Religion in the New Capital

Religion in the New Capital. . , During the early colonization of Texas, the Catholic religion was the established religion of Texas. As the colonists arrived in Texas to receive their land grant they were required to accept the Catholic faith even though many of them were of the protestant faith. They said that they were Catholic in order to receive their land grant. In order to perform baptisms, marriages and burials, circuit-riding preachers began coming to Texas as early as 1815. Mexican officials did not authorize these circuit-riding clergymen. Stephen F. Austin tried scrupulously to follow the land grant procedures established by Mexico. His outburst that "one Methodist preacher would do more harm in his colony than a dozen horse thieves,” clearly expressed his feelings on the matter. When Col. Jose de las Piedras, the commandant at Nacogdoches, received a report that Methodists were conducting meetings, reportedly said that if they were not killing themselves or stealing horses, his troops were to leave them alone. This was the typical, if not the official, stance of the Mexican government during the early 1830's. Columbia had no church building in 1836; however, the colonists conducted their own religious services in small groups. After gaining independence from Mexico on April 21, 1836, religions activities flourished openly. Methodist circuit-rider Rev. Isaac L.G. Strickland rode into Texas in the winter of 1838 and established the first Methodist church in Columbia in April 1839. On June 3, 1840, Rev William Y. Allen organized the "Presbyterian Church at Columbia” which is now known as the Bethel Church.