Manchaca United Methodist Church

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and here's how I'm gonna pass it along to you. Way back in 1871, out in the Manchaca community, the Methodists were already gatherin'. No building of their own, mind you.

They were meeting in the old rock church that belonged to the Cumberland Presbyterian congregation, and it was circuit riders doing the preaching, making their rounds and bringing the Word to whoever showed up. Now, you'd think that kind of regular worship might get itself organized pretty quick. But it wasn't formally organized until 1874.

Here's the thing that'll make you smile though. A whole year before that, in 1873, the Reverend Sam A. Whipple was already recorded as the pastor of an eighty-member congregation.

Eighty members, in a fellowship that wasn't even officially organized yet. Some things just grow before anyone gets around to naming them. Eventually the congregation moved to a new site, worshiping in a wood frame building, and they stayed with that humble structure until the current sanctuary finally went up in 1956 and 1957.

By the time this marker was set down in 1984, the Manchaca United Methodist Church had been serving and leading that community for more than a hundred years. Started with circuit riders and a borrowed rock church. Ended up a cornerstone.

That's Manchaca for you.

What the marker says

Methodists in the Manchaca community began meetings as early as 1871 when circuit riders held worship services in the old rock church owned by the Cumberland Presbyterian congregation. Although this fellowship was not organized formally until 1874, the Rev. Sam A. Whipple was recorded as the pastor of an 80-member congregation in 1873. Church members later worshiped at this site in a wood frame building until current sanctuary was built in 1956-57. For more than 100 years, Manchaca United Methodist Church has provided significant service and leadership to this community. (1984)