The late Pastor Albert and
Lula Mae McDaniel
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Greater Ebenezer Baptist Church has a rich history which dates back to 1963. On Saturday, May 26, 1963 a meeting was held on the corner of Calvacade and Hoffman Streets in the Liberty Gardens area of Houston. The church was organized with a small group of charter members. The Rev. L.D. Gillum chaired this organizational meeting. In attendance that evening to help on this momentous occasion was the Rev. Andrew C. Runnels and the Rev. C. Montgomery. The late Rev. Albert McDaniel, Jr. accepted the call to serve as pastor of the new church. The name “Greater Ebenezer” was suggested by the late Pastor Albert McDaniel Jr. and still stands today.
The calling of the late Rev. McDaniel ushered in an unprecedented long tenure of able pastoral leadership. The first service took place on May 27, 1963. The first collection was used to make a payment for a church piano. Friends and well-wishers also donated the first collection plate. The late Pastor McDaniel’s first sermon was entitled, “The Christian Hour.” Following the sermon, the late Bro. Roy Malone accepted the invitation to Discipleship and united with Greater Ebenezer through Christian experience.
The Lord directed the late L.C. McDaniel and the late Pastor McDaniel to establish physical roots at 6600 St. Augustine in May, 1965. It was though the Lord instructed them, “Upon this corner, you will build My church.” The members pooled their limited resources and purchased a house on that corner for $1,600. The house was remolded as a church. The small group of members knew the extent of God’s grace to all believers if they trusted Him. They worshiped for many years in that small house of God. The founding members instilled their Godly principles in the hearts of their children. These principles were passed down from one generation to another. 1 Corinthians 9:24 states, “Know ye that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.”
In May 1968, God blessed the Greater Ebenezer Baptist Church family with a church with the capacity of approximately one hundred and seventy-five seats. In April 1984, Greater Ebenezer Baptist Church was enlarged and a beautiful sanctuary was built to accommodate the growing membership of approximately five hundred. A ceremony was held to highlight the momentous occasion.
Today, the church sits on that corner and has expanded to include property located on the east and south side of the church. The sanctuary is annexed to the original church, which is now known as the O.L. McDaniel Fellowship Hall. The combination of an attractive building and the leadership qualities of the late Pastor McDaniel produced an exciting period of growth in the life of the church.
Greater Ebenezer Baptist Church
