper Sweeney who were operating a jewelry business, and soon relocated down there to work for J.J., and broke bread in their home, and were soon joined by William and Mrs. Meschkat.

The assembly's annual conference commenced in 1901. The gathering was known originally as Houston Gospel Hall, and popularly as (2402) Louisiana Street Gospel Hall in 1917 for its location where they had constructed a hall after renting several others. An early correspondent resided one block away at 2302 Louisiana St., which was also a popular hospitality house for visiting itinerants.

In 1937, a hive was initiated by Andrew Patterson, Jr. in his home, which eventually became Pineview Chapel in north Houston, which meets today, along with Sala Evangelica. Iglesia Cristiana Evangelica de SoHo also hived from the assembly on Louisiana Street in the late 1940's, originally known as South Houston Bible Chapel, which was predominantly Spanish-speaking by 1984 and continues in 2024.

For a half decade, Louisiana Street Gospel Hall rebranded 1961-1965 as Houston Gospel Chapel, then 1966-1969 as Maplewood Bible Chapel after moving locations, and then again its last year as such. From 1969-1991 it was Braeburn Bible Chapel before rebranding finally as First Colony Bible Chapel which it remains to this day. In recent years, this assembly has evolved into more of an independent bible church structure of leadership, and after retiring from 20 years as a commended chaplain with the USAF, Dr. John Tillery has assumed the residential worker role.

Contents

AKA

  • +1901+ Believer's Gospel Hall
  • +1901-1961: Houston Gospel Hall
  • 1917-1961: Louisiana Street Gospel Hall
  • 1961-1965: Houston Gospel Chapel
  • 1966-1969: Maplewood Bible Chapel
  • 1970-1991: Braeburn Bible Chapel
  • 1992?-current: First Colony Bible Chapel

Locations

  • 1893+: home of Joseph Jamison
  • various rented halls
  • +1901+: 909 Capitol Ave.
  • 1917-1965: 2402 Louisiana St.
  • 1965-1969: Cynthia Ann Parker School, 19626 Atwell St.
  • 1970-1990: 8809 Bissonnet St.
  • 1991: 10545 W. Airport Blvd., Stafford
  • 1992-current: 3610 Austin Pkwy., Sugar Land

Correspondents

  • 1893-1911+: Joseph Jamison
  • +1922-1930,1935: Paul Christoph Doehring @ 2302 Louisiana St. (1871-1941)
  • 1931-1955: H.W. Dedman @ 2302 Dallas St.
  • 1956-1958: Leland D. Smith
  • 1959-1965: Glen T. Lemon
  • 1966-1968: Leland D. Smith, Jr.
  • 1969-1978: Arthur L. Griffin
  • 1979-1984: Irvin E. Headley
  • 1985-current?: Ronald G. Brown
  • 1987-current?: Richard Nohr

Websites

Also See

Sources

  • AAB's 1897-2024
    • 1897, 1904: Dawe & Son (ed. by J.W. Jordan)
    • 1902: Harlem Bible Book & Tract Depot
    • 1927: Faithful Words
    • 1936: Light & Liberty
    • 1941, 1943, 1947, 1948, 1950, 1951, 1954-1956, 1958-2008: Waltericks
    • 2009-2024: Emmaus Worldwide
  • Periodicals
    • Our Record
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Last edited on 17 August 2024, at 10:29