Page 2 Continued Petrolia United Methodist Church History

Guest  preachers  led  the services several times during the year. They included Rev.
Donald L. Clinton, Jan Edwards, Dr. Emma Justis, Esther Hammond, Jim Burch, and Byron
Myrick  and  Layman  Dan  Burleson. In July 1978, Rev Craig Watson brought a group of
young people to present a program called LOVE UNLIMITED. They came from the church in
Augusta,  Georgia,  where  he  was  serving  as associate pastor. The Petrolia church
joined  the  Byers  church  in providing homes and food for the group and in enjoying
their performance. Four members joined the church.

We celebrated our 70th Anniversary in November, 1978, with 115 people present for the
morning and afternoon services and lunch in the fellowship area of the sanctuary. Two
former pastors were able to attend, Rev. Robbie Corse and Rev. Johnnie Haney.

Our lay members, Myrtice Moon from Petrolia and Dorothy Graves from Byers, faithfully
attended  Annual Conference for several years and reported back to the Official Board
and  to  the  church.  They also attended Rev. Clinton's graduation and ordination as
Deacon at SMU in May 1980.

Petrolia  joined  with  the  Byers Church in a revival before Steve left. His father,
Rev. Don Clinton, was the preacher.

Rev.  Clinton  was returned to Florida and was followed in Byers and Petrolia by Rev.
Jim  Rowland,  a  student local pastor who had been a youth director at Henrietta. He
served two years here before being sent to a church in Dallas.

Our  MYF  group,  the  Alphas,  continued  to  function  for several years until they
scattered to other areas. After the Clintons left, they became known as the Christian
Crusaders  under  the  leadership  of  Barbara  and Everett England. Both groups were
active  in  the community with financial backing from the church. Under Rev. Rowland,
the  Alphas continued to serve the churches. They and John Horany participated in the
Byers  School  Hootenanny.  The  Alphas  and  many  adults from the church saw "South
Pacific,"  and  "Fiddler  on  the  Roof,"  musicals at Backdoor Theater in which John
Horany  acted.  John preached on August 17, his last day in Petrolia before departing
for Dallas.

The  Alphas attended a SMU-UH game and a Dallas Holm concert in Dallas. The ladies of
both  churches  made  34  lap robes and took them to nursing homes. The holidays were
celebrated  with  a play, "Love Was When," by the Alphas and Christmas and New Year's
parties in the home of Ralph and Dorothy Glandon.

A  garage  sale  was held in August to help finance the painting of the inside of the
sanctuary and the outside trim.

Rev. Jimmy Davis was appointed to this charge in 1982. His wife, Laura, was excellent
in  working  with  the  choir  in  Byers who sometimes used their talents for special
occasions in the Petrolia Church.

Financial  projects  occupied  a  large  part  of our attention during this time. New
carpet  was  laid  at  a  cost of over $2500 in 1981. In March letters were mailed to
members and former members advising them of the fact that our lovely pews were beyond
repair  and  needed replacing. The response was tremendous. Every pew was financed in
full  as  memorials to family members with enough additional donations to pay for the
public  address  system  and other needed improvements. A plaque on the wall near the
front door contains the names of all donors and memorial name plates are on the pews.

During  1982,  the roof of the church kitchen was remodeled, hopefully putting an end
to  the  history of leaks and repairs. Also during this time Petrolia did their share
of  the  work  and  the  expense at the parsonage, where steel siding, a new roof and
insulation, and a new refrigerator were added.

Two  new  groups  appeared  in  both  churches under the leadership of Rev. Davis and
Laura, the Methodist Men and the United Methodist Women. The pastor organized the men
with  a  meal  he fixed at the parsonage. Two circles of women were organized, one to
meet  in  the  afternoon and one to meet in the evening. Johanna Householder of Byers
was the first president with Dorothy Glandon of Petrolia as vice-president.

In  1983  the  Petrolia  Church celebrated their 75th Anniversary. One hundred people
signed  the  guest  register for the afternoon homecoming. The Byers Methodist Church
sang  at  the  morning and afternoon services and the Rhythmnears, a Petrolia singing
group  including  many  Methodists,  also shared their talents in praising God in the
afternoon. Some twenty mums were given for decoration in memory of loved ones. It was
a  time  of great rejoicing and remembrances of God's goodness in our past and in his
promise of his goodness in the future.

The Methodist Men established a food bank for both churches.

The  Petrolia Church donated 2 vacant lots to be used for a Senior Citizens Center to
serve north Clay County.

Membership  reported  at  Charge  Conference  in  1983 was 75. Both churches accepted
minimum  salary and apportionments and picked up the 20% of salary the Conference had
been  paying. Another 20% was picked up in 1984 and membership had dropped to 71 with
the  death  of  3  long-time members, Olive Webb, Bealuh Tinsley, and Ruby Stine. Nat
Fleming  joined.  The  UMW  continued  strong  and  received the Extra Mile Award for
raising their pledges while helping people in the community.

In  1985,  a  church  newsletter was started with Dorothy Graves doing the typing and
Lucille Glasgow helping gather the news at Petrolia.

The  house  owned by the Petrolia Church was spruced up with siding to make it easier
to  heat  and  cool,  with  new tile on the bathroom, kitchen, utility room, with new
paint  where  necessary,  new back door, light fixtures, clean carpet and other minor
repairs. All done with volunteer labor.

In  June  1986,  Rev.  Doyle  Henderson was sent to pastor the Byers-Petrolia Charge.
Revivals  were  held in both churches. Under Doyle's spirited preaching, members were
revitalized  and  increased the number of Visionaries shares. Rev. Kandeler, District
Superintendent,  felt  our church's response to goals set last year was good in small
group  studies and the food bank as mission work. We needed to work on visitation and
youth ministry.

Rev.  Millard Fairchild came as pastor in June 1987. A new church sign was erected on
the  corner  by the church and the church helped the Lions' Club buy Christmas lights
for the town. New hymnals were purchased. There was no change in membership.

The  UMW ladies served lunch to the students at the Wesley Foundation at MSU, Wichita
Falls,  several  times  a  year  for  two years. They supported battered women with a
donation and held several interesting studies.

In 1989 the kitchen of the Petrolia Church was refurbished with new paneling, carpet,
curtains,  back  door  and  hot water heater. The kindergarten class that meets there
also received a new table and chairs.

At  the 1989 Charge Conference, thirteen names from Petrolia's roll were read for the
third time in as many years and were thus removed from the roll. A letter was sent to
each  one several different times and no response was ever received. These were James
and  Nancy Allison, Craig Allison, Warren Golden, Sandra Biter, Dwain Davidson, Neita
Edgar,  Bartina  Edgar,  David  Harwell,  John Hamilton, Mrs. Sherry Hamilton, Leslie
Moore Fulton, and Kelly Roth. This put the membership at 50.

Prospects for new members were not very good. The Lion's Club met at the church which
helped with community exposure.

A  special  Charge  Conference  was  held  May 20, 1990, being duly authorized by the
District  Superintendent  to  consider  the  recommendation  of  the PPR Committee to
request  equitable  salary  assistance of $2000 for 1990, with the goal of requesting
$1000 for 1991 and being self-supportive by 1992. The recommendation was accepted.

In June 1990, Rev. James McKenzie came to Byers-Petrolia as a full-time local pastor.
It  was  a leap of faith for the churches to accept the attendant financial increase.
All  the  gas lines in the Petrolia Church were replaced and part of the water lines.
The  outside  wood  trim  was  painted  and new lights and a new air conditioner were
installed in the fellowship area. Equitable salary was received from September on.

Tax-exempt  status  was received after incorporating on a non-profit basis. Money was
collected  for  the  Philippine  disaster  relief  fund.  Both churches of the charge
cooperated  in  providing an opportunity for the community to have family photographs
taken at the church and a church directory published.

A  mid-week  service  was  begun  and the pastor reached out to the community through
participation  in  activities  of the Lions' Club and the Senior Citizens Center. The
Church  recommended  Lucille  Glasgow  to  take training to become a lay speaker. Tom
Crowder announced his candidacy for ordained ministry.

In 1991, acting upon a vision by Ann Rutledge, members renovated the former parsonage
for a fellowship hall and an after-school program was started for the children of the
community.  This  gave an average of 15 children Christian activities, fellowship and
love.

Seven  members were added in 1991, Floyd and Margie Patterson, David and Silvia Webb,
Slim  and  Velma Lundy, and Tommie Crowder, while Lorene Donadson, Katherine Spruiell
and Opal Denney died and Noe Garcia transferred.

A  special  Charge  Conference was held in October 1992 by Rev. Joan LaBarr, District
Superintendent,  to  act  upon a recommendation by the congregation to purchase the 2
lots  adjacent  to  the  church from owner Toby Davis for $1900. The church would pay
$1100  and  a couple made a pledge of $800, so there would be no indebtedness. It was
unanimously approved.

At  the  regular  Charge  Conference in November, membership at Petrolia stood at 61,
starting  the year with 53 and adding 11 new ones, Lewis and Gaylene Sleeth, Rick and
Darla  Fields,  Robert  and  Sheila  James,  J. L. and Delores Hair, Minnie and James
McKenzie, and losing 2 to death, Mattie and W.M. Coots, and Lucille Owen by transfer.

The  Byers-Petrolia  UMW hosted a meeting to hear Dr. Kathryn Keller tell of her work
with Wycliffe Bible translators in Mexico. She is an aunt to Rev. Jim McKenzie.

Certified lay speakers, Tommie Crowder and Lucille Glasgow, were voted to continue in
the  program  and  Rev McKenzie and Tom Crowder were recommended to continue in their
ministry.

The  Byers  UMC  and the Petrolia UMC had already voted to discontinue the charge and
each  to  have  a part time pastor. Rev. LaBarr saw a bright future for both churches
and urged them to work together in any way possible as they were doing in the UMW and
the Methodist Men.

At the 1993 Charge Conference, Rev. Jim Mckenzie reported 62 members with 5 new ones,
Katie  Jo Gardner, James Gardner, Sidney and Jean Holt, and Karen Wynn, and a loss of
4,  Eueill  Spruiel to death, Larry Spruiel by request, and Tom and Tommie Crowder by
transfer.