First United Methodist Church of Pasadena

A “society” of Methodists was first formed in the area in 1896 in the nearby community of Deepwater. In 1898, seven people organized a Methodist congregation in Pasadena, and the church first met in the town’s one-room schoolhouse. These charter members were Martha H. Knapp Bailey Rawlins, William B. Bailey Sr., William B. Bailey Jr., Katherine Lydia Hogge Bailey, Robert McPherson Guinn, Katie Guinn Weeks and Lydia Zlomke Gigstad. By 1904, the congregation had grown to twenty members and a frame church building was constructed at the corner of South Shaver and Broadway in 1907. As Pasadena shifted from an agrarian community to an industrial one, the town and the Methodist congregation expanded. Additional sanctuaries were built in 1938 and 1955, and the church relocated to Fairmont Parkway in 1986. During its history, First United Methodist Church has served the community by providing food and shelter through the Society of Saint Stephen, and assistance in remodeling and home maintenance through the Levites. The Pasadena Rotary Club has met for a weekly lunch at the church since 1936, and the church has organized two boy scout troops and a girl scout troop. Missionary outreach of the congregation includes regular work in an orphanage in Mexico, contributions to the programs of the Unalaska United Methodist Church in Alaska, and the rebuilding of St. John’s United Methodist Church in Texas City, which was destroyed by fire. More than a century after its establishment, First United Methodist Church continues to serve as a vital spiritual leader for the people of Pasadena.

First United Methodist Church of Pasadena is a historical marker in Pasadena, Harris County, dedicated in 2010. It is one of 422 historical markers documented in Harris County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 849 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 29.6512, -95.1933 near Pasadena. The nearest cataloged historic site is Genoa United Methodist Church (historical marker), about 2.0 miles away. Others within a short drive include First Airplane Flight Over Texas, Texas Chiropractic College, and Lone Star Flight Museum / Texas Aviation Hall of Fame.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507016521. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.