First United Methodist Church of Palacios

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the First United Methodist Church of Palacios. Now settle in, because this is a story about a congregation that just flat refused to quit. Matagorda County was organized in 1837, and two years later, area residents were already putting down roots deep enough to establish the Matagorda Methodist Church.

Decades rolled by. Then, in 1903, a group of people gathered in a one-room schoolhouse and organized the First Methodist Church of Palacios. The Rev.

W.H. Nelson led that new congregation, and for a spell, that schoolhouse was all they had. They kept meeting there until 1905, which tells you something right there about the kind of people we're talking about.

They made do. But making do was never quite enough for them. Church members went ahead and built Pioneer Hall, a place of worship open to all of Palacios.

Not just their own. All of Palacios. They added a parsonage, and then in 1912 they built a larger sanctuary right next to Pioneer Hall.

They were growing, and they knew it. Programs took root alongside the buildings. The youth group, known then as the Epworth League, got started.

A choir found its voice. And a member by the name of Julius Cunningham gave the congregation a church bell. That bell rang out from the bell tower for many years, and today it stands outside the sanctuary, still keeping company with the people it once called to worship.

Other members stepped up too, donating furnishings for communion and offerings, because a congregation is only as strong as the hands that hold it together. Then came World War II, and Palacios changed. The military established a greater presence at Camp Hulen, and the town's population greatly increased.

The church didn't pull back from any of that. It offered its facilities for Red Cross work, members worked at the U.S.O., and they rented rooms to military families. When your community is stretched, you stretch with it.

After the war, membership kept climbing and new programs began, the Methodist Men and the Rebecca Circle among them. But in 1961, Hurricane Carla came through and damaged much of the church property. A lesser congregation might have looked at the wreckage and wondered.

This one kept building. New buildings, education programs, childcare, youth activities, senior activities. More than a century after that first meeting in a one-room schoolhouse, the First United Methodist Church of Palacios is still at it.

Some stories don't end. They just keep adding rooms.

What the marker says

Matagorda County was organized in 1837, and two years later area residents established the Matagorda Methodist Church. Decades later, in 1903, a group of people met in a one-room schoolhouse and organized the First Methodist Church of Palacios. The Rev. W.H. Nelson led the new congregation, which continued to meet in the schoolhouse until 1905. Church members built Pioneer Hall, a place of worship for all of Palacios. They soon added a parsonage and, in 1912, built a larger sanctuary next to Pioneer Hall. In addition to new facilities, the congregation developed new programs, including the youth group, known then as the Epworth League, and a choir. Member Julius Cunningham gave a church bell to the congregation; it rang for many years in the bell tower and is now located outside the sanctuary. Other members supported the congregation by donating furnishings for communion and offerings. Palacios’ population greatly increased during World War II, as the military established a greater presence at Camp Hulen. The church offered its facilities for Red Cross Work, and members worked at the U.S.O. and rented rooms to military families. Later, church membership increased, and new programs began, including the Methodist Men and Rebecca Circle. Although Hurricane Carla damaged much of the church property in 1961, the congregation has continued to add new buildings and services, including education programs and childcare, as well as youth and senior activities. More than a century after it began, the First United Methodist Church of Palacios continues to play an important role in the lives of its members and its community. (2004)