Slaton, Lubbock County
In the late 1920s in the house of “Sister” Mecca Davis, Triumph Missionary Baptist Church organized as the second historically African American church established in Slaton. The city, created in 1911 by the Santa Fe Railway, experienced rapid growth, accompanied by increasingly tense racial relations. On October 19, 1929, Triumph Missionary Baptist Church formed with a focus on community outreach and spiritual togetherness, seeking to provide hope to its community. In January 1930, the Reverend J.L. Mann became pastor. Other notable members throughout the church’s history include the Reverend Anderson, “Sis” Rebecca White and the Reverend M.A. Brown. Early church services were held in homes, and soon the congregation moved to the African American Evans School. In 1932, Lithuanian Jewish refugee Abe Kessel donated a house to the church. This home would serve as the center of the church as it expanded. Later, a building was added to the west side of the existing facility. It is believed by church members that the name “missionary” was added to the church’s title in 1949 when a women’s mission was formed. Despite the discrimination it faced as a “colored church,” Triumph Missionary Baptist Church made efforts to include the entire community. Triumph hosted vacation bible schools, jamborees, and choir performances. In 1965, the first “federational choir singing” was held and promoted by the Rev. Brown, who hoped to create a “spiritual fellowship” by banding together several churches in the community. In 1968, the Slaton neighborhood improvement council organized and elected the Rev. M. A. Brown as its chairman, a testament to the church’s impact on its community. (2023)