Clear Creek Baptist Church (1986)

According to oral tradition, this congregation was organized in 1872 as the Clear Creek Missionary Baptist Church by six families who resided in this area of east Lampasas County. The church petitioned for membership in the Leon River Baptist Association in 1876 and sent delegates to the associational meeting the following year. The Rev. Ambrose W. Elledge (d. 1884) served as first pastor and is buried in the nearby cemetery. In 1889 Joseph M. and Alice Carnes formally deeded land at this site to the church deacons, although a sanctuary had been here since the late 1870s. During the last few years of the 19th century, the congregation joined the newly formed Lampasas Baptist Association and grew to a membership of 66 under the leadership of The Rev. C. C. Greer. In 1912, a tornado and then a hailstorm caused damage to the sanctuary, but repairs sufficed to keep the building standing until the decision to rebuild was made in 1940. Over the years a brush arbor and later an open air tabernacle were used for revivals. Baptisms were held in the Lampasas River (5 mi. S) until 1975. The oldest legible tombstone in the nearby church cemetery is dated 1872.

Clear Creek Baptist Church is a historical marker in Kempner, Lampasas County, dedicated in 1986. It is one of 73 historical markers documented in Lampasas County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 122 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 31.0817, -97.9242 near Kempner. The nearest cataloged historic site is Clear Creek Baptist Church (cemetery), about 0.2 miles away. Others within a short drive include Smith Cemetery, Kempner, and Ellis Family.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5281000913. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.