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The First United Methodist Church of Van Vleck had its roots in a community church which served the area for many years. Early after the founding of the Van Vleck community, soon after 1900, the Presbyterian church acquired land and erected a building to be used for church services. Sunday School and worship services were held each Sunday afternoon with ministers from Bay City churches alternately leading the services, Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist and Christian, assisted by the Episcopal denominations, cooperated in the work to provide a good spiritual climate which sufficed for a long time. Population of the area was fairly static before World War II, and attendance at the community church did not grow at a fast pace. After the end of the war, new residents began to move into the neighborhood, and attendance increased. There were several members who were of the Baptist persuasion, so they organized a Baptist church in May, 1952. Most of the remaining members of the community church were Methodists, or at least friendly to the idea of organizing a Methodist church. After much discussion, for two or three years, among several people in the vicinity and with representatives of the Methodist church, Rev. T. Walter Moore, district superintendent of the Galveston district, officially organized the First Methodist Church of Van Vleck on June 26, 1955. The Presbyterian church members were helpful by selling their church property to the Methodists so that there was a built-in meeting place. The first pastor for the new church was Charles Shine, a ministerial student, who served until it was time for him to return to school in September. Although he served for only three months, he was well liked by all. In September, Edwin C. Moore was appointed as a permanent pastor and the Van Vleck Methodist Church was on its way. The period of time after organizing was kept open for those considered charter members and 81 persons signed a scroll as such. The church grew steadily, although slowly and in 1985 there are 197 persons on the roll. The original building was too small for a good program. The church was able to obtain block of land at the corner of State Highway 35 and Fourth Street. About a year later, in 1958, construction began on a building at the present site. The building was finished in time for services on Palm Sunday in 1959. The First United Methodist Church has had a total of 20 pastors, including the present one, Rev. Don Lewis, who has been with the church since December, 1984.
Historic Matagorda County, Volume I, page
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