Clay County, TXGenWeb Project
Page 3 Continued Petrolia United
Methodist Church History
A special Charge
Conference accepted the donation of a 25 x 144' lot adjacent
to the
2 that were purchased the year before.
The Petrolia Church earned the Marvin T. Judy Award for Excellence
as the Outstanding
Church of the Year for member churches with a membership of 50
to 100.
In May Rev Mckenzie instigated the
beginning of a community worship service and
singing on the fifth Sundays of each quarter. The Baptist
Church of Petrolia and the
Methodist Church of Friberg-Cooper agreed to
participate. Attendance started at 56
and rose to 102 at the next meeting.
On November 14, 1993, the church
celebrated its 85th Anniversary with Rev. Doyle
Henderson, Pastor in 1986-87, preaching.
The after-school program for community children held
twice a week in the fellowship
house continued, and two new children's Sunday School classes
were formed. The pastor
involved more laity in the worship services as readers, children's
sermon teacher and
ushers.
A grant of $750 from Town and Country helped build
handicap ramps at the church and
fellowship house and a covering over the church
entrance. The church funded set-up
and steps for the pastor's mobile home on church
property adjoining the fellowship
house. Rev. Mckenzie owned the home under the agreement
that he would sell it later
only to be removed from the lot.
The practice of putting a monthly
notice in the county paper about our worship
service schedule was begun. New directional
signs were installed on Hwy 79 and the
Charlie Highway.
1994 saw a lot of activity under
the leadership of Rev. Jim McKenzie. Five new
members came: Katha Shawver, Jerry and Marti Grimes, James
and Rhonda Rue. One died:
Mamie Weatherall.
Water lines under the church were replaced.
The gas line from the fellowship house
was connected to the one at the
church to save one minimum charge. New floor
coverings and commodes were installed
in the rest rooms in the church, a new air
conditioner was installed in the sanctuary, the ramps were
given new steel railings,
and the outdoor sign was stained and the letters repainted.
Lewis Sleeth joined the Bi-vocational Pastor Program
and began serving the churches
at Vashti and Bellevue. The Lydia Patterson
Institute was supported and a delegate
was sent to Annual Conference. A
revival was held with Bishop Blake, District
Superintendent Walter Zimmerman (a
former Petrolia pastor),
and District
Superintendent Joan Gray LaBarr were the preachers.
"Fun Time" was continued with the children.
A group of youth were taken to a TEXANS
basketball game, to a swimming party and to an Evangelism Rally.
"The Sobbing Stone,"
a play by St. Marks UMC of Wichita Falls,
was presented in our church. Rhonda Rue
became our pianist, choir robes were donated to us from
Midwestern State University,
and plans to begin a choir were made.
The Byers-Petrolia UMW met sporadically but
continued their giving to missions.
The food pantry and clothes closet were continued. One
church family was helped when
their house burned and another family helped through a crisis.
In 1995 four new members were added:
O. C. and Helen Hurst and Charles and Vivian
Drescher and one died, Ada Merrill.
The above programs were continued in 1995. "Bring
a Friend Sunday" was celebrated, a
new roof was installed on the fellowship house,
and the vinyl siding on the church
was repaired after hail damage. Four
people attended the Visionaries banquet, the
Bible Study was reactivated, and Contemporary
English pew Bibles were purchased.
Three families were helped with financial aid,
birthday cards were sent to members
and close friends, Native American Sunday was celebrated,
a wiener roast was held to
close "Fun Time." An area and
electricity were provided for the Senior Citizen
outdoor Gospel Music fund raiser and
funding was provided for the drug and gang
McGruff program.
A new pastor, Rev. Richard Lucier, came in 1996, after
Rev. McKenzie retired because
of health reasons. Membership stood at
69. Joanne McDonald, Richard Lucier, and
Sheryl Lucier were added while Lora Gibson, Myrtice Moon and
Duff Davis died.
New carpet was laid in the sanctuary, possible through a gift
from M/M Darrell Massie
in memory of Lora Gibson, a long-time member.
The church got a new roof because of
hail damage. The children's after school
program was revived and renamed "Wacky
Wednesday." A CD of all the hymns in the
Methodist Hymnal was purchased to be used
when pianist Rhonda Rue could not be present.
The Fifth Sunday community services,
food pantry, clothes closet, Easter breakfast
(prepared by men), egg hunt, special
Easter and Christmas services, Wednesday
night Bible studies, and good preaching
continued with the change of pastors.
Rev. Rick Lucier returned in 1997. Membership dropped
to 62 with the death of Ralph
Glandon and Bob Rutledge and the transfer of James and Minnie
Mckenzie and Robert and
Sheila James. New insurance was acquired to cover replacement
values and professional
liability for the pastor and officers.
Rev. Rick Lucier remained with us in 1998 with 60 members
at the end of the year. We
lost 4 to death, Rick Fields, Maria
Garcia, Chuck Drescher, and Bob Brown, one
transferred to another church, Charlie
Garcia, and 2 joined, Helen and
Danny
Griffith. Family night and fifth Sunday community church services
continued with good
cooperation among churches and inspiring sermons and singing.
The food pantry served
5 families, the Wycliffe translator was supported, and the children's
Wacky Wednesday
program continued. The UMW continued with the women of both Petrolia
and Byers making
up the unit.
Bro. Rick continued to be a favorite of all in the church
as he was a most effective
preacher and leader.
In 1999, Cindy Armour and Melody Morris joined the
church under Rev. Lucier, Annice
Bell and Eula King died and Dewayne Glasgow was removed
by Charge Conference. Bible
study and Methodist history were studied and the usual programs
went forward.
In 2000, with Bro. Rick still our pastor, the Sunday
School was revived and a choir
was begun, the first in Petrolia UMC in at least 50 years.
A candle lighting service
was held at Christmas and the pastor led a mime communion service
at the fifth Sunday
community service at Byers and the
Petrolia Church hosted another fifth Sunday
service. At Easter, a breakfast, egg hunt, and a
special baptismal covenant worship
service were held.
Grace Chapin, daughter of charter members
of the Petrolia UMC, made a special,
generous gift to the church with
the specification that it be used only for the
maintenance of the church building. A special building
fund was thus established. A
new heating and air conditioning system was installed.
A new CD player was purchased
to upgrade the sound system.
Support for Kathryn Keller of Wycliffe Bible Translators in Mexico
was continued. The
food pantry was discontinued because of a lack of
need in Petrolia. Cards were sent
to members absent, ill, or having birthdays
and anniversaries or as invitations to
special events. The pastor was paid an additional housing allowance
of $100 monthly.
In the spring of 2001, Rev. Lucier was
moved to a church in Wichita Falls and was
replaced by Rev. Louis Pearce. New siding and
windows were installed on the church
and other necessary repairs made. Special
services were held at Christmas, Palm
Sunday and Easter. A prayer chain was set up to be activated
when needed in a crisis.
Monthly family nights of food and
fellowship were continued, as were
also
participation in fifth Sunday community services.
In 2002, membership stood at 47
with Jamie Elledge joining and
Darla Fields
transferring out. Jamie Elledge, started an after
school program with an enrollment
of 42 and an average attendance of 27. A children's
Sunday School was also started.
The pastor was active in visiting the nursing
homes of the area and the hospitals.
Fifth Sunday community services continued to be held.
By Charge Conference in 2003, membership had
dropped down to 44. Pat Ott and Danny
Griffith died, 2 members came by confession or faith restored.
The kids' programs on
Wednesday afternoon and Sunday mornings and their
acting as acolytes were continued
under the direction of Rev. Pearce and Kim
Goolsby. A new TV was purchased for the
program. The children and youth made
a trip to the Holy City in the
Wichita
Mountains.
The altars and communion rail were painted white with brown trim
and a lighted walnut
cross was installed on the wall behind the altar. Fifty new hymnals
were purchased.
In 2004, Rev. Pearce was moved to Grant Street
UMC, Wichita Falls, and we welcomed
Rev. Al Easterling and wife Clara
to the church. Membership was 41
with the
withdrawal of 5 at their request and
reported at Charge Conference: Bruce and Kim
Goolsby, Butch and Olga Rosinbaum, and
Buddy Linton, and 2 coming in from another
Methodist Church: James and Minnie McKenzie.
Pastor Al was enrolled in his first course toward being a certified
local pastor. The
leaders of the children's programs were among those
who left before Pastor Al came;
the program was put on hold until leaders could be found.
Participation continued in
Fifth Sunday community services and in
monthly family fellowship meetings. New
linoleum was laid in the fellowship house
and a new roof was put on the church to
repair hail damage.
Most of the same programs were
continued in 2005 under the leadership of Rev. Al
Easterling. He continued to be outstanding in visiting
people in the hospital and in
checking on others by phone. He continued his Course of
Study under the direction of
Beverly Drive UMC, his home church. The choir program was
outstanding and children's
sermons and then activities and Bible stories involved
them in the back room of the
church by the pastor's wife. The church
continued to support UMCOR and the county
Outreach Ministry with money, food and
clothing. A new clavinova was purchased to
replace the ailing piano.
In 2006, membership increased to 41 with new
members Bill and Carolyn Holmberg and
Jane Evans, death of James McKenzie,
transfer of Minnie McKenzie and removal by
Charge Conference of James and Rhonda
Rue. Basically the same programs continued
during 2006. The church donated Christmas gifts
to nursing home patients, helped a
needy family with rent money, and
celebrated Christmas and Easter with special
services. Several different Bible studies were held.
Pastor Al continued at Petrolia UMC in 2007, continuing his Course
of Study and doing
a good job of preaching and visiting in the
hospitals and generally ministering to
the needs of the congregation. Membership declined with
the addition of Jerry Grimes
but the death of 4 members: Jerry Grimes, J. L. Hair, and Floyd
and Margie Patterson.
A vacation Bible school was held and went right
on in to Sunday School with mostly
grandchildren of church members attending.
The church took advantage of the conference-wide
insurance program which saved it
considerable money. A donation was made to the Senior Citizens
Center each month and
offerings continued for UMCOR, Nothing But Nets and the county
Outreach Ministry.
In 2008 family night was discontinued
because of flagging interest and
more
disability among members. The kids' messages
and Sunday School were still going
strong as well as the usual programs, preaching,
and general ministry by the pastor
and members. A new copier and inter net service were
added to make office work more
efficient and easier. VBS was well attended.
As 2008 draws to a close, the Petrolia UMC
is strong in spirit and enthusiasm with
the addition of 5 new members and a flurry
of activity in preparing for our 100th
Anniversary. The pews were recovered
in the summer, the bathrooms and upstairs
renovated, and the outside sign painted.
God has richly blest the people called Methodists in this
part of the world for past
100 years and we have faith in His Providence for the future.
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