RIESEL, Texas (KWTX) - New Hope Baptist Church celebrated its 171st anniversary Sunday. The service celebrated the church’s longevity and encouraged other to join its congregation.

“This is a church family. A true church family,” said Dennis Kelly, the church’s deacon who has been with New Hope Baptist for 55 of those 171 years.

Kelly remembers when the church looked much different than it does today.

“When I first came here the church was probably 30 feet wide and more or less one of those shotgun churches,” he said.

Despite remaining a small congregation, New Hope Baptist has built a reputation for welcoming anyone with open arms.

“That’s one of the things about our church that I love so much is that when people come, they stay,” Kelly said.

That welcoming spirit is exemplified in

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