A Brief History

In the beginning was the Word---

    Indeed God was and is THE WORD THAT BECAME FLESH through Jesus Christ, who is the WAY AND THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE.

    There were those among our forefathers who believed THE WORD and by belief and trust were born into the Kingdom of God.  Witnessing to their faith, a Body of Christ-a church-called the Methodist Episcopal Church South was "planted" in the little town of Houston, Mississippi.  For several years this Church met in the County Courthouse before a building was built.

    Colonel Pinson of Pontotoc, the owner of the land upon which the Town of Houston was situated, gave lot 4, square 14 to the Methodist Church in 1836.  In about the year 1857, the Methodists began the construction of their first Church House on a portion of that lot.  The lot is located across Highway 8 from the Houston Lower Elementary School.

    We have no pictures of this Church, but a description that Mr. Bates Tabb gave in his history written in 1951, states that it was of the usual type, about 36 feet wide by 75 feet long, with a porch across the front supported by columns.  The Rev. James Laughridge was the first pastor of this church and others in the circuit.  Rev. Laughridge remained in this area and is buried here.  Many of his descendants have been and are members of our church.

    Very little information about early Methodism in Houston remains, as all official files of the local paper were burned by Northern soldiers along with county records.

    Sunday School was organized early in the history of the church and was kept alive during the war period.  When Mr. Bates Tabb prepared his church history, he received correspondence from the Hon. Thomas W. Scott, who resided in Cleburne, Texas, and was 100 years old at that time.  He wrote of attending the Sunday School in that church with his older sister, remembering that the literature used was in pamphlet form with questions and answers.

    As was usual at that time in many churches in the Southland of that day, the church had a balcony with seats for slaves and servants desiring to attend church services with the households of their masters - some having membership in the church.

    Revivals were held in this period and one especially remembered was led by Rev. George Inge, a relative of the Shell and Evans families, and marked an epoch in the religious life of Houston and adjacent area.

    In about 1897, the Methodist church had outgrown its old building and through the action of proper authorities, the material in the old building was exchanged for a new and more desirable lot on Jackson Street.

    On this lot (which is the same lot on which our present church stands) was begun the construction of the second House of Worship for Methodists in Houston with Morgan C. Shell, Ben F Collins, Dan D. Tabb and P. W. Shell as trustees: Dan D. Tabb was the contractor and the church was finished in the latter part of the year.

    This church was a frame structure, with steeple in which the old bell was swung - the bell that for three generations called the faithful to worship, that rang out the old year and rang in the new, and sounded a sad requiem at the passing of someone who had heard its more joyful sounds.

    During the years in the second church building, the Men's Bible Class was noted for its size, and again the church began to outgrow its building.  In 1939, the church name was changed to Houston Methodist Church, when the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Methodist Church South united.

    In the last year of the pastorate of Rev. George Williams, a building fund for a new church was created.  In 1949, the Board of Trustees announced that the fund was sufficient to employ and architect.  Under the guidance of Jim Hugh Tabb, Arthur Rush, R. I. Evans, D. H. Burks and B. C. Hill, these matters worked out rapidly, with the letting of a contract for the building.

    During the gathering of funds, the Rev. W. C. McCay was pastor, and for his energy and tireless efforts the congregation was grateful.  Our present church building was completed in 1950.  All who worship here today know we enjoy our lovely sanctuary because of the labor of many people.

    In 1968 the church name became Houston United Methodist Church, upon the uniting of the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church.

    The Lord continued to bless Houston United Methodist Church.  In 1969 the Spiriters Sunday School Class bought and renovated the building that same to be known as The Spirit World, for added Sunday School rooms and as a youth center.  Some of those who served as part-time workers included Eddie Davis, Karen Craig, Karen Blaine and Johnna Norman.  The first full-time youth director was Keith Sandow, followed by Harriet Bryant, Lisa Blue, Amanda Tedder, Bob Meredith and Lori Harrington.

    In 1990 a TV Ministry was added, with Sunday morning services being broadcast live over the local cable channel.

    There remained the dream of building a family life center to enhance the ministry of Houston United Methodist Church.  In 1991 a Visionary Committee was appointed to undertake a feasibility study for such an undertaking.  This committee recommended the purchase of the property across the street; and on September 22, 1991, the Administrative Board authorized the trustees to purchase the property.  By April 1992, the lot had been cleared.  In 1995 the final parcel of land was acquired to compete the proposed site for the building.  We continued to dream.  Dreams die hard.  Finally, on November 7, 1999, a groundbreaking ceremony took place after Sunday Morning worship.  The rest is history.  Our Family Life Center was dedicated to the Lord's work on October 15, 2000, with open house and was attended by several former pastors.

    We close this chapter and move on the next - building a ministry worthy of the time and work put into that building.  While it is interesting to take stock of the heritage we have in buildings and numbers, our part in the Kingdom of God will be measured by the changes that are made in our hearts and how we serve our fellow man.

NOTE:  Maureen Norman prepared this history of Houston United Methodist Church for use in a Heritage Sunday service in 1984.  It was updated by Ella McCullough.  We trust you will find it interesting and informative as we consider our heritage and look to the future. 

Click Here For List of Past & Present Pastors of First United Methodist Church