This Week in Texas Methodist History Nov. 12

Industry UMC celebrates its history

Tomorrow, Nov. 12, 2017, Industry UMC will celebrate the 150^th anniversary of its church building.  The church itself is even older, dating to before the Civil War, but the church building, built in 1867, still stands and still is used even though the congregation usually worships in a larger, more modern building. 

The 1867 date is significant.  The Industry MECS church, led by its pastor, Carl Biel, left the MECS in December 1866 and joined the MEC.  It was the first of several German Texas Methodist churches to do so.  The members who wished to remain in the MECS retained title to the building so a new church was necessary.  That is why Industry UMC is celebrating the 150 anniversary of its building tomorrow. 

I was asked to participate in the celebration.  Here are part of the remarks I intend to give. 

The 1870 Conference Journal shows what I think is a remarkable testimony to the zeal with which the Industry Methodists had for their church.   The number of German churches has increased.  Now there are churches in Victoria, Llano, Bastrop, Millheim, Columbus, and Brenham.  Industry reported 62 members, 10 probationers, a church building valued at $1850 and a parsonage valued at $1000.   That parsonage is the ONLY parsonage listed for any church in the entire conference.  (remember that the rest of the conference consists of recently enslaved African Americans).   You are, no doubt, aware of our system of benevolences and apportionments since we still have them.  In 1870 the benevolences churches were expected to support were Missionaries, Mission Sunday Schools, church extension (that’s helping fund new church construction), Tract Society (publishing and distributing religious literature), the American Bible Society, and the American Sunday School Union.  The church at Industry gave $62.50 for missions—$1 per member plus 50 cents.  That $62.50 was the largest contribution of any church in the conference.  There are churches today that don’t pay $1/member for some of the benevolences.  Its $10.50 was the only contribution to Mission Sunday Schools of any church in the Conference. Its $23.25 was the largest amount paid to the Board of Church Extension of any church in the conference.  It also contributed to the Tract Society and the Sunday School Union---the only church in the entire conference that paid its apportionments.