History of Sublime Baptist Church
Information received from the Guadalupe Baptist Association states that Sublime Baptist Church was first located at a place known as “Tick Hill” which was approximately 4 miles north of the present location. Services were held at this location (Tick Hill) beginning in the year 1853. Records from the early church were either never kept or have been lost. The name of the early church, according to minutes from March 1925, was “Sublime Missionary Baptist Church.” After May 1928, the minutes read “Sublime Baptist Church.”
In 1887 Robert Miller donated land in Sublime to the church. A wooden frame church was built in Sublime, Texas in 1905 and this church building was used until 1954. Services were held on Saturday night and Sunday morning whenever a preacher came. On February 1, 1953, under the leadership of Bro. C.L. Weigel, the church began working toward the construction of a new building by starting a building fund to build a new church. On October 4, 1953 new church plans were drawn.
Bro. Weigel, who was pastor for 18 years, and his wife Linnie played an important role in the history of Sublime Baptist Church. He was instrumental in starting many new programs and overseeing the construction of the new church that opened its doors in 1954.
In September of 1954, Sublime Baptist Church opened and dedicated its brand new building consisting of a spacious auditorium, 6 class rooms, two rest rooms, and a large closet.
One year later, a letter from the pastor, Bro. C.L. Weigel, dated August 1, 1955 was sent to members, former members, pastors and residents inviting them to a Homecoming fellowship. This was to be an annual event every September, on the weekend of Labor Day. The annual Homecoming event was discontinued after 1963.
In October 2005, 8.26 acres of land was purchased by Sublime Baptist Church with the intention of building a new church in the near future. This dream was realized sooner than expected when the members of Trinity Baptist Church, off of Hwy 77 West, disbanded and their property was given to Sublime Baptist Church. In April 2007, Sublime Baptist Church sold the property. The money from the sale combined with the money from the building fund was enough to start construction on the new church in May 2008. The building was completed in May 2009. The congregation held their first service in the new church building in May 2009.
The history of Sublime Baptist Church would be incomplete without listing the pastors who served faithfully through the years. The salaries for the early pastors were very meager and sometimes the pastors preached and served the congregation without financial compensation.
Following is a partial listing of the pastors who have served over the years.
R.M. Blackman 1889
Brother Raab No Date
J.R. Bowen 1925
E.W. (Ed) Griffith 1925-1926
B.H. Power 1926-1927
J.T. King 1937
J.T. King 1945-1946
C.L Boone 1945-1946
J.J. Rice 1946-1947
Donald Boazeman 1948-1949
Johnny Hart 1949-1950
Donald Boazeman 1950-1951
C.L. Weigel 1951-1969
Claudie Dunlap 1970-1972
C.I. Williams 1972-1974
U.S. Luckey 1976-1977
C.I. Williams 1978-1982
J.C. Stork 1983-1988
Ed Benick 1989-1992
Jack Fleming 1993-1995
C.I. Williams 1997-1998
Larry Smith 1999-2007
George Hayhurst 2007-2012
Jeremy Kraatz 2013-present
Excerpts taken and adapted with permission from “History of Sublime Baptist Church” by Emily Jean Fahrenthold Appelt and Lois Pustejovsky Horton.
If you have any information, stories or pictures about the previous years of Sublime Baptist Church and would like to share them please contact us by calling us at (361)798-3845 or e-mailing us at office@sublimebaptist.org.