Christian Souls Made of Gold. Presenting Ms. Debra Christian with the Congressional Gold Medals for the 6888th and 369th.
Christian Souls Made of Gold. Presenting Ms. Debra Christian with the Congressional Gold Medals for the 6888th and 369th
Monday, November 10, 2025 – Tyler, Texas
By Pastor Kyev Tatum, Sr., Publisher, Black Texans, Inc.
“But He knows the way that I take;
When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.”
— Job 23:10 (NKJV)
A Sacred Story Rooted in Shiloh
WHITE OAK, TEXAS — There is a quiet, unshakable strength that rises from the backwoods and red dirt roads of Shiloh — a freedmen’s farming community just south of the Upshur County line in Gregg County. Established by formerly enslaved African Americans after the Civil War, Shiloh became a haven of faith, family, and freedom.
At the far edge of this sacred ground rests Rev. Butcher Christian, Sr. a man whose life was a sermon before he ever stepped behind a pulpit. Born enslaved, freed by God’s providence and the victory of emancipation, Butcher Christian became a preacher, farmer, community organizer, and landowner — at one point holding over 665 acres of Gregg County soil.
Local history tells us that Butcher Christian, his former enslaver and brother Gideon Christian, and Rev. John Baptist organized Shiloh Baptist Church in 1871. Worship began in a humble log building on three acres of land donated by Butcher Christian himself. For freedmen and their children, this church was more than a house of worship — it was a schoolhouse, a training ground, and a lighthouse of hope.
A one-room school soon followed, rebuilt multiple times, culminating in a Rosenwald School in 1920 that educated Black children until desegregation in 1966. When oil was discovered on church land in the 1930s, the community used the proceeds to build a new sanctuary in 1936 — a testimony that faith, perseverance, and stewardship could turn adversity into blessing.
Butcher Christian’s faith became the foundation for a family legacy that would send 48 sons and daughters into military service — from the Union Army of the Civil War, WWI, WWII, Korea , Vietnam to the modern day War on Terror. This is not just the story of a family — it is the military love story of America itself.
A Family of Freedom Fighters Fighting for Fairness.
Among those 48 warriors was Zora Christian, who volunteered during World War II to serve her country in a time when women — and especially Black women — had few opportunities to do so. She joined the Women’s Army Corps, helping support the war effort at home and abroad, proving that patriotism knows no gender and no color line.
Another towering figure in this story is Debra Christian’s father, who not only served honorably in the Korean War but also bore witness to history when he stood holding the American flag as President Harry S. Truman officially integrated the U.S. Armed Forces in 1948. He was there when the walls of segregation began to crack, representing a generation who fought both foreign enemies and domestic injustice.
Why This Moment Matters
This year carries a double significance:
250th Anniversary of the United States Army
80th Anniversary of World War II
In this sacred season, we gather to honor a family whose history mirrors the struggle for freedom itself — forged in bondage, redeemed through faith, and crowned with service.
Continuing that legacy, Ms. Debra Christian, granddaughter of Rev. Butcher Christian, is donating 64 acres of family land to the State of Texas for the creation of a Texas State Veterans Cemetery in East Texas. This extraordinary act will create over 100 jobs and bring a multimillion-dollar investment to the region — a living memorial for generations of Texans who served this nation even when this nation did not always serve them.
Mark Your Calendars
Monday, November 10, 2025 – 12 Noon
Christian Restoration Center, 134 N. Glenwood Blvd, Tyler, Texas 75702
At this historic gathering, we will present Ms. Debra Christian with Congressional Gold Medals honoring two legendary — and too often overlooked — military units:
The 369th Infantry Regiment – “Harlem Hellfighters”
One of the first African-American regiments to fight in World War I, the 369th Infantry Regiment spent 191 consecutive days on the front lines — longer than any other American unit. They fought so fiercely that their German adversaries called them the “Harlem Hellfighters.”
For their heroism, the entire regiment received France’s Croix de Guerre, making history and shattering racial stereotypes. Their courage told the world that patriotism wears no color line.
The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion – “Six Triple Eight”
During World War II, warehouses across Europe were clogged with 17 million pieces of undelivered mail. The 6888th — the only all-Black, all-female battalion deployed overseas — worked around the clock in 24-hour shifts and cleared the backlog in half the expected time.
Their motto was “No Mail, Low Morale,” and their work brought hope to millions of service members waiting to hear from home. In 2022, President Biden signed legislation awarding them the Congressional Gold Medal, finally placing them where they belong — among America’s heroes.
More Than a Ceremony
This is more than an event.
It is a resurrection of memory,
a restoration of dignity,
and a renewal of our promise to tell the whole truth of America’s freedom story.
Join us in Tyler, Texas, as we proclaim with one voice:
“Christian Souls Made of Gold Still Shine Bright!”
About Pastor Kyev Tatum, Sr.
Pastor Kyev Tatum, Sr. is the Senior Pastor of New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, and the founder of Black Texans, Inc. A prophetic preacher, community builder, and civil rights advocate, Pastor Tatum has spent more than three decades fighting for justice and creating opportunities for young people to thrive.
Through Skills City, USA and he is pioneering faith-fueled workforce development programs, restoring historic spaces and carrying forward the legacy of leaders like Rev. Butcher Christian by uniting faith, freedom, and service for the good of future generations.
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