First United Methodist Church of Marlin
Marlin, Falls County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Missionary preachers served Methodists in this area even before the establishment of Falls County or the city of Marlin. First sent was the Rev. John W. DeVilbiss in 1842. He wad followd by other circuit riders until the Rev. Charles Brown was appointed full-time Pastor for the Marlin congregation in 1874. In 1851 the Methodist selected a lot on which to build a church in the new town of Marlin. Adjoining lots were added to the property at Fannin and Williams streets in 1879 and 1881. In 1909, under the Pastorate of the Rev. I.F. Betts, the church purchased this site. The building, still in use today, was completed in 1910. Bricks made from Brazos River Bottom Red Clay were used, while the painted and stained glass windows were imported from Italy. The church bell was at one time used on a southern plantation. The congregation has established a long tradition of Christian service. The church held its first revival on record in 1865 and has twice been host for the Texas Annual Conference of Methodist Churches. Its women's groups have actively supported mission work at home and abroad. One member, Miss Maggie Rogers, served as a Missionary in China from 1904 to 1943. Five of the church's members having entered the Ministry.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Methodism reached this stretch of the Brazos before Falls County or the town of Marlin even existed, carried by circuit-riding preachers beginning with the Rev. John W. DeVilbiss in 1842. A full-time pastor arrived in 1874, and by 1910 the congregation had raised a brick sanctuary of local Brazos River red clay, its windows imported from Italy. The church became a hub of mission work—one member, Maggie Rogers, served as a missionary in China for nearly four decades.
Why it matters
From frontier circuit riders to overseas missionaries, the church shows how organized religion helped anchor and connect isolated Texas settlements to a wider world.
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Related people
- · John W. DeVilbiss
- · Charles Brown
- · I.F. Betts
- · Maggie Rogers
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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