A Neighborhood of Churches

Mt. Zion 520 Stafford St

Mt Zion Baptist Church was organized in 1885, four years after the start of Abilene. Initially the congregation met in a building in south Abilene at S.4th and Cherry.  In 1940, the congregation built a new church at 841 Ash but that building burned in 1968. Today, the church is located on Stafford St. which is named in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Stafford. Mr. Stafford was the principal of Woodson school and the couple were longtime members of Mt. Zion.

A historical marker next to the church provides additional information. 

Antioch 801 Plum St.

Antioch CME Christian Methodist Episcopal at the corner of Plum and N. 8 was founded in 1886 and the congregants first met in a private home. In 1929 the church began building on Plum St. with members meeting in the basement which was finished first. In 1944, the present building was started and was ready for occupancy in 1945. It was built at a cost of $12,000.

By Loretta Fulton

The church was part of the historic "Colored Methodist Episcopal" denomination that was founded by former slaves on Dec. 16, 1870, in Jackson, Tenn. In 1954, the same year the Supreme Court ruled school segregation unconstitutional, the "C" was changed to "Christian.”

Mt. Moriah Baptist

Located at N. 8th and N. Treadaway, this little church was organized in 1937 as part of the Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention of Texas. When Rev. A.B. Carroll arrived in 1940 he found that there were just seven members of the original group left. His efforts to grow the congregation were aided by the arrival of Camp Barkeley in late 1940. Soldiers helped increase church attendance and lead to the construction of the native stone building presently on the site. 

Bethel A.M.E. 725 Plum St

Bethel A.M.E. (African Methodist Episcopal) church was built in 1943 at 725 Plum. The first pastor was the Reverend Mrs. I.Z. Chance (pictured).  A.M.E. churches began in 1816 and it is the first independent Protestant denomination to be founded by African-Americans.  A long time member of the church was Dr. William H. Butler, the city’s first African-American physician. Dr. Butler helped end segregation in Abilene.

New Light 518 N 6th St

Organized in 1923, the New Light Missionary Baptist Church first met for worship in a home on Ash Street.  In 1927, Rev. R. F. Bonner came to serve as pastor and he initiated construction on a building that was built by the members themselves. The present sanctuary was constructed in 1956.

In 1986, Rev. Leo Scott came to pastor the congregation. He retired in 1999 and today, the portion of N.6th Street in front of the church is named in his honor. Pastor Eddie Jordan has served the congregation since 1999. 

Macedonia 608 N 7th St

Macedonia Baptist was organized in 1898 with the first building constructed in 1903. A new church was erected in 1951 with congregants worshipping in a store on Plum Street while construction was underway.  Rev. T.G. Oliphant was called as pastor in 1965 and led the church until 1996. In 1989, ground was broken for the present church sanctuary on N. 7th Street  which was occupied in 1990.

Bethel 634 Cottonwood Street

Bethel Church of God In Christ was founded in 1922 with the first services being held at N. 4th and Ash Street. Later the church moved to Sixth and Plum Street but in 1923 the lot at 634 Cottonwood was acquired and a small frame church went up. The present church building was remodeled in 2005. 

Elder J.C. Johnson, Sr. serves as the leader of the nearly 100-year old church.

St. Francis 826 Cottonwood St

In 1890 the Catholic Bishop in Arkansas decided to make Abilene its own parish and Sacred Heart was established. The first frame church building was consecrated in June of 1893 and was located at North 5th and Beech, now the site of St. Paul United Methodist Church in 1931, Sacred Heart built a new church in south Abilene and abandoned the old structure which was moved near the old city cemetery where it became St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. The old structure was used for almost another half-century. In June 1980, St. Francis moved to a larger building.