Union Missionary Baptist Church ITALY, TEXAS CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF HISTORY - SUNDAY, MARCH 9, 2003 Published in Searchers & Researchers Vol. XXVI, No. 2, Summer 2003 Union Missionary Baptist Church was the first African-American Baptist church in Italy, Texas. It was founded in February 1903, by Rev. Alex Valentine and Austin Qeenam. An abandoned home near the Gin Town section of the city served the congregation. In 1920, a new church was built on the south end of Williams Street where it stood until struck by a tornado on March 31, 1961. The old Stafford School was purchased and lovingly renovated by church members and volunteers. The building is still being used and stands as a beacon of sanctified worship in the Italy community.   Copyright © 2005-2016, Ellis County TXGenWeb. All Rights Reserved. This page was last modified: Thursday, 01-Jul-2021 13:16:13 MDT