Years of Structural Changes 1927 - 1943

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YEARS OF STRUCTURAL CHANGES 1927 - 1943 Rev. J.D. Worrell was assigned to the Smiley-Westhoff Charge in 1925. The need for improvements in the floor plan of the Church merited deep consideration as we came to realize the growing need for Sunday School rooms. It was not until 1927, after Rev. R. Gammenthaler had been pastor for a year, that the project was accomplished. The basic structure of the Church building was expanded and oriented to face east instead of south. A vestibule and two Sunday School rooms were added on the east. Out of the original Sanctuary space, two rooms were created on the south and two rooms on the north. These latter four rooms were elevated above the main floor and each room further defined by sliding doors. On the west side of the Sanctuary a choir addition was formed. This was also raised two steps above the basic floor. A large wood stove was installed to heat the building. Windows on all sides encouraged the breeze to cool the building in summer.   1885 - 1985   100     Years        of Methodism     in Smiley           B.B.P.

On the Rancho Circuit 1879-1907 Beginning Years in Smiley - 1907-1919 Years of Growth - 1919 - 1925 Structural Change - 1927 - 1943 New Building and Dedication 1943 - 52 Study and Learning - 1952 - 1962 Church Organization - 1962 - 1978 Years of Invovlement 1978 - 1985

The first time Rev. R. S. Adair served the Smiley Methodist Church was in 1902 while the parsonage was located in Rancho. He was returned in 1929 to serve again and this time we were privileged to have him and his family live in our parsonage. Bro. Adair was so dedicated to preaching the gospel that he was not content to see a nearby church go unattended. One member of our Church tells of his visits to preach to the Methodist Church at Wrightsboro. He would be a guest in the home of her parents who were Cumberland Presbyterians. This could well be termed another "ecumenical movement" in our area. Rev. L.L. Barnes was pastor from 1931 to 1934. The influenza epidemic in the winter of 1932 affected negatively the attendance and the various special programs of the Church. Some services were dismissed or deferred. A period of bad weather in the new year saw the "faithful few" gathered around the wood stove in informal fashion to hear the preached word. In the years they served the pastorate, Bro. and Mrs. Barnes and their son, Mack, endeared themselves to the Church and community. It was with a great sense of loss that we heard of his death in 1938. Mrs. Barnes returns at intervals to visit, She authored a book, I Went With The Children in 1953, telling of her adventures when she took the De Menil children to Europe, a book many of us have read and enjoyed.

On the Rancho Circuit 1879-1907 Beginning Years in Smiley - 1907-1919 Years of Growth - 1919 - 1925 Structural Change - 1927 - 1943 New Building and Dedication 1943 - 52 Study and Learning - 1952 - 1962 Church Organization - 1962 - 1978 Years of Invovlement 1978 - 1985

Little did we realize when Rev. J.H. Thompson came to the Smiley Church in 1934 that he would like the Church, the people, and the town so much that he would purchase a "retirement" home here. We loved the Thompsons and looked forward to the time when they would come home. In the meantime the Thompson daughter and her family would occupy the home. The Church and Sunday School made progress under the ministry of Rev. Thompson. Rev. E.H. Johnson, upon following Thompson in 1939, was encouraged with the state of the Church and entered into two years of dedicated service and further improvement in the overall program of advancement. It was becoming more and more evident that the Smiley Methodist Church needed to make extensive repairs and renovations on the parsonage or raze the building and construct a new one. The latter seemed to be more feasible and attention was given to that project. A word interjected here about the contributions the Johnson ladies made to the cultural life of the community. Mrs. Johnson and a daughter, Elizabeth, were active members of the Womans Study Club. Elizabeth taught in the public schools, produced and directed the first operetta presented here, and she also taught private voice lessons. The question of housing for the pastor during the parsonage work was one of grave concern to the local Board and Cabinet. Desirable rental property was nil in the town. It was the consensus that since Rev. J.H. Thompson owned his home in Smiley that he be returned for a second time, and much to our delight, he consented. So the Thompsons came home sooner than expected, but it was not a permanent arrangement. In fact, it was not to be at all. Following his retirement in 1946 from the Southwest Texas Conference, the Thompsons moved to Houston where, in 1952, he became assistant pastor of the Parker Memorial Methodist Church. He served in that capacity until his death Nov. 9, 1956. In 1939 the parsonage was torn down and replaced by a more comfortable cottage with five rooms, a pantry, bath, and two porches. Later the back porch was enclosed to make a utility room and a large walk-in closet adjoining the master bedroom. The spring of 1939 saw the union of the Methodist Protestant Church, the Methodist Episcopal Church, and the Methodist Episcopal Church South into The Methodist Church. Bro. T.M. Mitchell assumed the pastorate in 1941. At the first Conference he reported 167 members at Smiley and some 50 pastoral visits made during the quarter. In his report he stated that the Sunday School was organized into departments and Sunday night meetings were held for the young people. He voiced his concern about the National Emergency. On July 12, 1942, he told of a plan he adopted: As he made his pastoral visits he would collect any scrap rubber he saw while there. This hobby enabled him to turn in 1,078 pounds to the Government. "The Upper Room" was sent to some fifty boys in the Service and in Defense work. Some members of the Church are privileged to have autographed copies of Bro. Mitchell's book, My Finest Years, written in 1965. In naming the places he had served, he commented on the pretty names of the towns. He said that he took on an atmosphere of each place, so much so that he was called by the name of the town. We were pleased that he answered to "Bro. Smiley."

	To contact us: Smiley United Methodist Church Corner of Lee and Morey PO Box 98, Smiley, TX 78159-0098 Phone: 830-587-6423 Fax: 830-587-6593 Email: jmcmanus@ev1.net
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