Pleasanton 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 Atascosa County, before the city of Pleasanton even had a name on the map, before it had a courthouse worth speaking of, a congregation was already gathering. The year was 1857, and a group of Methodist faithful came together, organized and committed, a full year before the city of Pleasanton was even founded.

Think about that for a moment. The church was here first. The town had to catch up.

Now that kind of faith doesn't just appear out of thin air. It gets carried in on horseback, by men willing to ride long miles to spread the word. Circuit preachers like John Wesley DeVilbliss and Augustus C.

Fairman were among those early riders, doing the hard work of establishing this congregation. Fairman, for his part, later put down roots in Pleasanton and was elected County Judge, so you might say the church and the civic life of this place share some common ancestry. In 1858, the Reverend Thomas B.

Ferguson was appointed the first pastor to that Methodist congregation. And where did his flock worship in those early days? Outdoors, when the weather allowed.

In private homes, when it didn't. In the log courthouse. In the first schoolhouse.

Wherever they could gather, they gathered. The fellowship eventually erected its first sanctuary during the 1860s. Then, during the 1880s, a second building went up at 421 North Main.

That structure is still standing today, serving as the parsonage. The first church building at this very site was constructed between 1912 and 1914, and the current sanctuary was completed in 1959. But the story that deserves a moment of real weight happened in 1969.

That year, Pleasanton First United Methodist Church merged with Jacob's Chapel United Methodist Church, a Black congregation that had been organized during the 1870s. Two communities of faith, each with their own history and their own roots in this Texas soil, coming together under one roof. The marker notes that the Pleasanton church continues to uphold the ideals and traditions of its founders, providing significant service and leadership to the community.

And many descendants of those pioneer members still worship there today. A congregation older than the city it calls home, still standing, still gathering. Some things, it turns out, are built to last.

What the marker says

This congregation was organized in 1857, one year before the city of Pleasanton was founded. The church was established largely through the efforts of early Methodist circuit preachers such as John Wesley DeVilbliss and Augustus C. Fairman, who later was elected County Judge and settled in Pleasanton. The Rev. Thomas B. Ferguson was appointed first pastor to the Methodist congregation in 1858. Early worship services were held outdoors, in private homes, in the log courthouse, and in the first schoolhouse. The fellowship erected its first sanctuary during the 1860s. A second, built during the 1880s at 421 North Main, today is used for the parsonage. The first church building at this site was constructed in 1912-14. The current sanctuary was completed in 1959. In 1969, Pleasanton First United Methodist Church merged with Jacob's Chapel United Methodist Church, a black congregation organized during the 1870s. The Pleasanton church continues to uphold the ideals and traditions of its founders as it provides significant service and leadership to the community. Many descendants of its pioneer members continue to worship here. (1984)