Sardis Methodist Church
Center, Shelby County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Neighbors in a small rural community in this area gathered together in 1872 to organize a church congregation. The need for a house of worship was met when members of the community worked together to cut trees and built a log structure. The two acres of land on which the church was built were formally deeded to the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, by J. M. Hughes and his family in 1894. The congregation had outgrown the original church building, and construction was begun that year on a new sanctuary. Under the leadership of the Rev. John Goodwin, the new wooden structure was built by church members. The name Sardis Methodist Church was chosen by the Rev. H. Toomie, presiding elder of the denominational conference. The Sardis congregation was served by circuit-riding ministers until the 1940s. It remained active until 1972, when it was disbanded. Members of the community raised funds to renovate the building and the congregation was reorganized in 1986. Still the focal point for the community, the church is used for special services such as weddings, funerals, and homecoming celebrations.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1872 neighbors in this rural Shelby County community joined to organize a congregation, felling trees to raise a log meeting house; in 1894 J. M. Hughes deeded two acres and members built a new wooden sanctuary named Sardis. Served by circuit-riding preachers into the 1940s, the church closed in 1972 but was revived in 1986 and still hosts weddings, funerals and homecomings.
Why it matters
The little country church was the heart of rural Southern communities, and Sardis's revival shows how such places endure as anchors of local memory.
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Related people
- · J. M. Hughes
- · John Goodwin
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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