BEAUMONT, Texas (AP) — From its beginnings in the years after the Civil War, Beaumont's oldest black church has witnessed the establishment of the area's first black public school, weathered desegregation and this year will celebrate 150 years as a "beacon of light in the community."

"Born and raised" in St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church, Walter McCloney said he strives to keep his "commitment (to the church) palatable."

The Beaumont Enterprise reports the 79-year-old church trustee said St. Paul A.M.E Church is a part of the legacy and vision of the "spiritual builders" who founded...