The East Texas Baptist Area consists of 88 Southern Baptist Churches in five counties organized into two Associations., the Rusk-Panola Baptist Association and the Shelby-Doches Baptist Association. The office is at 300 N. Railroad Ave (Hwy 259) Mt. Enterprise, Texas. The area is led by the Director of Missions.
EAST TEXAS BAPTIST AREA HISTORY
SHELBY ASSOCIATION
The Pleasant Grove Baptist Association was organized in 1881 in Shelby County. The first annual meeting was held at the Mt. Zion church at Mt. Enterprise on Saturday, September 16, 1882. Elder S>C> Johnson was the first Moderator. October 1888 they voted to change its name to the Shelby County Missionary Baptist Association. Upon the rules, it became official a year later in October 1889
NACOGDOCHES ASSOCIATION
October 1887 20 churches from the Angelina, Mt. Zion, and Central Associations met at the Antioch church in Nacogdoches and organized the Nacogdoches Baptist Association. Elder R.A. Hargis was chairman and later elected the first Moderator. Z.T. Fall was elected secretary and Cyrus Ivy was elected Treasurer.
SHELBY-DOCHES BAPTIST ASSOCIATION
The Shelby association and the Nacogdoches association met in 1925 and formed the Shelby-Doches Baptist Association.
RUSK COUNTY BAPTIST ASSOCIATION
The Rusk County Baptist Association was formed on November 22, 1901. H.E. Harris was elected as Missionary. At October 16, 1902, annual meeting money was raised to buy the missionary a colporteurs wagon. This was an essential addition to the work of the missionary
PANOLA ASSOCIATION
The Panola Association was formed in1915 from churches in Soda Lake association, Mt.Zion association and Central Association.
RUSK-PANOLA BAPTIST ASSOCIATION
In 1926 the Rusk association and the Panola association met and formed the Rusk-Panola Baptist Association
EAST TEXAS BAPTIST AREA
In 1967 the Rusk-Panola association and the Shelby-Doches association formed the East Texas Baptist Area.
The following men as served as Association Missionary for the area
Henry Harris 1901-1905
E.W.H.Parker 1907-1908
Leland Malone 1908-1920
William Anderson 1912
E.H. Garner 1909-1912
Fox Henry Hollis 1916
William Grammer 1916-1920
Lewis Martin Sauls 1917
Burus Thornton 1922-1925
Edward Morgan 1926
Ernest Harris 1926 and 1929
Marvin Gaddis 1930
Marion Rook 1928 and 1933-1934
Wilfred Parker 1947-1948
Jesse Phillips 1949-1958
Jared Cartlidge 1967-1972
John Heaton 1974-1988
Wayne Keller 1989-1999
Gerald Edwards 2000-present
