Introduction
In the Beginning
The Beginning of Methodism
The First Methodist Church Building: 1883-1895
The Second Methodist Church Building: 1895-1917
The Third Methodist Church Building 1917-1964
The Fourth Methodist Church Building: 1964 to the Present
The Addition of Heritage Hall
The Church Renovation Project: 1999-2000
The Church Bell
The Time Capsule
Little Children's Daycare
Sunday School Superintendents
In Closing
|
After 20 years, the building which had been so proudly constructed in 1964 and dedicated in 1970 had outgrown its facilities. Accordingly, the Board of Trustees appointed a committee to prepare a plan for a new structure and renovations of the old, which would accommodate the needs of the church. C. S. Calhoun was chairman of the board and appointed the following committee: D.V. Livingston, Bodie Weaver, Donna Kubiac. Hiram Smith, Beth Morgan and Jim Wilkerson. Altha Wilkerson, Wilma Keen, Ruth Ann Gilbert, and C. S. Campbell, assisted.
Within 60 days, this hard-working committee sketched plans and raised pledges for $30,000 up-front funding. The Board approved a plan for a new building and alterations to the old for $100,000. William B. Slovik of Cleburne was the architect.
The new building was completed in 1988, and called "Heritage Hall," for the "Heritage Tree" on the wall of the foyer which connects the Sunday School wing to the new addition. The "Heritage Tree" contains more than 300 gold leaves on its graceful branches. When a person donates $500 to the building fund, a leaf is engraved with the name of the person being remembered or honored. At the base of the tree are 13 sandstones, each with a gold leaf engraved with the names of the 13 charter members of that first church organized in 1876.
The foyer opens into the spacious fellowship hall, which stands to the south of the Sanctuary. On the east end of the hall is a well-designed "state of the art" kitchen, pantry/storage areas and rest rooms. The west end accommodates a stage with storage areas for extra tables and chairs, and a choir-robing area. A covered walkway on the west connects the new addition to the sanctuary, accessing the choir loft. The north wall is all glass, and looks out onto the enclosed outdoor courtyard between Heritage Hall and the Sanctuary. The large patio area serves as additional space for outdoor activities and the courtyard has a beautiful landscape update with a mediation area added in 2001.
Church members who purchased "bonds" to be paid off at the rate of 10 each year financed the new building. This endeavor was completed in 2000.
On June 17, 2001, this functional, busy, indispensable addition was dedicated to the church. It has become the core of the social life of the church, and the community it serves. Church dinners/suppers; Funeral dinners for the family of the deceased; United Methodist Women monthly meetings; Community Men's' Prayer Breakfasts; Jump Start After School Program; Quarterly Conferences; wedding receptions; Sunday Evening Bible Study, special school breakfasts and other school activities; DeLeon Hospital training functions and health screenings; and family reunions; are just a few of the ways this building is used.
|
