Beaumont, Jefferson County
Dallas evangelist A. J. Bush heeded the call of a local group of Christians and conducted a number of religious meetings in the area in 1894. A structure donated by a local Episcopal church was relocated and used as a sanctuary for First Christian Church beginning in 1899. First Christian's Ladies Aid Society helped raise funds to erect a new church building at a nearby site in 1904. Growth in church membership prompted the building of a new sanctuary/fellowship hall and other facilities here in 1962. The church helped establish and nurture Beaumont's Washington Blvd. Christian Church, Northwood Christian Church, and University Christian Church. Camp Wildurr, a youth camp developed by the congregation on 50 acres in 1955-56, was donated to the Texas Association of Christian Churches. The camp later was acquired by the Beaumont Independent School District. During the 1960s and 1970s the church organized a Mother's Day Out program; a Meals for the Elderly project; and helped establish an interfaith preaching series and "Some Other Place," an outreach program providing food, clothing, and other help to the needy. The congregation continues to provide spiritual guidance for the religious community of Beaumont.