Midlothian Presbyterian Church

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Two congregations walked into 1911, and only one walked out, but that's not a tragedy, friend, that's a merger. Two streams of Presbyterian faith flowing through Ellis County finally decided they'd do more good as one river than two trickles.

The Midlothian Presbyterian Church was born. Now, rewind a little. The older of those two congregations had been gathering since 1883, organized under Pastor D.

G. Malloy, and it carried the banner of the Presbyterian Church of the United States of America, the PCUSA. The other congregation came along in 1890, organized under the Presbyterian Church in the United States, the PCUS.

Different branches, same roots, same Ellis County soil. For a time they grew side by side. Then 1911 arrived, and they decided to grow together.

And if a merger is the seed, then a sanctuary is the proof of roots taking hold. Between 1913 and 1914, the members of that newly formed congregation built their own house of worship with their own hands. That's not just construction, that's a community declaring itself permanent.

Over the years, the church leaned into its neighbors. They helped with something called Manna House, a cooperative venture among Midlothian churches pulling together to aid families in need. Not just a local concern, either, members kept their eyes on missions reaching out nationally and globally.

Wide arms for a congregation with deep local roots. And today, the marker says it plain and I'll say it the same way: the Midlothian Presbyterian Church continues to be a beacon of light for the residents of Midlothian. Two congregations became one, built something that stood, and kept right on standin'.

That's the whole story, and it's a good one.

What the marker says

In 1911, two congregations merged to form Midlothian Presbyterian Church. One originally organized in 1883 under Pastor D. G. Malloy and was part of the Presbyterian Church of the United States of America (PCUSA). The other organized in 1890 under the Presbyterian Church in the United States (PCUS). Members of the newly merged church built a sanctuary from 1913-14. The congregation has a history of supporting the community, including helping with Manna House, a cooperative venture among Midlothian churches aiding needy families. Members have also focused on missions on a national and global scale. Today, the church continues to be a beacon of light for the residents of Midlothian. (2010)