Today we present the Community Builder Award to Pastor Joel McMahon for his current leadership of San Felipe United Methodist Church, and to extend our gratitude to the entire congregation of San Felipe UMC. The church at this location has LONG served the community of San Felipe and truly qualifies as community builders.
It was as early as 1829 (190 years ago), when a log home served as the meeting place for religious service in San Felipe. Just a few years later this church was founded in 1832 (187 years old). The original building was burned during the Runaway Scrape when Santa Anna came through in 1836. However, the present church building was constructed in 1837 (182 years ago) by the congregaton’s returning members. It has been in continual use ever since and is considered the oldest protestant church building in Texas.
The second floor of the church building was added in 1847-48 (172 years ago) and in 1859 (160 years ago) San Felipe Lodge No. 239 was organized and was formally chartered in this building June 14, 1860. In keeping with the Freemason’s connection with public education, the second floor was also used as a school until March 29, 1880, and San Felipe Lodge No. 239 continued meeting here until it moved to Sealy in 1909 (110 years ago).
In 2006 (13 years ago) Olive Branch Lodge No. 26 was reconstituted to pay tribute to the first recorded Masonic meeting in Texas in 1828 (191 years ago). Stephen F. Austin and a handful of other Masonic leaders petitioned The Grand York Lodge of Mexico for a charter to start a Masonic Lodge to be known as the Lodge of Union. The charter was not granted due to political turmoil in Mexico, a growing anti-immigration sentiment on the part of the Mexican government and suspicions that liberal elements in Texas might try to gain their independence. On October 25, 1828, the Mexican government outlawed Freemasonry in Texas, and soon afterwards, Austin deemed it unwise to try to form a Masonic lodge in Texas. Olive Branch Lodge hopes to continue to carry out Masonic work in the location where Stephen F. Austin desired to start the first Masonic Lodge in Texas.
Upstairs above the sanctuary is what we affectionately call the “upper room”, the original site of the Masonic Lodge and the school room. With its starry painted sky with dark horizons, its all seeing eye in the east, and its cozy atmosphere, the brethren of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons took solace in the knowledge that they could regularly return to that peaceful and quiet abode, that they could remove themselves from the confrontational and conflicting life of the ordinary world to a place where brotherly love, relief of distress and the true safety of honorable men would offer them a place of refuge in the wilds of the new Republic. Many men today long for such a refuge and we hope to continue to provide such a place in San Felipe.
The common denominator in Freemasonry has always been the core belief in a supreme being. In colonial Texas, Freemasonic membership served as an entree to new relationships with strangers and became a currency of character. This character calling card established a common ground among men of different cultures, languages, religions and interests. Masonic brethren recognized and honored honesty, fairness, mutual respect for each other and the same code of chivalric honor. Mutual trust between Masons allowed brethren to safely offer hospitality and refuge to each other without fear of danger.
Over the past decade a portion of the sale of each book titled San Felipe Secrets Unveiled, co-authored by one of our members, has been donated to the restoration fund for San Felipe Church, and some 80 books have been donated to the church for sale to visitors to help raise funds for restoration. Now out of print, this book is still available for free download at a link found at Olive Branch Lodge No. 26’s website – olivebranch26.blogspot.com –under the tab Secrets Unveiled.
Without the congregations of this church who have worked continuously since 1829 to build the San Felipe community, a grand portion of the history of Austin’s colony and the early history of the Republic of Texas would have been forever lost. Today Olive Branch Lodge presents our Community Builder award to Pastor Joel McMahon for his leadership of his congretation, and recognizes all of the congretations of this church for their steadfast belief and support of their community.
The Community Builder Award was established by the Grand Lodge of Texas A. F & A.M. It allows our local lodges to formally recognize outstanding non-Masons who have distinguished themselves through their service to the community, local and state governments, places of worship or to humanity at large. Community Builders are often found in service clubs, public school systems, religious activities and all kinds of volunteer work. They are everywhere you look but often go unseen.
This award is given by the lodge only upon a majority vote by its members. Even after this process, the lodge leadership still has to present the potential recipient to the statewide Grand Lodge for approval. Finally, an open meeting of the lodge is held in order to honor them as a Community Builder. The entire community is welcome to attend the event.
This year we turn to the community builders who have graciously assisted to bring Olive Branch lodge to life. We want to recognize Pastor McMahon for his efforts in building the community of San Felipe, and we present this award to him for his leadership of the church. We also extend our gratitude to the entire congregation of San Felipe UMC for their long standing support in building the community of San Felipe, Texas.
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