Local church celebrates 170 years of service

Early April finds my young bride Stella and the First Baptist Church of Marlin sharing birthdays. The church body celebrates on April 10 some 170 years. My young bride Stella celebrates April 6, 2022.  In Texas, there are some questions you never ask a young lady, so I am just going to say, “Happy Birthday, Darlin’ and many more!

Let me introduce you to the man responsible for the founding of First Baptist Church of Marlin, Texas. Z. N. (Wildcat) Morrell, that Crusty Old Baptist! My good friend Gary (JC) Penney gave me a book titled “The Trail Drivers of Texas.” One selection was about a pioneer Texas Preacher named Z. N. Morrell. 

Not only was this early Baptist preacher prominent in Texas history, he was the preacher that founded and became the first pastor for what is now The First Baptist Church in Marlin, Texas. Looking back in history, I find an old Falls County record showing that in August 1851, three Marlin city lots were designated by the Falls County Commissioners Court as sites for churches. These churches were the Methodist, Presbyterian, and Baptist denominations. 

The Baptist’s first pastor, Reverend Z.N. Morrell, selected a lot for his church, the Baptist Church of Christ. He had been holding worship services in the log courthouse and later at a school. His church started on April 10, 1852, with 10 charter members and eventually became the First Baptist Church of Marlin in 1902. Z. N. Morrell, the first pastor of Marlin’s Baptist congregation, was a pioneer Baptist preacher that came to Texas to bring the Protestant religion to its early settlers even though Mexican law stated that Anglos had permission to colonize this area but by law everyone had to worship as Catholic. Thus, all religions were forbidden with the exception of Catholicism. 

Morrell came to Texas in 1835 planning to start churches in this frontier. He had no problem going against the Mexican Government’s law forbidding other religions, but the revolution against Mexico ended and Texas was a free country by the time he was ready to build churches in Texas. He had crossed the Sabine River in 1835, just a few months before the siege of the Alamo. According to “The Handbook of Texas Online,” he brought his family to Texas, settling near the Falls on the Brazos where he found one family and about 40 soldiers in the fort located there.  This was Fort Milam/Viesca. 

He decided to preach a sermon for that group and as reported in a book about First Baptist Marlin, “THE CHURCH With An Enlarged Vision”  by Mr. and Mrs. Roy Eddins, this was the first sermon to be preached in what would eventually become Falls County. He settled on the west side of the river and farmed on the east side of the river, but the constant danger of Indian raids forced him to move his family to Washington-on-the-Brazos and then back to this area in 1837, Morrell helped develop one of the first Baptist churches in Texas.  

Acquaintances spoke of him as “that crusty old Baptist and he was generally known by his nickname, “Wildcat.” He came to Texas with a mindset to bring a Protestant religion opportunity to the settlers and for the next forty years did just that. His goal was to start churches; and in doing so, he would ride hundreds of miles as a pioneer Baptist preacher as he preached the gospel. Stories would abound as he made his circuit, preaching, helping folks, starting churches, fighting Indians, and hunting bears. Davy Crockett was to meet him at the Falls on the Brazos for a bear hunt, but circumstances would not work out, so John Marlin hunted with Morrell.  

One account from “Fruits and Flowers”  by Z.N. Morrell  was a story about a memorable venture west of the Brazos and an encounter with rattle snakes. His company of surveyors had a chance sighting of a fat wild cow that whetted their appetites for beef. Just as his companion Matthew Burnett was about to fire, Morrell spotted an Indian boy sneaking up on the cow. Burnett also spotted the Indian and chose to shoot at him, but Morrell told him to hold his fire. Why? Morrell remembered an earlier encounter with rattle snakes where the snakes had sounded a warning with their rattles as his company eased through a brush pile, thus allowing his men to skirt around them and not relay their position to the enemy which helped give them a victory in an ensuing battle. 

Morrell was impressed that the snakes gave a warning and would only fight for their defense. He decided that the Indian boy was not a threat as he called for his friend to hold his fire.  Pleased with his decision, they returned to the company but soon found a party of Karankawa warriors confronting them. However this band of Indians showed a sign of peace. Confused that this cannibalistic tribe would seek a peaceful encounter instead of being warlike, they soon came to realize that the Indian boy was the chief’s son. 

Their choice not to fire on the Indian lad resulted in a peace treaty with the Karankawa tribe. The Texas President, Sam Houston, recognized Morrell’s company in an official memorandum giving accolades to Morrell’s group for their action. This episode was used as an object lesson in many subsequent sermons by Z. N. Morrell.  The history of Texas is made up of numerous episodes similar to this story, but this is a moment in history that touches Falls County and Marlin. April 10, 2022, will be birthday one hundred seventy for the Marlin, Texas First Baptist Church that had humble beginnings April 10, 1852, as the First Baptist Church of Christ founded by   Z. N. (Wildcat) Morrell, that Crusty Old Baptist!

Zachariah Nehemiah (Z.N.) Morrell requested to be buried in a plain coffin with a small marble slab that had his name, dates of his birth (Morrell was born in South Carolina, Jan. 17, 1803) and death (Dec. 19, 1883) and an inscription that read “A sinner saved by Grace.” Morrell was buried in the yard of the First Baptist Church of Kyle, Texas.  In 1946 his body was moved to the State Cemetery in Austin, Texas since he was considered to be a veteran of the Republic of Texas.

Of Fruits and Flowers

History happens in amazing ways,

As explorer and settler reach out,

Land of buffalo and where antelope plays,

The French and the Spaniard came to scout.  

Wild Texas was naught but a frontier land,

 With a most magical allure,

Where stout heart and strong souls would make their stand,

The fate of Texas to insure.

Fall 1835

Z.N. Morrell came to answer God’s call,

The Protestant religion he’d bring,

To the settlers and soldiers one and all,

That to God’s Word they could each cling.

In the center of Texas a colony grew,

Near the Falls on the Brazos they stood,

A natural crossing for all that came through,

Wild game and Indian certainly would.

Sterling Robertson started colony here,

With need for skilled and rugged man,

He sent out a plea both far and near,

Z.N. Morrell would fit his plan.

Sam Houston and Davy Crockett were his friends,

He and John Marlin hunted bear,

Together they helped repel savage Indians, 

The family forged a living there.

Life was hard for these early pioneers

It was their choice, this trail they trod

Men and women of strong faith faced their fears

As they held fast to the Grace of God.

They had a vision for this wild new land

They thanked God for ending their search

These strong and hardy settlers made their stand 

Fledgling Marlin built school and church  

April 10, 1852

The Baptist Church of Christ was started,

Z.N. Morrell was first to Preach,

And thus the Marlin Baptist Church was charted,

The love of Jesus to teach!

©  Ol’ Jim Cathey

Happy birthday Stella and First Baptist Church Marlin and God Bless America!