In 1900 Mineral Wells was supporting four churches, a Baptist, with A. C. Burrough as pastor; a Methodist, with Rev. J. H. Nelms as pastor and two Presbyterian churches.  The Cumberland Presbyterian Church pastor was Rev. W. W. Howard and the Presbyterian Church has as its pastor, H. M. Smith.

In 1933 there were 12.  Frank L. Cox was minister of the Oak Avenue Church of Christ (this was formerly the Cumberland Presbyterian Church building); Rev. Ben F. Hearn was pastor of the Central Christian Church (now First Christian); Rev. George N. Thomas was pastor of the First Presbyterian Church; Rev. P. E. Riley was the First Methodist pastor; Rev. C. A. Beasley was pastor of St. Luke's Episcopal Church; Father Burns was pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church; Rev. John L. Knight was pastor of the Church of the Nazarene and there was a Christian Science Church and four Baptist churches, with Rev. Clyde R. Campbell, Rev. W. W. Chancellor, Rev. J. W. Seale and Rev. D. C. Dove as pastors.

At the present time about 20 churches, with several other denominations, are holding services here.

During the days when Camp Wolters was an induction center, six chapels were built and used constantly for services.  Chaplains of all faiths were stationed at the camp and services were rotated.  After the camp was closed at the close of World War II, several of the chapels were sold and wrecked.

The growth and development of any county is determined by the growth and development of its churches.  Early in the 1850s there were no churches and later as settlers arrived, services were held in homes or under arbors, wherever and whenever a preacher could be found to hold them for most of the new settlers were deeply religious and accustomed to church services where they came from.  Often it was months at a time when no such services were held but when they were, settlers responded wholeheartedly.   They came on foot (for it was no trick in those days for people to walk for miles), and on horseback, mostly, for few roads had been established and they followed trails.  But however they came, it was a single purpose, to worship God.  Visiting was also a great treat for settlers for, neighbors being far removed weeks went by without settlers seeing anyone outside of the family.

Churches sprang up later and regular services were scheduled and by the late seventies and early eighties, camp meetings were being held about the county.  It was a time of the year, usually about August, when there was little to do on farms and ranchmen were through branding and other cattle work and many families gathered, bringing food, camping equipment and sometimes the family dogs, and camping for a week or ten days, usually near a spring or other water supply.  A preacher, or if they were lucky, perhaps more than one preacher, attended preaching two sermons a day, morning and evening and sometimes a sermon was preached in the afternoon.  All protestant denominations were banded together and everyone contributed to a small pay envelope for the preacher, or if money was scarce, there were times that no money was paid to him.  He served for his "board" and a few contributions of commodities.

Such a camp meeting was held in the community known now as Brad and was the Cedar Springs Camp Meeting.  It was held for a few years at a spring a few miles from the present location, according to older residents, who remember going there, before it was held at the location on the highway leading from this county to Breckenridge, near the west edge of the county.

Meetings were held there in the early 1890s and have continued through the years and many old-timers count on going each year to attend and see old acquaintances who come from far and wide.  Few, if any, families now "camp" at the meetings since cars make it possible to attend from home.  During the early days of the meetings, families had their own campsites and no one camped there.  If a family was delayed in arriving at the meeting, he was sure his campsite would be waiting for him.  It was the unwritten law and no one would disregard it.  Perhaps in years past, the camper had put up tent poles to fit his particular tent, nailed up a shelf for the water bucket and wash pan and made such other improvements as he could.  These remained, ready for next year's camping.  Most families brought a wood stove to set up where bread could be baked, meat fried or baked, and such vegetables cooked as could be readily taken and kept.  This depended largely on the season for dried peaches and other fruits, corn, canned beans and such other things as one could raise, constituted the fare.  Usually two or three families went together and killed a beef early in the week and distributed it among the other neighbors and later in the week another group would get together and kill another beef or hog to distribute.  As no ice was available, the meat could not be kept many days and that was one of the ways people cooperated and lived.  Many cakes and pies were baked before leaving home to take along and others had to be baked during the week for they, along with preserves or jellies, formed the deserts.

One part of the camp meeting that is not to be overlooked is the late afternoon "grove meeting" when women assembled in the gathering dusk in a place apart from where the regular services were held and prayers were offered.  The men gathered in another location and from there, all went to church again.  These meetings were looked forward to year to year by lonely citizens, hungry for companionship of other neighbors and friends.

Other camp meetings, notable these held at Lovers Retreat, were held in the county earlier and later, but they all fell into about the same pattern.

Of one of these meetings Mrs. J. L. Cunningham, a long time resident of this county writes; "About the summer of 1905 the Rev. George Truitt, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, was invited to hold a meeting at Lovers Retreat, 3 miles west of Palo Pinto.  Many old families camped there and contributed toward furnishing beef to be barbecued on the ground for all to share.  The preachers who came to assist Dr. Truitt were Dr. Gambrill and Dr. Scarboreough, both excellent preachers.  The families of Harris', Daltons, Maddox and others, who were Baptist as well as others of other denominations, the Cunninghams, Presbyterians, with three boys in the family; Metcalfs, two sons, three Fletcher White sons and 10 Cobb boys, three Maddox boys and so many others and the young girls of the families would beet at night after services and enjoy the pleasures of youth together.  I do not know how many still living today remember that very fine religious revival, where so many joined the churches of their choice."

It is regrettable that more of the history of these meetings, the result of their times and circumstances, was not preserved.