Looking to the future...First UMC Seagoville, celebrates 125 years of ministry

First UMC, Seagoville, will celebrate its 125th anniversary April 22. The day will include a special morning worship service with the gospel group "Ransomed" leading singing. Following the service, there will be a festive luncheon in the Fellowship Hall.

As First Seagoville turns 125, members are celebrating the past and looking forward to new growth and ministry. One of the plans involves growing its worship services, including developing contemporary worship experiences. Praise music is already a part of the congregation’s life, and multiple forms of worship styles are planned for the 125th anniversary celebration. The "Ransomed" group’s musical leadership is part of this embrace of the future.

"We rejoice in the growth and changes we have experienced over the last several years, and we are hoping to see an expansion of our children’s ministries, our ministries with senior citizens and to the needy in our community, as well as our outreach through the Wrestler’s for Christ ministry," says pastor Rev. Gregory S. Neal.

Dr. Neal explains that several professional and amateur wrestlers who are members of First UMC, Seagoville, lead Wrestlers for Christ.

The origins of the congregation can be found in the March 18, 1882, issue of the Texas Christian Advocate, which stated that by the sanction of the bishop and consent of the presiding elders of two districts, Terrell and Whitewright, a new congregation, Sego, would be added to the Terrell District.

The same newspaper later reported that the Sego Circuit congregation was meeting at the Lego School House. Rev. W. R. Manning was appointed the first pastor for the new work. The next official mention of the church came three years later when Rev. Julian Woodson was appointed pastor, and the church began maintaining official records.

For about ten years, church services were held in a school building located a mile and a half northeast of the present church site. The location is now known as Putman and East Farmers Road.
 
Mr. And Mrs. W.A. Thompson donated land for the first church building in 1895. The site, 101 South Kaufman, is the church’s location today. By 1912 a larger building was completed and served the church for the next 40 years.

By 1952 the membership reached 390 with an average Sunday School attendance of 165. The growing educational program needed more space, and under the guidance of pastor Rev. Bob Middlebrooks, the congregation built the present educational building. At that point, the church had 419 members and an average Sunday School attendance of 201.

One member who has the longest memory of happenings through the years is Juanita Lewis, who holds the distinction of having been on the membership roll for the longest period of time – 79 years. Though she is unable to attend services due to failing health, she prays daily for her church and for people and the church’s ministries and causes. These included badly needed repairs on the church building.

Needed repairs
Dr. Neal explains that by 2003, the church facilities needed significant repairs, including major foundation work. The beautiful, historic stained glass windows were removed in order to protect them, but as the removal process got underway, they began to fall apart due to rot, neglect, and age. While the building was being re-leveled, the windows were cleaned and re-set in new frames, which restored them to an original beauty that had not been seen for decades.

If the issue with the windows weren’t enough, the foundation work also opened large cracks in the sanctuary’s plaster walls, requiring major work to repair and paint the interior. At the same time, members decided that it would be an opportune time to rectify the cluttered and cramped condition of the chancel to make it more open and usable for multiple events, as well as different forms of worship.

The building repair and remodeling has continued for the past four years, with new carpet and steps into the chancel being completed this spring. Dr. Neal says the next step of the ongoing project is to do major work on the leaky roof. Once this is done, the church plans to replace the florescent light fixtures with contemporary adjustable lighting. Long-range plans include repaving the parking lot, remodeling and expanding its bathrooms.

First UMC, Seagoville, is a site for Methodism's Breadbasket, the Seagoville Senior Citizens' Center, Alcoholics Anonymous, CPS Family Counseling, the church’s Mother’s Day Out program, Boy and Girl Scouts, after school tutoring, and the Wrestlers for Christ.

For more information, please call Dr. Gregory Neal, 972-287-2228 or e-mail:revneal@mac.com.