First United Methodist Church of Pasadena

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Back in 1896, a little community called Deepwater, just outside what would become Pasadena, saw the first stirrings of Methodist faith in this corner of Harris County. A society, that's what they called it then, a Methodist society, took root right there.

Two years later, in 1898, seven people decided that was enough of a foundation to build something real. Seven people. Not seven hundred.

Seven. And they organized a proper Methodist congregation in Pasadena. Now, you might expect the story of a grand church to begin in a grand building.

It did not. They met in the town's one-room schoolhouse. That's it.

That was the church. But those seven names deserve to be said out loud: Martha H. Knapp Bailey Rawlins, William B.

Bailey Sr., William B. Bailey Jr., Katherine Lydia Hogge Bailey, Robert McPherson Guinn, Katie Guinn Weeks, and Lydia Zlomke Gigstad. Seven charter members, one borrowed schoolhouse, and a whole lot of faith.

By 1904, the congregation had grown to twenty members, and the schoolhouse days were numbered. In 1907, a proper frame church building went up at the corner of South Shaver and Broadway. Something you could point to.

Something that said, we're here, and we're staying. Now, Pasadena itself was changing. The town was shifting away from its agrarian roots, turning industrial, and as Pasadena grew, so did the congregation.

Additional sanctuaries were built in 1938 and then again in 1955. And in 1986, the church relocated to Fairmont Parkway, following its people into a new era of the city's life. But here's the thing about this church that makes the story worth telling: it never got so busy growing that it forgot to serve.

Through the Society of Saint Stephen, the congregation has provided food and shelter to those in need. Through a group called the Levites, members have helped with remodeling and home maintenance. The Pasadena Rotary Club has gathered for a weekly lunch at the church since 1936.

The church organized two boy scout troops and a girl scout troop. And the reach of this congregation stretches well beyond Pasadena. Regular work in an orphanage in Mexico.

Contributions to the Unalaska United Methodist Church, all the way up in Alaska. And when St. John's United Methodist Church in Texas City was destroyed by fire, this congregation helped rebuild it.

From a borrowed schoolhouse in 1898 to a century and more of feeding, sheltering, scouting, building, and reaching across borders and oceans, the First United Methodist Church of Pasadena never stopped doing what those seven people started. Seven people. That's all it took.

What the marker says

A “society” of Methodists was first formed in the area in 1896 in the nearby community of Deepwater. In 1898, seven people organized a Methodist congregation in Pasadena, and the church first met in the town’s one-room schoolhouse. These charter members were Martha H. Knapp Bailey Rawlins, William B. Bailey Sr., William B. Bailey Jr., Katherine Lydia Hogge Bailey, Robert McPherson Guinn, Katie Guinn Weeks and Lydia Zlomke Gigstad. By 1904, the congregation had grown to twenty members and a frame church building was constructed at the corner of South Shaver and Broadway in 1907. As Pasadena shifted from an agrarian community to an industrial one, the town and the Methodist congregation expanded. Additional sanctuaries were built in 1938 and 1955, and the church relocated to Fairmont Parkway in 1986. During its history, First United Methodist Church has served the community by providing food and shelter through the Society of Saint Stephen, and assistance in remodeling and home maintenance through the Levites. The Pasadena Rotary Club has met for a weekly lunch at the church since 1936, and the church has organized two boy scout troops and a girl scout troop. Missionary outreach of the congregation includes regular work in an orphanage in Mexico, contributions to the programs of the Unalaska United Methodist Church in Alaska, and the rebuilding of St. John’s United Methodist Church in Texas City, which was destroyed by fire. More than a century after its establishment, First United Methodist Church continues to serve as a vital spiritual leader for the people of Pasadena.