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| HISTORY | ||||||
The Summit United
Methodist Church was first organized in December of 1886 as part of a
four-point circuit known as the Marshall Mission Charge. The
organizational service was held in the home of R.H. Rodgers with 15 charter
members present. Rev. Leon Sonfield, a young Jewish convert, was
appointed as the first pastor.
At the Annual Conference held in Marshall in 1887, Rev. Sonfield reported that he was pastor of four congregations, with a total membership of 85. The "Summit" congregation totaled 24, and met in a small white-frame, one-room, church at the corner of Summit and Louisiana Streets.
The 1903 Texas
Annual Conference made the church a full charge with the name of North
Marshall Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Rev. W. W. Gallihugh was
appointed as the pastor.
Rev. Gallihugh served as pastor on
two occasions: 1903-1907 and again from 1910-1914. During his first pastorate a larger
church structure was built. The 1912 Charge Conference changed the name of the church
to Summit Street Methodist Episcopal Church. The 1904 structure was remodeled twice during
the pastorate of Rev. J. E. McGaughy, 1938-1943. The first remodeling (1939) was part of a
building program which included a new 2-story brick educational building. The second
remodeling (1943) was quite extensive. It involved bricking the old structure and having it
front on Louisiana Street.
The congregation continued at this location until the sanctuary and educational building were destroyed by fire in January 1978. This occurred during the pastorate of Dr. William Russell.
The congregation had owned a 6 acre
tract on U.S. Hwy. 59 at Sedberry for several years before the fire. The membership voted
to rebuild on the new site, just a few blocks from the former location. Under the
leadership of Rev. Russell, a beautiful new structure was built. The first worship service
at the new location was held on Christmas Sunday, December 23, 1979. The new facility and
location has helped the church to expand from a neighborhood church
to a church easily accessible to the Marshall area.
| (Sketches by Louis Jaynes) |
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