A Settegast Institution Since 1939
Mount Canaan Missionary Baptist Church has been a presence in Houston's Settegast community since 1939, when the late Reverend Thomas James Compton organized a small congregation at 04 House Street in the city's Fourth Ward. He started with six charter members - Polly Jessie, Georgia Lewis, Leona Bookman, Daisy Mae Routt, Inez Dillard, and Esther Compton, the pastor's wife - and built a church that has outlasted the neighborhood's many changes. Today the congregation meets at 7400 North Wayside Drive, and the church's motto still echoes that founding vision: "Oh Lord help us, for we are on our way to the land of Canaan. The Bible's way is God's way and God's way is Mount Canaan's way."
The Compton Family Ministry
Reverend T. J. Compton was born on April 25, 1907, in Hempstead, Texas, a place he often called "The Brazos Bottom." Raised by God-fearing parents, he confessed belief in Christ at an early age, married Miss Esther Jacques, and answered the call to ministry in 1939. He and Sister Esther served together for forty-seven years, until her homegoing. The congregation's affectionate nickname for him - "The Mayor of Settegast" - reflected his long civic involvement. He served as president of the Puritan District Sunday School and Baptist Training Union Congress, taught in the Baptist Ministers' Alliance, and sat on numerous boards. After Sister Esther's passing, he was joined by Sister Juanita Spellmon, who stood with him until his death in April 1990.
Their son, Samuel Compton Sr., grew up in the same Settegast community under his parents' Christ-centered guidance. He accepted Christ at an early age, followed his father through B. C. Elmore High School, Texas Southern University, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and ultimately Inter Baptist Theological Seminary, where he earned his graduate degree. He succeeded his father as senior pastor in 1990 and now leads the church his father founded.
Sundays at 8 AM
Worship gathers at 8 AM each Sunday morning. The rhythm of the month is built around three recurring patterns: the first Sunday is Communion Sunday, certain Sundays are set aside as Youth Sunday, and the regular preaching schedule fills the remaining weeks. An annual Pastoral Appreciation Service is observed each August, and each gathering is livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel, where the Sunday Services Archive stretches back through dozens of recordings.
A Board of Ministers Leading Distinct Departments
The pastoral team includes several reverends who shepherd specific ministries of the church. Reverend Daniel Hunt serves as Executive Pastor. Reverend Carrie Mattox leads the Women's Ministry, Reverend Paul Dirden leads the Men's Ministry, Reverend Gregory Matthews directs the Youth Department, Reverend Simpson Douglas oversees the Education Department, and Reverend Reginald Breed heads the Transportation Ministry, which helps members get to services and events.
The Auxiliaries: How the Week Is Filled
Much of the church's life moves through its auxiliaries, the volunteer organizations that carry out the congregation's work. The Women of Mission are divided into Mission One, led by Luville Jones, and Mission Two, led by Mildred Tardy. Women's Uplift, Brotherhood, the Home Extension, and the Ushers and Nurses round out the main groups. The Music Department leads congregational singing, the Sunday School under Superintendent Larry Sloan provides weekly teaching, and the Youth Department - including Vacation Bible School, led by April Bland - shapes the next generation. A Welcome Committee greets visitors each Sunday.
Deacons, Trustees, and the Media Team
Eight deacons serve the church: Andre' Mattox, Gary Joubert, Lerrick Phillips, Dolee Dirden, Harold Simon, Ferrel Nezy, John Kyles, and Johnny Tardy. The board of trustees includes Anthony Pollard, Linda Woods, Gwendolyn Price, Kelvin Phillips, Rahsaan King, and Jackie James. The Media Team, with Vernell Bosie Jr., Lauren Douglas, and Steve Bonton, carries each service online.
Rooted in the Community
Pastor Samuel Compton Sr.'s involvement in the wider Settegast area extends well beyond the church. He is active in the Puritan District Association of Texas, the Northeast Ministers Alliance, the Houston North Forest Chamber of Commerce, and the Intelligent Minds Development Center, focusing on spiritual growth, community revitalization, early childhood education, and economic development - the same values his parents instilled in him.
Services are livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel, and giving is available online. Mount Canaan Missionary Baptist Church continues to preach and teach the word of God from its home on North Wayside Drive, carrying the legacy of a Hempstead-born founder and the Settegast community that has shaped it for more than eight decades.