Lytle Methodist Church

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the Lytle Methodist Church, out in Atascosa County. Now settle in, because this one goes back a good while. According to oral history, the Lytle Methodist Episcopal Church, South, was founded in 1889.

And right at the heart of that founding was a man named W.C. Newton, a local farmer and preacher. Newton earned himself a title that stuck, and it wasn't a small one.

They called him the Father of the Lytle Methodist Church, on account of his efforts to establish a permanent place of worship. He didn't stop there, either. Newton also provided the land for the Lytle Community Cemetery, which the church trustees took on as their charge to care for.

That's the kind of man who leaves a mark on a community. Now, a congregation needs a shepherd, and the first appointed pastor to step into that role was the Reverend Jerome P. Garrett, who served from 1891 to 1893.

And right in the middle of his tenure, in 1892, the congregation built their very first sanctuary. A place of their own, at last. Then came the railroad, and with the railroad came change, the kind that reshapes a map whether you like it or not.

When the line came through Lytle and bypassed the Benton City community, the Benton City Methodist congregation made a decision. In 1909, they merged with the Lytle congregation. Two churches becoming one.

The years kept rolling. In 1915, an active Women's Missionary Society was founded. A youth group took shape.

The Methodist Men's Club was established. People were showing up, and they needed more room. So in 1922, the sanctuary was expanded and renovated to meet the needs of a growing flock.

That growth didn't slow down. In 1950, a multi-purpose education building was added. And then in 1957, a building committee sat down and planned something grander still, a brick sanctuary with a cathedral ceiling and stained glass windows.

The kind of place that makes you stop and breathe a little deeper when you walk inside. By 1968, the congregation had a new name to go with its long story. The Lytle United Methodist Church, as it has been known since that year, kept right on doing what it had always done, worship services, study programs, charitable work for the community around it.

A farmer and preacher named Newton set something in motion back in 1889, and more than a hundred years later, it was still going.

What the marker says

According to oral history, the Lytle Methodist Episcopal Church, South, was founded in 1889. W.C. Newton, a local farmer and preacher, became known as "The Father of the Lytle Methodist Church" due to his efforts to establish a permanent place of worship. Newton also provided land for the Lytle Community Cemetery, cared for by church trustees. The Rev. Jerome P. Garrett served as the first appointed pastor from 1891-1893. The congregation built their first sanctuary in 1892. After the railroad came through Lytle, bypassing the Benton City community, the Benton City Methodist congregation merged with this one in 1909. An active Women's Missionary Society was founded in 1915; a youth group and the Methodist Men's Club were also established. To meet the needs of a growing congregation, the sanctuary was expanded and renovated in 1922. In 1950 a multi-purpose education building was added, and in 1957 a building committee planned a brick sanctuary with cathedral ceiling and stained glass windows. The Lytle United Methodist Church, as it has been known since 1968, continues to provide diverse ministries to the community through worship services, study programs and other charitable activities. (1992)