Frydek, Austin County
In 1866, Joe and Abe Osborne and Louis Thompson organized the Bethlehem Baptist Church. The Rev. Wesley Stevens was the first pastor of the church, reorganized as Mt. Zion Baptist in the 1880s under the Rev. P.H. Collier. Members met in houses and later, under the direction of the Rev. H.H. Anderson, Sr., built a log sanctuary. Through the years, the church experienced a fire and a major storm, both of which destroyed the sanctuary. However, members rebuilt both times and the church continued to expand and develop at its current site. After well over a century, Mt. Zion Baptist Church still serves as a spiritual leader in the community. (2006)