George West First United Methodist Church

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Way out in Live Oak County, in the town of George West, a congregation took root in 1914. Didn't start with a grand building, a steeple catchin' the sunset, none of that.

It started the way a lot of good things start out here, with people gatherin' together and figurin' it out as they went. Combined Protestant Christian services, folks from different traditions finding common ground, and Methodist Circuit Riders Alonso Brown and Roswell Gillett were among the ministers ridin' into that work. Then in June of 1916, the Methodists got organized, formally, as a branch of Oakville Methodist Church, South.

Nine charter members and Reverend Stucky at the lead. Nine people. You could seat nine people at a couple of kitchen tables.

And yet. George W. West himself donated two lots to get things started.

A parsonage was purchased in 1921. The church was growing, but a proper building with Sunday School rooms, that was still a dream in need of doing. And here is where it gets good.

To complete that church building in 1928, the Pastor's Aid Society kept a tea room running, and the Young Adult Epworth League raised and sold cotton. The Episcopal Group furnished the pews. Think about that picture for a moment.

Tea rooms, cotton fields, donated pews, all of it pointing toward the same four walls. Meanwhile, by 1925, the congregation had expanded as the George West-Three Rivers charge of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Then 1939 came, and the conference united nationally, and just like that, the words South and Episcopal were dropped from the name.

The church kept growing, and by 1947, the congregation owned six adjoining lots. Now, this part of Texas does not make things easy. Devastating droughts, floods, economic downturns, the kind of hardships that have broken other institutions clean in two.

The members remained faithful. In 1954, a new parsonage went up, designed and contracted by members Jessie and J.C. Gilstrap, built with donated labor and salvaged brick from the closed Simmons School.

Nothing wasted, nothing left behind. By 1963, the congregation renovated the vernacular church with a postmodern design, stained glass windows donated from past memorials catching whatever light Live Oak County had to offer. That same period brought another union, the conference joined with the Evangelical United Brethren, and the church was renamed George West First United Methodist Church.

The name that stands today. And then the reach, Calliham, Mikeska, Clegg, on to San Antonio, New Orleans, Korea, and Africa. Nine charter members in 1916.

Mission work on multiple continents. In 2005, the church became a five-star church by giving to all five mission areas of Texas Methodists. Walks to Emmaus, children's programs, teacher appreciation events, senior luncheons, the work goes on.

Some stories are about one big moment. This one is about a hundred small ones, tea rooms and salvaged brick and cotton sold and pews donated and people who simply would not quit. That's George West First United Methodist Church.

What the marker says

In 1914, combined Protestant Christian services began in George West. Methodist Circuit Riders Alonso Brown and Roswell Gillett were among the ministers. Later in June 1916, Methodists organized as a branch of Oakville Methodist Church, South, led by nine charter members and Reverend Stucky. Two lots were donated by George W. West. A parsonage was purchased in 1921. To complete a church building with Sunday School rooms in 1928, the Pastor’s Aid Society continued its tea room, and the Young Adult Epworth league raised and sold cotton. Pews were furnished by the Episcopal Group. The church expanded in 1925 as George West-three rivers charge of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. In 1939, the conference united nationally and dropped “South” and “Episcopal”. By 1947, the church owned six adjoining lots. In spite of devastating droughts, floods, and economic downturns, members remained faithful. A new parsonage designed and contracted by members, Jessie and J.C. Gilstrap, was built in 1954 with donated labor and salvaged brick from the closed Simmons School. By 1963, members renovated the vernacular church with a postmodern design including stained glass windows donated from past memorials. The conference united with the Evangelical United Brethren and the church was renamed George West First United Methodist Church. Mission efforts reached to Calliham, Mikeska, and Clegg, on to San Antonio, New Orleans, Korea, and Africa. In 2005, the church became a five-star church by giving to all five mission areas of Texas Methodists. Walks to Emmaus, children’s programs, teacher appreciation and senior luncheons are among ongoing ministries.