Palo Duro Baptist Church - Wildorado, TX
N 35° 07.043 W 102° 12.144
13S E 754954 N 3889643
The Palo Duro Baptist Church is at 5704 FM 809, 6.5 miles south of Wildorado in the old Palo Duro community, and about 15 miles north of Dawn. Sunday services are at 10:45 AM and 5 PM.
Waymark Code: WMZ36A
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 09/03/2018
Views: 1
The Palo Duro community in Deaf Smith County isn't even listed in the Handbook of Texas, and other than the Palo Duro Wildorado Cemetery just down the road, there isn't much here beyond scattered homes. While the church has a
Facebook page, it gives no indication as to the age of the sanctuary, which looks like it may have been built in the 1950s or 1960s. A 2010 Texas Historical Marker provides some history:
Palo Duro Baptist Church has its origins in Union School, which was built by settlers around 1893. Area residents held a non-denominational Sunday school in the facility. In 1901, Baptists living in the Palo Duro community, named for the creek that crosses northeastern Deaf Smith County, held a revival at the school. Shortly thereafter, on October 26, 1901, 12 charter members organized Palo Duro Baptist Church. The Rev. J.F. Killman served as pastor for the congregation, which at first met one weekend a month.
In 1905, area pioneers John and Janette Womble offered property for a church building. The congregation completed a structure in 1906, which was paid for by community donations. Methodists also used the new facility. The congregation grew and declined through its early years, reflecting trends in the area’s population. The church was a charter member of the Amarillo Baptist Association, which formed in 1953. In 1954, Palo Duro Baptist Church participated in a televised service at the KGNC television studio in Amarillo.
Palo Duro Baptist Church has a rich history of giving and outreach. In 1960, the congregation began a Spanish mission for Bracero farm workers; after the program ended, the congregation supported Spanish-speaking congregations in Hereford and Amarillo. The church has also aided shut-ins and the elderly through gift baskets, hosted orphans from the Buckner's Baptist Children's Home, awarded scholarships to students, worked with children with disabilities, participated in prison ministry, and organized local and foreign missions. Today, Palo Duro Baptist Church continues to be a beacon of light in the Texas Panhandle and throughout the world.