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As First United Methodist of Lubbock continues to grow in its ministry, it
is important to know where we came from and what sacrifices were made to help us
get here. First United Methodist Church has a reputation of being a giving
church with a long history of purpose and vision.
Even before the Sanctuary and education building opened in 1955, First United Methodist Church
already had been an major force in the city of Lubbock for more than half-a-century.
The story of First United Methodist Church began in 1892. Church services
were held in the Lubbock County Courthouse or the local school because there was
not enough money or members to support a church building. As the local
congregation grew, the need for a permanent building did also. In 1902,
the congregation began raising funds to build a new facility. The building
committee purchased three lots of land near 14th Street and Texas Avenue for $30
dollars, and the building process began. In late summer 1905, members
dedicated the new church. It was a small wooden framed structure valued at
$1500.00.
By 1917, the congregation had outgrown the little wooden
framed building, but before plans for a new building could be made, a fire
burned the church to the ground. The very next day, the pastor and church
leaders arranged to hold worship services at the school, and, soon after, church
members arranged to construct a new church. In 1918, the second building was
completed. Constructed of gray brick, it contained a full basement, and a
sanctuary with a balcony extending around both sides and the rear. It was
located on the corner of Broadway Avenue and 13th Street.
By the early 1950s. everyone realized that larger
sanctuary was necessary. To ease overcrowding at Sunday worship services,
the church began 8:30 am and 10:50 am worship services in October, 1952.
Under the leadership and guidance of Dr. H.I. Robinson, the church broke ground
for the new building June 22, 1952. Construction of the sanctuary began
the following September. The new sanctuary opened on March 6, 1955. In
May, 1955, the church launched another building program, building the Education
Building. The official board raised $750,000.00 for the new structure
within six weeks.
The new church's contemporary gothic features were based on
English architectural styles. The architect was Wyatt Hedrick of Fort Worth, TX. With its majestic stained glass windows, it
has become known as the "Cathedral of the West." Behind the alter is the famous
rose window, a central point of Sunday Worship. It measures over 26 feet
across, the design is based on "The Creation." The church held its first
Sunday worship in the building March 6, 1955. Less then three months
later, the church began work on the education building. The first day it
opened, 1,982 people attended Sunday school, a record as yet unmatched.
By Easter 2002, attendance reached a Sunday record with more
than 4000 people attending. Once more the congregation realized First
Church required another expansion. The Christian Life Center was proposed
in 2002 to remove the overcrowding of the current building. With a emphasis
on youth, it includes a great for the contemporary worship service, a full-sized
gym, new classrooms, a game room, a commercial kitchen, and a gathering
area on the second floor for the youth. There is finally enough space to provide a warm, personal atmosphere
tailored to meet the needs of the youth plus everyone else in the congregation. The building was completed in February 2005.
Dr. Jay Horton stated "We are a church that will and must be a
mission tool in the fields of humanity. We must be an oasis for families
who seek survival in a real world. We must touch the lives of people like
no one else can. In short, we must continue to be Christ for the 21st
century and for all time."
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