First United Methodist Church of Stanton
Stanton, Martin County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Early Methodists in Stanton shared a Union church building with area Baptists. In 1904, following a local revival, nine individuals formed a separate Methodist congregation. The Rev. J.A. Sweeney, a Conference-appointed pastor, came the next year. In 1907, the church built its first sanctuary. The membership grew, and churches in the nearby communities of Lenorah and Courtney merged into the congregation. During its first century, the congregation added new facilities to accommodate growing needs, and church activities included a women's group, music ministries, youth fellowship, and other educational and outreach programs. (2004)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Early Methodists in Stanton shared a Union church with local Baptists until a 1904 revival prompted nine people to form their own congregation, joined the next year by a conference-appointed pastor. After building its first sanctuary in 1907, the church absorbed congregations from nearby Lenorah and Courtney and expanded over the century with women's, youth, music, and outreach programs.
Why it matters
The congregation's growth traces the Methodist circuit-and-revival tradition that planted churches across the West Texas plains as farming communities took hold.
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Related people
- · J.A. Sweeney
Themes & tags
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