First Methodist Houston
Houston
TX

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MISSION

Following Jesus and inviting everybody to come along.

CORE VALUES

We emphasize three core values which correspond to three key aspects of the Christian life described in the Bible.

LOVE

We will share the heart of Christ, treating each person as precious to Him and building authentic Christian community.
See Romans 12:9-10

GROW

We will mature in the mind of Christ, living our lives in Him, following His will, and receiving His Power.
See Ephesians 4:11-16

SERVE

We will be the hands and feet of Christ, using our time on this earth to make a difference for Him.
See John 13:14

VISION

An empowered, diverse faith family built on the foundation of God’s Word, sharing the transforming love of Jesus Christ throughout Houston and the world.

WE BELIEVE

• God: the Father, the one true all powerful Creator and Sustainer of all things; Jesus Christ, fully human, fully God, who through His life, death, and resurrection offers salvation to all who put their faith in Him as Lord of their lives; and the Holy Spirit, the indwelling presence of God, equipping believers for the work of ministry and empowering them to live as disciples of Jesus Christ.
See Matthew 28:19-10

• The Bible: the divinely inspired, authoritative writings which reveal the will of God for all of creation; the supreme standard of faith, received by the community of faith as the sure guide to both a personal and communal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
See II Timothy 3:16-17

• Grace: God’s unconditional love in action, seeking to bring all people to a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
See Ephesians 2:8

• The Church: the Body of Christ, Jesus, present and visible in the world through the Holy Spirit in the worship, prayer, teaching, fellowship, witness, sacraments, and sacrificial service of His followers.
See I Corinthians 12:27

• The Kingdom: the present reign of God in the lives of those who follow Christ and its future fulfillment in the victorious return of Christ; when He will honor the choices we have made, either for hell or for heaven and eternal life.
See Revelation 11:15

Now to Him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever, Amen.
Ephesians 3:20-21

Download First Methodist Houston vCard with Service Times

Download Senior Pastor Rev. Andy Nixon vCard

United Methodist Church

United Methodist Churches in Houston, Texas, United States

United Methodist Churches in Texas, United States

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https://www.fmhouston.com/

Rev. Andy Nixon

Senior Pastor

832-668-1800 / 800-652-2999

713-752-2316

PARKING AT THE DOWNTOWN CAMPUS

SUNDAY PARKING

Parking lots:
On Sunday morning, all the spaces in the parking lots near the church are free.

Street parking at meters:
Free on Sunday.

WEEKDAY PARKING

Church parking lots:

On weekdays, free spaces, marked as “Reserved” on the ground are available. On the lot, located at the southeast corner of Main and Clay Streets, are 20 spaces with 10 facing Clay Street and 10 facing Main Street. On the lot located at the southwest corner of Travis and Polk Streets (across Polk from the HPD office building), there are 57 spaces located next to the Travis Garage.

Note: During the week, vehicles that are parked in numbered spaces of either lot without paying, will be subject to “booting” by the parking company that leases the lot.

Public parking lots:

The parking lot immediately across Clay Street from the church is free on Sundays only.

Street parking at meters:

Clay Street
Meters are operational from 7:00am to 6:00pm – Monday – Saturday. Free on Sunday

Travis Street
No parking 7:00 – 9:00am and 4:00 – 7:00pm – Monday – Saturday.
Meters are operational from 9:00am to 4:00pm – Monday – Saturday. Free on Sunday

WORSHIP SERVICES

Downtown Sanctuary – 9:00 a.m and 11:00 a.m.
West Campus Traditional – 9:00 a.m in the Worship Center
The Source – 11:11 a.m in the Worship Center
The Altar-Umoja Worship Service – 11:30 a.m. in the Stansbury Building

Service Times last updated on the 21st of January, 2021

Historic Snapshots of First Methodist Houston

1835
Colonel William Barrett Travis, a year before falling in defense of the Alamo, writes the General Conference of the Methodist Church meeting on the east coast requesting Methodist pastors for the new Republic being born in Texas. The Methodist Church responds by assigning three missionaries to this new area.

1839
Reverend Jesse Hord organizes Houston’s first Methodist Church in the Senate Chamber of the Capitol Building of the Republic, located at that time in Houston.


1843
At the December 13 Conference of Texas Methodists, it is reported that the Houston congregation consists of 36 white members and 32 black members.

1844
The first Methodist church building in Houston, also the first brick church in Texas, is completed.

1854
Reverend James Ferguson becomes our pastor. Ferguson is also remembered as the father of Jim Ferguson, who later became Governor of Texas, and the father-in-law of Miriam “Ma” Ferguson, who was Texas’ first woman Governor.

1864
A wall of the church’s original brick building collapses during a storm just minutes after Sunday services. The congregation meets in the black members’ building on a nearby lot and at the Lutheran church until after the Civil War.

1867
A yellow fever epidemic kills more than 1,000 Houstonians, including our pastor, Reverend William Rees.

1883
On December 9, we begin worship in our new church building. It is an English gothic brick church called Shearn Memorial. The church property is located at Travis and Texas Avenue, at the present location of the Houston Chronicle.

1900
In September, a disastrous hurricane devastates Galveston, requiring the church to minister in dramatic ways to the survivors, followed by extensive support of the work to rebuild Galveston and much of Houston. Shearn church itself is severely damaged.

1901
The automobile arrives on Houston streets, creating a future need in church ministries as the city spreads out.

1904
Members of the church form a ministry called Wesley House in the impoverished near northeast area of the city. It has grown into a city-wide ministry, known as Wesley Community Center. Wesley is now supported by many churches and ministers to over 50,000 persons in need in Harris County each year.

1907
Our church property at Travis and Texas is sold and the congregation meets in Alabambra Hall and Beach’s Auditorium until late 1910. Two corner lots at Main and Clay (our present downtown location) are purchased. One trustee resigns, convinced that the property is “too far out of town.”

1908
We use printed bulletins in worship for the first time.

1909
We change our name from Charles Shearn Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church, South to First Methodist Episcopal Church, South.

1910
Construction is completed on the new (and current) downtown sanctuary. The first worship service is held on December18,1910. Membership totals 1,200.

1919
Members of the church help start Methodist Hospital, and over the years since have been deeply involved in its leadership and growth.

1923
The Blue Bird Circle, organized for special social service work, included in their ministry volunteerism in the Crippled Children’s Ward at Methodist Hospital. This service of the Blue Bird Circle eventually became a separate charitable entity with its focus on volunteer work at Methodist Hospital.

1924
Our first live worship broadcast on radio.

1928
Construction begins on the seven story educational building. It is designed so that it can be turned into an office building, should such prove to be necessary or desirable.

1930
The music ministry for children and adults begins and becomes a highlight of many worship services and special events.

1931
The first edition of the First Methodist Houston Times is published.

1939
Following the unification of the three major branches of Methodism, the North and South Episcopal terms were dropped and we became First Methodist Church.

1940
First Methodist expands to two Sunday services.

1945
Not only did the Church rejoice at the return of service personnel from WWII but also celebrated the removal of its 16-year debt that resulted from the building of the Education Building and the struggles incurred during the previous decade of The Depression years.

1951
The sanctuary is remodeled to accommodate air conditioning.

1956
We broadcast our worship on television for the first time. Today, our Sunday morning televised worship is the longest running television program in the nation with a viewing audience each week of over 60,000 homes,–now including live streaming.

1959
The Quillian Recreation Center, named after Rev. Paul Quillian, is opened in the Alief area for ministry to the church and community. It is relocated to the Westchase campus in the 1990’s in order to bring together its sports ministry and the new congregation being formed to better serve the western part of the city.

1960
The first July Revival services were held with great congregational singing and inspiring messages from the pulpit. This began a tradition that continues into the present time.

1963
Members of the church help begin Clarewood House retirement community. In addition, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) opens in Houston. Since then, a number of our volunteers in First Choice Media Ministry have been communications and electronics staff from NASA.

1966
An Aeolian Skinner organ, made by one of the finest organ companies in the United States, is installed as a welcome addition to the music ministry and worship service. During the year numerous concerts were held with prestigious organists from all around the country coming to First Methodist as featured artists.

1968
At General Conference the Evangelical United Brethren Church merges with the Methodist Church and we become The First United Methodist Church of Houston.

1970
The church embarks on an ambitious building program that will take several years. The façade of the south side is enclosed to form a large lobby connecting the sanctuary and education building. The colorful faceted art glass windows designed by church member Edward L. Reichert depict ministries of the church along with well-known Christian symbols. Included in the building program is a partial renovation of the education building and the sanctuary.

1973
Construction begins on a chapel adjacent to the main sanctuary to be named in honor of Alice and David C. Bintliff, a gift of their two daughters and their families.

1981
The half block parking lot located southwest of the church, bounded by Travis, Clay, and Bell Streets is sold with the funds becoming the seed monies to help establish The First Methodist Foundation. The funds of the Foundation are used to maintain church properties and assist with specific endowed programs.

1983
At the Charge Conference it is determined that the long neglected Quillian Memorial Center in Alief will be completely renovated to serve as a recreational center and gathering place for the church family and as an outreach to the people living in West Houston. On December 27, a fire destroys much of the current sanctuary, chapel, and organ. The restoration project is completed in 1985.

1985
The church sends its first mission team to Haiti. This is a catalyst for what will become an active ministry into countries all over the world.

1986
Reflecting the ongoing changes in society, First Methodist is delighted to receive the first appointment of a woman as one of its associate pastors.

1987
The needlepoint altar cushions, upon which thousands will knee in years to come, are lovingly handcrafted by women of the church. The church receives the gift of a Schulmerich Carillon for the Bell Tower. A major fundraising effort called Hands Helping Houston brings together hundreds of volunteers to raise funds for local charities. This becomes the genesis for an ongoing “extra”

1989
The church celebrates 150 years of worship and service in the Houston Community.

1991
A gift of 65 acres of land near Hockley is donated to the church for use as a recreational or retreat center, later named the McKaskle Retreat Center.

1992
The Church decides to reach out and start a second campus at Beltway 8 and Westpark, acquiring 27 acres of land to minister to the growing west side of the city.

1993
The Westchase congregation begins holding Sunday services in January at Paul Revere Middle School. That same year, we acquire two office/warehouse buildings directly across from the original 27 acre parcel to create temporary housing for ministries and worship.

1994
Teams of walkers carry a flame from the altar of the downtown church to the Westchase facility on June 4, to commemorate the first services held at the temporary Westchase worship center.

1995
On February 5, the Stansbury Fellowship Hall is dedicated and ready for service when Wesley Academy opens in fall 1995, serving Pre-K to second grade.

1996
The second permanent facility at the Westchase Campus, the Quillian Recreation Center’s Reibenstein Pavilion, is completed, along with the competitive size pool and Noah’s Ark water feature for children.

1997
Temporary buildings are erected to handle growth of the Wesley Academy and the Westchase congregation. A fundraising drive for the new Worship Center at Westchase is completed in just 28 days.

1998
Members of our church begin Christian Alliance, a ministry for international disaster relief. First Choice Television is incorporated as a separate entity under the First Methodist umbrella.

1999
On Sunday, June 27, the first worship service, overflowing from the combined congregation, is held in the new 2,200 seat Westchase Worship Center.

2000
Construction is completed on the Wesley Academy two story educational building and the Quillian Center recreational facility.

2004
Our outreach ministry to students and their families in the impoverished neighborhood of Port Houston grows and is incorporated as Neighbors in Action.

2008
The half block bounded by Travis, Polk and Milam is purchased to provide expanded parking for church members downtown and has become known as the King Lot.

2010
The Congregation dedicates a State of Texas Historical Society marker honoring the First United Methodist Church Congregation for its long service to Houston, to Texas, and to the world. A special two-hour worship service is held to celebrate 100 years of service and worship in the downtown sanctuary at Main and Clay.

2011
Just in time for Christmas, the church pays off the last of its capital debt to the bank.

2012
A community center is created in the Port Houston Area by Neighbors in Action, offering 7-day a week ministry to all ages.

2014
Renovation of the downtown facility continues with the renovation of the entire first floor, creation of a state of the art nursery and restoration of the stained glass windows in the sanctuary. A Columbarium is added to the downtown prayer garden on Main Street. In addition, the youth center is renovated on the fifth floor and a new worship space is created for a contemporary worship service on the sixth the floor (The Source).

2015
A new contemporary service (The Vine) is begun at the Westchase Campus in the Stansbury Hall. In addition, Covenant Glen United Methodist Church is invited to share space on the campus, adding to the growing community impact of the diverse ministries based there.