Mount Moriah Baptist Church

Mount Moriah Baptist Church. . For many years after emancipation, new church congregations were established throughout the South by and for African Americans. On the third Sunday in June 1884, a meeting was held at the congregational church in Goliad. , Henry Anderson, Josephine Anderson, Harriet Bess and Melissa Barefield met with Reverends I.H. Weathers and John Nelson. This meeting led to the organization of the Mount Moriah Baptist Church, also known as the Free Mission Baptist Church of Goliad., In 1884, members of the congregation began to meet in private homes and open fields, eventually moving to the United Brothers of Freedom Hall. Over the course of two decades, the congregation saved and worked to purchase land for a church building. In 1902, the church purchased this lot from Deacon Henry Pullam and his wife, Lizzie Pullam. , Early buildings on the lot used wood stove heating and kerosene lamps for light. In the late 1910s and early 1920s, the original building was dismantled, and a new building was erected closer to the corner of the lot, moving the building to higher ground away from the creek. Work was mostly done by church members, with modern utilities added over the years. , Since 1884, Mount Moriah Baptist Church has been a center for the African American community, growing in membership and participating in numerous local activities, including baptisms and fundraisers. Through spiritual guidance and support, Mount Moriah Baptist Church remains an important beacon of faith and hope for the African American community in Goliad.