Kennedale First United Methodist Church

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, friends, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Picture this: Anglo settlers rolling into Tarrant County, into the stretch of land that would one day become Kennedale, and they didn't come empty-handed. They brought their Methodist faith right along with them.

Now, there was no church building waiting, no steeple on the horizon. Most likely, those early Methodists made the trip to nearby Center Point just to hear a circuit rider preacher. That's the kind of commitment that sets a foundation.

The town of Kennedale itself got platted in 1886, and by 1887 a school was standing. And that school, bless it, opened its doors to the Methodists so they'd have a place to worship. Then in 1896, a plot of land was deeded to H.L.

Thomas and the rest of the church trustees. The congregation had ground beneath their feet now, literally. Construction on a proper church building began in 1903.

Simple, gabled, wood frame. Nothing fancy, but it was theirs. The first parsonage went up shortly after, and when that completed structure finally stood whole, the church hosted a revival that drew attendees from many surrounding cities.

Word had gotten out. Now, fast forward to the nineteen-twenties, and here's where the story gets a little color. The Reverend A.E.

Turney organized a baseball team. A baseball team. They played on Sunday afternoons, much to the dismay, the marker is careful to say, of many church members.

You can imagine the looks across the pews. Then 1941 brought something that marked a turning point: the church appointed its first full-time pastor, a man named W.L. Connell.

Kennedale incorporated as a city in 1947, and after World War II, the whole county started filling up fast. Pre-war Kennedale had a population of around 312 souls. By 1950, that number had climbed to one thousand.

The congregation felt the benefits and the challenges of so many new parishioners, those are the marker's own words, and they are honest ones. A new fellowship hall was completed in 1950. A new parsonage followed the next year, and construction began on a new sanctuary.

Under the leadership of Reverend Allen J. Moore, that new church building was dedicated on September 18, 1955. Attendance kept growing through the fifties, one report from that decade quoting 174 members.

A 1961 education building gave the growing congregation room to breathe and learn. By 1971, membership had reached 293. Through all of it, from those early circuit rider days to the baseball controversy to the post-war boom, the First United Methodist Church of Kennedale has kept its doors open to the community, serving as a meeting space and distributing food to those in need.

That's not a footnote. That's the whole point.

What the marker says

AS ANGLO SETTLERS BEGAN MOVING INTO TARRANT COUNTY AND THE AREA THAT WOULD BECOME KENNEDALE, THEY BROUGHT THEIR METHODIST FAITH WITH THEM. MOST LIKELY, METHODISTS WHO SETTLED IN THE AREA WOULD TRAVEL TO NEARBY CENTER POINT TO HEAR A CIRCUIT RIDER PREACHER. THE TOWN OF KENNEDALE WAS PLATTED IN 1886, AND A SCHOOL BUILT IN 1887. THE SCHOOL ALLOWED THE METHODISTS USE OF THEIR BUILDING. IN 1896, A PLOT OF LAND WAS DEEDED TO H.L. THOMAS AND THE REST OF THE CHURCH TRUSTEES. MEMBERS BEGAN CONSTRUCTION IN 1903 ON A SIMPLE, GABLED, WOOD FRAME CHURCH BUILDING. THE FIRST PARSONAGE WAS BUILT SHORTLY AFTER. IN THEIR COMPLETED STRUCTURE, THE CHURCH HOSTED A REVIVAL THAT DREW ATTENDEES FROM MANY SURROUNDING CITIES. IN THE 1920S, THE REVEREND A.E. TURNEY ORGANIZED A BASEBALL TEAM. THE TEAM PLAYED ON SUNDAY AFTERNOONS, MUCH TO THE DISMAY OF MANY CHURCH MEMBERS. IN 1941, THE CHURCH APPOINTED ITS FIRST FULL-TIME PASTOR, W.L. CONNELL. KENNEDALE INCORPORATED AS A CITY IN 1947. AFTER WORLD WAR II, TARRANT COUNTY AND KENNEDALE EXPERIENCED POPULATION GROWTH. WHILE PRE-WAR KENNEDALE HAD A POPULATION OF AROUND 312, BY 1950, THE POPULATION HAD RISEN TO 1,000. THE CONGREGATION FELT THE BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES OF SO MANY NEW PARISHIONERS. A NEW FELLOWSHIP HALL WAS COMPLETED IN 1950. A NEW PARSONAGE FOLLOWED THE NEXT YEAR, ALONG WITH CONSTRUCTION ON A NEW SANCTUARY. UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF REVEREND ALLEN J. MOORE, THE NEW CHURCH BUILDING WAS DEDICATED ON SEP 18, 1955. ATTENDANCE CONTINUED TO GROW THROUGHOUT THE 1950S, ONE 1950S REPORT QUOTING 174 MEMBERS. A 1961 EDUCATION BUILDING SERVED THE GROWING CHURCH. IN 1971, MEMBERSHIP REACHED 293. SINCE ITS FOUNDING, FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF KENNEDALE HAS PLAYED AN ACTIVE ROLE WITH THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, SERVING AS A MEETING SPACE AND DISTRIBUTING FOOD TO THOSE IN NEED. (2022)