The Unstoppable Church: Historic Mount Gilead Closes Its Doors, But Its Legacy Lives On.

The Unstoppable Church: Historic Mount Gilead Closes Its Doors, But Its Legacy Lives On. CBS: https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/video/fort-worths-mount-gilead-baptist-church-hosts-final-service-in-historic-building/

FORT WORTH — On the final Sunday of May 2026, members of historic Mount Gilead Baptist Church gathered one last time inside the sanctuary that had served as a beacon of faith, hope, education, and community for generations.

While the congregation worshipped and reflected on the closing chapter of one of Fort Worth’s most historic African American churches, Pastor Oliver Evans stood in the pulpit of New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church across town as the guest minister of Pastor Kyev Tatum.

Pastor Evans delivered a timely message titled “The Unstoppable Church,” reminding worshippers that while buildings may close and seasons may change, the Church of Jesus Christ can never be stopped when its foundation is rooted in Christ.

Drawing from Matthew 16:18, Evans declared that some things must come to an end, but God’s Church continues because it is built upon a foundation stronger than brick, mortar, stone, or steel.

His message echoed the emotions being felt inside Mount Gilead’s historic sanctuary that same morning.

The final service inside the Grove Street landmark marked the closing of a building that has stood as a witness to more than 150 years of African American faith, perseverance, and community advancement. Yet for many who gathered, the day was not simply about loss. It was about legacy.

As congregants filled the pews one final time, memories echoed beneath stained-glass windows and across the historic balcony where generations had worshipped, celebrated, mourned, organized, and dreamed. The sanctuary that once stood at the heart of one of Fort Worth’s oldest Black communities became a sacred place of reflection, gratitude, and remembrance.

The history of Mount Gilead Baptist Church dates back to 1875 when formerly enslaved African Americans established the congregation during the early years of freedom following the Civil War. The church emerged from a Black settlement known as Baptist Hill and became one of the foundational institutions of Black Fort Worth.

Over the decades, Mount Gilead became far more than a place of worship.

The church served as a center for education, recreation, leadership development, and community advancement. Long before desegregation, the facility included amenities rarely available to African Americans, including a swimming pool, gymnasium, and day nursery. It stood as a symbol of self-determination and community empowerment, where faith and social progress worked hand in hand.

Generations of Black families found encouragement, opportunity, hope, and dignity within its walls.

The historic structure eventually became one of Fort Worth’s most recognizable African American landmarks, standing as a testament to the vision, sacrifice, and determination of the men and women who built it.

During a recent interview with CBS News Texas reporter Dawn White, Fort Worth pastor and community leader Rev. Kyev Tatum, Sr., reflected on the significance of Mount Gilead and the generations who made its history possible.

“To see our ancestors have the tenacity and determination to not only build the building but using that building to help improve the quality of life of Blacks in this community is something that should be preserved, protected and defended,” Tatum said.

“The building has significance to those of us who have historically known that as a church, but the reality is the church is inside of us.”

Tatum, who serves as pastor of New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church and president of the Ministers Justice Coalition of Texas, said the closing of the building should never be mistaken for the end of Mount Gilead’s influence.

Instead, he believes the moment should inspire a deeper appreciation for what made the church significant in the first place.

“The strength of the church was never simply the bricks, mortar, columns, or stained glass,” Tatum said. “The strength was the people, their faith, their service, and their commitment to improving the lives of others.”

That truth resonated throughout the final worship service as members sang hymns, shared memories, and honored the generations who came before them.

Many reflected on baptisms, weddings, funerals, revivals, community meetings, and civil rights conversations that unfolded inside the sanctuary. Others remembered parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents whose sacrifices ensured future generations would have a place to worship and gather.

For historians and preservationists, Mount Gilead remains one of the most significant symbols of African American achievement and resilience in Fort Worth. For former members, it remains sacred ground.

Yet perhaps the church’s greatest contribution is not found in its architecture but in its enduring example of faith and perseverance.

From Reconstruction through segregation, from economic hardship to social transformation, Mount Gilead Baptist Church stood as a witness to the aspirations, struggles, victories, and faith of Black Fort Worth.

While the doors of the historic building may have closed, many believe its mission continues through the lives of those it shaped.

The final service was not merely a farewell.

It was a reminder that buildings preserve history, but people carry legacy.

And if the story of Mount Gilead Baptist Church teaches anything, it is that the Church was never confined to a structure.

As Pastor Evans preached and Rev. Tatum affirmed, the Church remains unstoppable because it is built upon Jesus Christ.

The building may be historic.

But the Church lives on.

And the legacy is eternal.