The faith of a Fort Bend County congregation is unshakable. That’s despite the insurmountable odds they face at St. John Baptist Church in Missouri City.
Rev. David Fisher says, “I believe that God has sustained us. We have to believe that, we have to believe that.’
St. John looks like any other aging church from the front…steeple and all.
But it’s the back of the sanctuary that’s revealing. It’s gutted – half the church is gone.
That’s after a a blaze at the church back in 2006.
Rev. Fisher says, “the federal investigators that’s what they summed up. It was set afire.”
No one was ever arrested for arson and 6 years later the 8 remaining members of the congregation can’t afford to renovate.
Even in that condition they still attend services in that gutted sanctuary every Sunday.
A building with no running water, no power, and no restrooms.
But there’s a critical reason why these members still attend church in a burned out building.
It was back in 1869 when St. John was founded by former slaves only a few blocks away from this site.
Then in 1884 a plantation owner agreed to allow the congregation to use the current larger two acre lot in exchange for their smaller 1 acre lot.
But that land swap came with conditions.
Rev. Fisher says, “we have to stay here because according to the deed if we should leave it it goes back to the grantor – if we should abandon it it goes back to the grantor so that’s where we stand.”
With no money for repairs the aging and dwindling congregation feels trapped.
Rosa Graves has been with St. John since 1982. She says, “I do feel we’re over a barrell because of the conditions that we have to maintain.”
Members of the church interpret ‘abandonment’ in the 100+ year old agreement to mean even if they miss a single Sunday service in the structure they could lose St. John.
That’s why they’re in their pews on the Sabbath without fail even with plastic on the ceilings and no water in their pipes.
Rev. Gerald Rivers just joined St. John. He says, “we need outside help otherwise this church is on life support and if something isn’t done soon the church could die but I don’t think it’s in God’s will that this church will die.”
THE CHURCH IS WORKING ON WAYS TO RAISE MONEY…THE PASTOR HAS ALSO SET UP AN ACCOUNT AT WELLS FARGO WHERE THEY’RE HOPING THE COMMUNITY WILL COME TO THEIR AID. If you’re interested in helping you can gio to any Wells Fargo and ask for the THE ST. JOHN BAPTIST CHURCH BURN FUND.
Rosa Lee JONES Graves is listed as a Principal of this Church, most likley has access to the Wells Fargo Bank Account, that Donations are going into. I never knew that Slick Rosa even went to any Church. Now, here she is showing up on Fox news, trying not to smile as she is talking about the difficult situation that the c/hurch is in “they have us over a barrel”. So, let me get this straight, St. John Baptist Church is located on land that the Church don’t own, or pay anything to be there, they just have to show up every Sunday to have Church, no matter what, even if half of the Building is not there, anymore and there are no utilities, rain, cold and the extreem heat, according to the 146 year old lease agreement. Fox, News, News Paper and Youtube, high Tech pan hadeling for money, to supposedly rebuild this Church thats located on land that they don’t own and have no plans to buy. Come on Man! Niggers always want something for free, hand outs ruin people, stagnates. Are you kidding me, this Church Burned back in 2006? All of a sudden, Urika! Lets play the Negro, Colored, Black, African American History angle to get Suckers to donate money, beause we want to rebuild. Come on Man! If the good Sister Saint Rosa Lee JONES Graves cared about Black Folks history, she would have started with her own Families History, after she gave birth to Kenneth Jones, she would have told him who his Bilogical Father was, allowed him to spend time with him and his Family, then when she gave birth to Kara Joanne Jones a few years later, she would have told little Kara who her Biological Father was and allowed her to spend time with him and his Family, but she didn’t. When Kara Joanne Jones gave birth to little Christian Jones, Sister Saint Rosa Lee JONES Graves would have had the good sense to teach Kara that is is wrong to not allow little Christian to visit his Dad, even after Christian’s dad had requested visitation with his Son. With Sister Saint Rosa Lee JONES Graves hands having access to the Wells Fargo Cookie Jar, I wouldn’t advise any money being deposited in to that account, if you have a spare two by four, that would suffice. Many will come on my name, but you will know them by their Fruits. For all I know, the St. John ?Fire could have been started by one of the Good Sister Saint Rosa Lee JONES Graves matches, as she is a chain smoker. There are only eight Church Members. Are they really having Church?
I find their clams to be nothing but shaky. After all this time, they should have the Church paid off, not begging to build on something that they don’t even own.