'We'll just keep going': Flooding damages historic Pecan Grove Baptist Church in Gatesville

GATESVILLE, Texas (KWTX) - Rainfall overnight flooded the historic Pecan Grove Baptist Church.

Pastor Jeff Huckeby told KWTX that cushions on the pews, the sound system and chairs will all need to be replaced. Both the chapel and the fellowship hall saw significant damage.

“It’s been out of the banks before, but not this bad,” Huckeby said. “It floated everything in the chapel and filled the room with silt.”

Early Sunday morning, Huckeby made the call to cancel 11 a.m. Sunday service due to the condition the church was in.

“I came down early about 6:30 and that’s when I saw the water over the bridge and that the church was underwater at that time,” Huckeby said.

Thankfully the church had flood insurance and an adjuster will be by next week to survey the damage.

”We’ve been through harder times before and we’ll just keep going,” Huckeby said.

The church, located at 6545 FM 107, was honored with a historical marker placed on its property by the Coryell County Historical Commission in May 1995, according to the Gatesville Messenger.

It was first organized as Coryell Creek Baptist Church in 1882, according to the marker.

In 1929, the church changed its name to Pecan Grove Baptist and moved its present location off FM 107.

Sunday services will now be held under a pavilion onsite until all of the repairs are wrapped up.

“The church is more than just the building, it’s the people,” Huckeby said. “It doesn’t matter where we get together.”

Huckeby is asking his Central Texas neighbors to pray for him and his congregation as they work to rebuild.