Asbury United Methodist Church
1929

Asbury United Methodist Church, originally named Nineteenth Street Methodist Church, was organized in 1925 in a tent at the corner of 19th Street and Avenue J. At the close of a two-week revival, held in the tent, the new church had a total of 46 members. The two lots on which the tent stood were purchased and a Building Committee elected. The first building to be erected was to be the parsonage; however, the partitions were left out so that services could be held there. In 1928 the 19th Street property was sold and two lots were purchased at the present location. The United Methodist Conference gave the church $400.00 and a loan of $3000.00 making it possible to build the first structure. The church was renamed Asbury United Methodist Church in honor of Francis Asbury, a Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church after having originally come to America from England as a missionary.

The following excerpt is from a letter received by charter member Regina Franks: In the spring of 1925, Rev. and Mrs. W. W. Edgar, a local preacher who lived here, saw the need of another Methodist church. Only one, First Methodist, was here at that time. They went to work visiting and enlisting all they could in that vicinity to attend a meeting to be held. They managed to get permission to use a lot on 19th Street and Avenue J to pitch a borrowed tent and after scattering the word around, the meeting started toward the latter part of May (actually May 31). The services were held at night... there were clouds, wind and rain... each night the tent would blow down. The men put it up each day to be ready for services each night... Worship was held in the tent until the lots were bought and a one room frame building was erected. Later it was decided the 19th Street location was not the best because the town was growing toward the southwest. The property was sold and meetings were held in the courthouse for a time until the present location was built.