New Harmony is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

in Smith County, located in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

. The community is centered around the historic 155 year old New Harmony Baptist Church.

History

New Harmony was organized in 1867 after the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

had ended and 18 adults realized that their families needed a new place of worship after the Dean community near the Dixie area had disbanded. The 18 adults and one child met on April 20, 1867, and organized the church they called Harmony, approximately 12 miles northwest of

Tyler, Texas Tyler, officially the City of Tyler, is a city in and the county seat of Smith County, Texas, United States. As of 2020, the population is 105,995. Tyler was the List of municipalities in Texas, 38th most populous city in Texas (as well as the m ...

. Soon they petitioned the Cherokee Baptist Association for membership and learned there was already a church by that name. The members resubmitted the petition and were accepted under the name of "New Harmony Baptist Church". The first church house was built on the site that later became the New Harmony Cemetery. A second church house was built across the road from that first church. Natural springs behind the church provided baptismal waters. On December 21, 1907, the church family moved into a third building on the same site. A storm damaged that building in 1915, and a fourth church building was erected at a total cost of $330.35. This building served as the worship center for 34 years. The fifth church building was erected in 1949. Since then, there have been seven major additions including a new sanctuary constructed in 1993. The old sanctuary was retained for Sunday School rooms and a library. Having only 37 pastors in its 150-year history, and only 2 pastors in the last 50 years, New Harmony has been greatly blessed by God. Within the church walls, individual members have had a refuge to grow spiritually. Collectively, the church has shared the gospel of Jesus' saving grace and peace on local, state, national, and world levels. Living through

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and the wars of

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

, The Gulf, and

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

, the church has kept a strong faith. History records a praying church for the 40 members who served during

and the safe return of every soldier. Prayers for local church members and the needs of neighbors and nations have never ceased. A history of 150 years for the church reveal many personal, local and national challenges that were met as members stood firm on Biblical principles and compassion for mankind. The church has relied on the truth in the scriptures during struggles and hard times and has remembered God as The Source during times of prosperity. New Harmony has never been without faith in God who promised, "If my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land" (II Chronicles 7:14).

Notes

{{authority control Unincorporated communities in Smith County, Texas Unincorporated communities in Texas