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Grace Story | A tradition of Love in the Heights Community | |
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A Brief History of Grace United Methodist Church
Grace Church has served this community for over 100 years. Grace Church began in 1905when the main conveyances around town were horses and buggies: hitching rings can still be seen on 13th Street along the north side of the chapel.
In 1905, the “Home Missionary Society of the Houston Heights” was formed by a group of ladies. Their purpose was to organize a church, and they did. The Church became known as the “Grace Methodist Episcopal Church South.” The first pastor was the Reverend S.S. McKinney. Worship services were held in a variety of locations until the congregation erected a permanent sanctuary on 13th and Yale Street in 1906 on land purchased for $800. Later, a large brick building was constructed on this property in 1911 and services were held there until 1970. The present church located at 1245 Heights Boulevard held its first service on October 19, 1970.
The Church was renamed “Grace Methodist Church” in 1939 after the merger of the North and South Methodist Churches. In 1968, the name changed again to “Grace United Methodist Church” reflecting the union of the Evangelical United Brethren and the Methodist Church.
Grace Church has served as a source of inspiration and spiritual guidance for its members for many years. The present members love the church as did many of our beloved deceased members.
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Church History 1905 – 2008
What is now Grace United Methodist Church began 1905, organized by twelve ladies calling themselves the Home Missionary Society of the Houston Heights. This group gathered at the home of Captain G.W. Crowder at 1416 Heights Blvd. The Society aquired a lot located at 12th Street and Harvard. However, lacking the funds to construct a sanctuary, their worship was celebrated at the Harvard School. Outgrowing the Harvard School facility, the congregation moved to the skating rink at 9th Street and Yale, subsequently to the Houston Heights City Hall at 12th Street and Yale. This building later became a fire station and is now the headquarters for the Houston Heights Association.
The first Minister was Rev. S.S. McKinney. As the congregation continued to grow a need for a facility of its own led the men of the congregation to trade the lot at 12th Street to purchase three lots on the corner of 13th and Yale at a cost of $800. Rev. McKinney and the seven trustees of Grace Methodist Episcopal Church South purchased the lots and a wooden sanctuary was built at a cost of $750. From 1905 to 2008 there have been forty-one pastors at Grace United Methodist Church.
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In 1912 the small wooden church was moved and a brick sanctuary was built on the corner of Yale and 13th Street. The second sanctuary was a beautiful red brick building with two towers on the front facing Yale Street. One was a bell tower and the other an office for the pastor. The building included leaded stained glass windows with hand painted and fired figures of Christ, and the large round Jerusalem cross on the front of the church.
Along the north side of the church on 13th Street you can still find the hitching rins used to tie horse drawn buggies, which brought folks to worship. In 1926 the educational building was built. In 1951 the building that contains the Chapel, nursery, parlor, heritage room, youth room offices and meeting rooms was completed.
The current sanctuary, facing Heights Blvd. was completed in 1971. The modern chapel incorporated and preserved the stained glass windows from the previous building. Architects set the glass art into a Gothic Diamond shape with Ruby accents. |
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Across the street from the present sanctuary is the parsonage completed in 1956. replacing the original parsonage, a one story home on the church property at Yale.
Many Grace UMC pastors have gone to become District Superintendents of UMC and have taken leadership roles in the Texas Conference. Our local history also includes a number of people who have become ministers and wives of ministers.
One of the first Sunday school classes on record was the Wesley Class organized in 1917 for men and women. The original 1919 Women’s Missionary Society later became Women’s Society of Christian Service and now United Methodist Women. The Brotherhood Bible Class was started in 1923, and was the origination of the Methodist Men’s Group.
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The Tri Mu Class begun in 1923 and the Torchbearers Class in 1941. The Wesley Service Guild was organized in 1942 but because of World War II it was recognized after the was in 1947. The Crusaders Class was organized in 1947 for young married couples. The Fellowship Class in 1950, and purposed for the middle aged.
We have several families that have four or more generations in Grace UMC, some going back to charter members. The Great State of Texas made a historical marker for Grace UMC, dedicated January 27, 2002 marking ninety-six years of Ministry in the Heights. It is located in the Yale side garden. October 2005, Grace UMC held a Centennial celebration.
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Grace United Methodist Church | 1245 Heights Boulevard | Houston, Texas 77008 | 713.862.8883 |
info@graceintheheights.org
Texas Methodist Foundation
It is the policy of the Te United Methodist Church not to discriminate on the basis of age, color, handicap or disability,
ancestry, national origin, marital status, race, religion, sex, veteran status, or political affiliation in its educational or employment programs and activities.
© Copyright 2010 Congregation Grace United Methodist Church
Maintained by AO Media
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