Gause Methodist Church

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about Gause Methodist Church in Milam County. Now, most churches have a proper founding moment, a date, a deed, a handshake. Gause Methodist Church eased into existence the way a good fire gets going, slow at first, then steady.

The marker says Methodist worship services in Gause occurred sporadically at first, and by 1875 more regularly, right there in the home of William J. Gause himself. The town's own namesake, opening his doors so his neighbors could gather.

By 1877, services moved to the first Gause schoolhouse, which tells you something about how a community grows, one shared building at a time. William J. Gause and his family counted themselves among the first members.

And in 1887, the congregation took on a new name to reflect a new chapter: Gause Methodist Episcopal Church, South, marking its membership in that denomination. The first recorded pastor was a man named J.C. Gidley.

Others followed, W.F. Brinson, S.P. Brown, J.W.

Thompson, each one keeping the thing alive through those formative years. Now here is where the story picks up some real momentum. In 1895, the New York and Texas Land Company conveyed a lot to the church trustees.

A proper home was coming. The very next year, with the help of financier and contractor R.E. Watts, the congregation built its first dedicated Methodist church structure.

First time they had a building that was theirs and theirs alone. They worshipped in that structure for decades, all the way until 1932, when a new building went up on that same lot. R.W.

Hauptfleisch and W.B. Priddy were the contractors who built it. And the families who filled those pews.

The marker names them and it is worth saying them aloud: Bonorden, Cochran, Covington, Critchfield, Dibble, Gaston, Gause, Goode, Harris, Hauptfleisch, Thomas, Varner, Walker, Wilson, and many others, generation after generation, sitting in the same rows their grandparents sat in. But this congregation was never just about Sunday mornings. In the early 1920s, member Fritz Hauptfleisch started a community homecoming event on Mother's Day.

That tradition kept going, shared back and forth between Gause Methodist Church and Gause Baptist Church. In 1946 the church sponsored a Boy Scout troop. Come the 1950s, they were hosting community Dinners on the Lawn and finishing up an annex that served the whole community as a gathering place.

Sporadic at first, the marker says. Then more regular. Then a schoolhouse.

Then a lot, then a building, then another. A homecoming every Mother's Day, a Scout troop, dinners outside under whatever sky Milam County offered that season. That is not a congregation that kept to itself.

That is a church that decided, early and often, that faithfully serving the Gause community was the whole point.

What the marker says

It is believed that Methodist worship services in Gause occurred sporadically at first and by 1875 more regularly in the William J. Gause home. By 1877 services were held in the first Gause schoolhouse. Town namesake William J. Gause and his family counted themselves amongst the first members. Gause Methodist Church became known as Gause Methodist Episcopal Church, South in 1887 to reflect the church's new membership in that denomination. The first recorded pastor of the church was J.C. Gidley. Other leaders during this time include W.F. Brinson, S.P. Brown, and J.W. Thompson. The New York and Texas Land Company conveyed a lot to the church trustees in 1895, and the first dedicated Methodist church structure was built the next year with the help of financier and contractor R.E. Watts. The church met in this structure until 1932 when a new building was constructed on the same lot with R.W. Hauptfleisch and W.B. Priddy hired as contractors. Members attending Gause Methodist Church for multiple generations include those of the Bonorden, Cochran, Covington, Critchfield, Dibble, Gaston, Gause, Goode, Harris, Hauptfleisch, Thomas, Varner, Walker and Wilson families and many others. In addition to services, the church congregation has served the community. In the early 1920s, member Fritz Hauptfleisch began a community homecoming even on Mother's Day. This tradition continued, alternatively hosted by Gause Methodist Church and Gause Baptist Church. In 1946, the church sponsored a Boy Scout troop. In the 1950s, the church hosted community "Dinners on the Lawn" and completed construction of an annex which served as a community center. Since its beginnings, the church has faithfully served the Gause Community.