The following is a copy of a booklet passed out after the 100 year anniversary of the church of Christ in Briar containing certain persons of interest and the history of this congregation. The total attendance for that worship service in 1992, 172 people, was and still is the highest attendence that has been recorded by this congregation. Some of those mentioned in the history booklet have since passed on. The information included in this brief history spans from the beginning of the church in the late 1800's to about 1990.
The Briar church of Christ
A Brief History
Written by: Marguerite Harris Ash in 1992
As well as can be determined, the church of Christ at Briar had its beginning about the year of 1892.
Samuel Alexander Hays was one ofthe first members and is believed to be the founder of the church at Briar. Samual A. Hays was born in Salem, Illinois December 15, 1839 and came to Texas with his parents in 1859. They settled in the Newark area. Samuel married Tobitha Evaline Huff who also came from Illinois. To this marriage ten children were born.
Soon after his marriage Samuel enliste in the Civil War as a Confederate soldier. Some years after the war was over he, with his family, crossed the Trinity River and settled in the Briar community. There, with other good neighbors such as Joe and Lucy Moore, Gene and Anna Hall the church of Christ at Briar was estalished. Gene and Anna Hall were relatives of Ines Pope Wright, one of our present members.
Brother Hays was the grandfather of Hubert Hays, the gentleman who is the contractor and builder of our present building. Hubert now serves as one of the elders at Newark. We are honored to have Hubert in our audience today.
In the beginning the church met in the school buliding on land that had been donated by Dr. H.R. Mullins, the father of Maude Harris who just recently passed from this life. She was one of the charter members.
At that time the church was blessed with some outstanding Gospel preachers. Besides brother Hays there were: Foy E. Wallace Sr., J.D. Tant, Ephraim Rogers, N.L. Clark, Joe S. Warlick, Charlie Nichols, and others. Among the first faithful families were the Bob Popes, the Mullins, the Yancys, Scroggins, the Persons and the widow Forbes and her five lovely daughters.
Sister Forbes was the maternal grandmoter of Hubert Hays; also the grandmother of Morgan Riley. Hubert has been a tremendous help in our building program. His interest could be because of his granparents having such in important role in the early church.
The church continued to meet in the school building for several years. After the school outgrew the old one a new brick building was erected just east of our present building. In the year 1923 the congregation, under the leadership of brothers Lon J. Beaver, Eugene Wright and Emory Bradford, bought the sole rights to the old school building and surrounding property.
The congregation couldn't afford a full-time preacher at this time. Maybe there would be a preacher once a month but there would always be wonderful Gospel meetings held during the summer under brush arbors or out in the open under the stars. During the period of time some of the preachers were: Brothers Ing; Killian; Myrick; Willard Morrow; E. C. Fuqua and others. Among the faithful members were the Beavers, Beasleys, Wrights, Huffs, Forbes, Morans, Harris, Hays, Bradfords, Hietts, Vandivers and brother and sister Joe Ford grandparents of Everett Ford.
Baptisms were usually held in the river or Harmon Lake.
In 1934, during the deep Depression years, a very tragic thing happened. The church building was completley destroyed by fire. For the next three or four years services were again held in the public school building. It was at this time a young dynamic preacher by the name of A. V. Isbell came and preached two Sundays each month. He later held several Gospel meetings at Briar. Much good, with several baptisms, came from the good sermons he delivered.
The times were very hard; the brethren decided it was time to rebuild. With extra donations from the members and help from other congregations- able bodied men with a mind to work, like in the days of Nehemiah, pitched in with many prayers and God's help contructed a nice building for worship. This was the year 1938.
The church was greatly blessed the next few years and enjoyed quite a growth. New facilities were added as needed such as classrooms, restrooms etc. The church could now afford a preacher each Sunday. Brothers Raymond Rhodes, Stubblefield, John Brown, Dale Castleman, Wayne Smalling and Berle Stewart were some of the ministers during this time.
Kenton Harvey, a local dairyman, with his good wife Shelia came to be our first full-time preacher. He was very capable and dedicated and had a wonderful influence with the young people. As the congregation continued to grow the brethren, under the eldership of Jimmy Person and Wayne Ash, began to make plans for a new auditorium. Their plan was to sell bonds to the membership. Some said it couldn't be done but after a meeting was called one Sunday afternoon enough bonds were sold within two hours for the building project to go forward. In just a few months the new auditorium was built and ready for use.
The past fifteen years our regular preachers have been: Brothers A.V. Isbell, Desain Terry, Barney Ash, Bud Biglieni and Kellon Hightower.
The following are a list of names of men who have preached at the church of Christ in Briar:
Samuel Hays; Tom Hays; Joe S. Warlick; J. D. Tant; Charley Nichols; Foy E. Wallace, Sr.; N.L. Clark; Ephraim Rogers; Jack Scroggins; Bob Yancy; Myrick; Killian; Strickland; Johnson; E. C. Fuqua; Willard Morrow; Maddox; Woolridge; Watson; Norton; Claude McClung; Ed Stewart; Bentley; O.K. Alexander; Elkins; Bill Moyers; Bill Clinger; Raymond Rhodes; Stubblefield; Merle King; Woodie Holden; John Brown; Blanton Brown; Delvin Brown; Williford; Dale Castleman; Berle Stewart; Royce Flowers; Avon Malone; Leroy Brownlow; Dillard Thurman; Johnny Lowe; Andrew Connelly; True; Jones; Chester Hill; Steve Patterson; Wayne Smalling; Dale Scott; Melvin Vaughn; Harold Ballard; Herman Beauchamp; Kenton Harvey; A. V. Isbell; Kellon Hightower; Desain Terry; Brooks Terry; Barney Ash; Bud Biglieni; David Lester; T. B. Crews; Donald Davis; Wayne Blake; Ted Horn and currently Phillip McIntosh.
