14998 FM 139
Shelbyville, Texas 75973
(936) 368-2462

Lydia Missionary Baptist Church is located in the north Toledo Bend area
 

  The Lydia Missionary Church was organized September 29, 1903 with 8 charter members. The first church building was built approximately 200 yards north of our building today. Church was held here for 40 years, one or two Sundays a month, depending on the conditions of the roads. Many of the early preachers came on horseback. When there was no service at the Baptist Church, the people attended services at the Methodist Church that was located across the road from Lydia Church. The Methodist people attended services at the Baptist Church when there was no service at their church.

 It was a cold winter morning in 1943 when the church building caught fire from a wood heater and was completely destroyed. For the next nine years, the members held services at the Wimberly Community Chapel located at the Wimberly Cemetery.

 In 1952 Mr. Allen Collum and Mr. Eddie Bailey each gave one-half acre of land for the purpose of erecting a new church building. A one-room white frame building was purchased and moved from Camp Worth, Mt.Herman Community to the new site, which was a few feet south of the present building. In 1993, a new church building was begun and the first service in the new building was held Easter Sunday 1994.