WHEN THE LAND IS IN GOOD HANDS: East Texas Christian Family Honored as 2025 Texas Department of Agriculture Family Land Heritage Recipients.

WHEN THE LAND IS IN GOOD HANDS: East Texas Christian Family Honored as 2025 Texas Department of Agriculture Family Land Heritage Recipients.

October 15, 2025 | The Chandelier of Gruene – New Braunfels, Texas

WHITE OAK, TEXAS – “The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with Me.” – Leviticus 25:23

With overflowing joy, deep thanksgiving, and heartfelt pride, Black Texans, Inc. celebrates the extraordinary honor bestowed upon Ms. Debra Christian and the Christian family of the historic Shiloh Community in White Oak, Texas, as 2025 Family Land Heritage (FLH) Honorees by Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and the Texas Department of Agriculture.

This recognition is among the highest honors Texas bestows—reserved for families who have faithfully owned, cultivated, and preserved their land for over a century. The Christian family’s story is a radiant testimony of God’s providence, enduring faith, and unwavering stewardship of the land entrusted to them. Their legacy illustrates how land, faith, education, military service, and community are inseparably woven into the fabric of Texas history.

Legacy Rooted in Faith and Freedom

The Christian family’s East Texas roots reach back to 1855, a time of profound struggle and transition for African Americans. Rev. Butcher C. Christian Sr. (1836–1903) was born enslaved but destined for freedom. Despite the harsh realities of bondage, his life exemplified resilience, courage, and vision. After emancipation, thanks to the generosity of his brother and former enslaver, Gideon Christian, Rev. Christian acquired 500 acres of land, eventually expanding it to 665 acres through dedication and hard work.

Rev. Christian was more than a landowner; he was a spiritual and civic leader. In 1871, he donated three acres to establish Shiloh Baptist Church, the spiritual heartbeat of the Shiloh Community. The church became a symbol of hope, freedom, and community cohesion. In the aftermath of the Civil War, African Americans in East Texas sought to establish new identities rooted in faith, self-determination, and education, and Rev. Christian was at the forefront of this movement.

Together with other freed families, he helped establish a school for Black children, ensuring education became a foundation for future generations. By 1920, the modest school had blossomed into the Shiloh Rosenwald School, a two-room facility funded in part by the Rosenwald Fund, a national initiative to improve educational opportunities for African American children in the South. The Shiloh Rosenwald School became a beacon of learning and hope for the Shiloh Community, producing graduates who contributed significantly to Texas and the nation in fields ranging from agriculture and education to military service and civic leadership.

Stewardship of the Land

For the Christian family, dedication to the land was as much spiritual as it was practical. To care for the soil, plant and harvest, preserve and expand, was to honor God’s creation. The land was not simply property—it was inheritance, legacy, and sacred trust. Across decades, the family practiced sustainable farming, livestock raising, and careful management, ensuring the land remained productive and intact for future generations.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, African American families faced enormous pressures to sell land due to discriminatory practices, economic hardship, and racial violence. The Christian family’s steadfast commitment to their acreage speaks volumes about their courage, vision, and faith. Their success and longevity are proof that stewardship rooted in principle and guided by God can endure even under the harshest circumstances.

Military Service and the Call to Duty

The Christian family’s legacy extends beyond soil and school—it reaches the battlefields of Texas and the world. Multiple generations of Christian descendants served honorably in the United States military, from World War I to modern deployments. Their service reflects a commitment not only to the nation but to freedom, honor, and sacrifice, principles that shaped their ancestors’ pursuit of liberty.

This tradition demonstrates a holistic approach to stewardship: protecting the land, serving the community, and defending the nation. For a family that survived slavery, segregation, and systemic discrimination, military service was a continuation of their fight for dignity, respect, and rightful place in the fabric of American society. Their faith was active and practical, expressed through labor, education, and service.

Honoring Veterans Through Generosity

That same legacy of faithfulness continues today. In a remarkable act of generosity and vision, Ms. Debra Christian and her family recently donated 64 acres of ancestral land to the State of Texas for the creation of a Texas State Veterans Cemetery in East Texas. This sacred resting place ensures that generations of heroes will be laid to rest with dignity and honor, reflecting the Christian family’s understanding that stewardship extends beyond life—it is about legacy and care for the next generation.

Commissioner Sid Miller celebrated the achievement, stating:

“The ownership and caretaking of land by generations of farmers and ranchers like the Christian family is an important part of our Texas heritage. Texans must never forget that family-owned agriculture is the foundation of our Texas legacy. That is why the Family Land Heritage program is so important.”

By donating land for veterans, the Christian family honored both God and country, weaving together faith, service, and civic responsibility.

The Shiloh Community: A Living Testament

The Shiloh Community, centered around Shiloh Baptist Church and the Shiloh Rosenwald School, is more than a location—it is a symbol of faith, perseverance, and Black excellence in East Texas. Established in the aftermath of the Civil War, Shiloh became a center for spiritual growth, education, and cultural identity for freed African Americans. The church, school, and surrounding community fostered resilience, unity, and opportunity.

Through decades of challenges, including the Jim Crow era and economic pressures that forced many African Americans from their land, Shiloh endured. The Christian family’s leadership and stewardship anchored the community. Their contributions to education, the church, and civic life ensured that Shiloh remained a place where faith and family values could flourish. Today, descendants of the original families continue to honor these traditions, reflecting the continuity of a remarkable heritage rooted in land, faith, and learning.

Faith as the Cornerstone

The Christian family’s story is inseparable from their faith. From Rev. Butcher C. Christian Sr.’s spiritual leadership to Ms. Debra Christian’s stewardship, their decisions have been guided by divine purpose. Scripture has been their foundation, shaping their approach to land, education, military service, and community building.

Psalm 16:6 reminds us:

“The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Yes, I have a good inheritance.”

Inheritance, for the Christian family, is not merely land or wealth—it is faith, tradition, and community responsibility. Every acre, school, and church reflects a commitment to God, family, and neighbor. Their legacy demonstrates that land in the hands of those who honor it produces blessings that ripple across generations.

Recognition and Celebration

On Wednesday, October 15, 2025, the Christian family will formally receive their recognition at the 51st Annual Family Land Heritage Ceremony at The Chandelier of Gruene in New Braunfels. They will join over 5,000 Texas families who have preserved their land, legacy, and faith for more than a century.

This celebration honors not only the Christian family but also the enduring spirit of Texas families who maintain deep connections to land, community, and faith. Such recognition serves as an inspiration, particularly to young African Americans, demonstrating that perseverance, integrity, and faithfulness produce enduring legacies.

A Living Blueprint for the Future

The Christian family’s story is a living blueprint for future generations. Their example teaches how to steward resources, honor faith, serve community, and preserve history. Success, as they show, is measured not only by what is accumulated but by what is passed forward—values, education, land, and legacy.

In East Texas, the Christian family has modeled how faith, agriculture, military service, and civic leadership can combine to empower a community. Their legacy demonstrates that stewardship is active, intentional, and generational, producing both sustenance and spiritual fruit.

A Call to Honor and Stewardship

The recognition of the Christian family is a reminder that Texas is still in good hands. Their story challenges all Texans to consider how they can honor the land, uplift communities, and serve others with faith and diligence. It is a call to preserve history, educate future generations, and uphold moral and spiritual principles that guide personal and communal success.

Black Texans, Inc., alongside the broader community, gives thanks for a family whose lives and labor have shaped the spiritual, social, and civic fabric of East Texas. The Christian family demonstrates that legacy is more than inheritance—it is the fruit of faithfulness, sacrifice, and stewardship.

About the Publisher – Pastor Kyev Tatum

Pastor Kyev Tatum is a visionary leader, publisher, and community advocate dedicated to celebrating, preserving, and advancing the heritage of Black Texans. As founder and publisher of Black Texans, Inc., Pastor Tatum combines deep knowledge of Texas history, faith-based leadership, and civic engagement to highlight families, institutions, and communities that have shaped the Lone Star State.

A graduate of the University of North Texas School of Community Service, Pastor Tatum has spent decades empowering underserved communities through education, workforce development, and faith-centered initiatives. He is also a sought-after speaker, author, and historian, with a passion for telling stories that honor the perseverance, ingenuity, and legacy of African American Texans.

Through Black Texans, Inc., Pastor Tatum seeks not only to document history but to inspire present and future generations to understand their roots, embrace their inheritance, and cultivate their own legacies of faith, service, and stewardship. His leadership is defined by a unique ability to merge spiritual insight with community transformation, ensuring that stories like that of the Christian family of White Oak, Texas, are preserved, celebrated, and amplified for generations to come.