History

The Methodist Episcopal Church, South was originally organized from group meetings of local Christians. They gathered at the Union Church, a central location near downtown Trenton, an established community in northeast Texas, southwest Fannin County. These meetings started about 1887. The Union Church was so named as it was attended by several Protestant denominations.

 

Rev. W. J. Bludworth was the first pastor for the Trenton congregation. His charge started in November 1887 and continued until November 1888. In November 1895, he returned to Trenton, and during his 3-year appointment, the (first and only) sanctuary was built. The first service was held in the new sanctuary on May 14, 1896. His charge also included the Marvin congregation, a community not far from Trenton. The Trenton congregation had some 200 members on its roll in 1896. Mr. Willie Dillon served as the first Sunday School Superintendent.

 

In 1922, six new Sunday School classrooms were built on to the east side of the sanctuary, and are still used today.    In the late 1940’s the Couples Class classroom was added to the main sanctuary; it was built by members of the class.

 

In 1939 The Methodist Episcopal, the Methodist Protestant, and the Methodist Episcopal, South merged to become The Methodist Church. This merger was the result of planning a union of the three churches that started as early as 1916. In 1968, the “new structure” of the Methodist Church was introduced. This is when the Evangelical United Brethren merged with the Methodist Church to become the United Methodist Church.

 

Growth continued in the next few years, and a regular turnover of pastors was seen. In 1914 there is record of the building of the parsonage, which still stands today.   (Note: On September 14, 2008, ground was broken about a mile from the sanctuary for the building of a new church parsonage. The original parsonage, though remodeled several times over the past 90+ years, was recently sold and will be relocated to the buyer’s property east of Bailey, Texas).

 

In the late 1950’s the stained glass windows of the church sanctuary were installed.

 

In 1956, the Masonic Lodge Building in downtown Trenton was purchased and demolished, and the materials of the Lodge were used to construct the new Educational building, which was completed in 1957.    Shortly after completion, the first church-wide fellowship supper was held with 68 people in attendance.

 

In 1963, a total remodel was done in the sanctuary. The original pews (still used today) were refinished in a natural blond finish, and the floors were refinished.

 

In 2002, a campaign to secure funds to building a new Fellowship Hall was begun. The facility was completed shortly and fully paid for within 3 years. It is used for large gatherings such as our traditional fellowship dinners, large receptions, or for small gatherings such as the Scouts, who are sponsored by the Methodist Church, and of course, routine church-related meetings.   Named after Mr. Roy G. Robinson and his daughter, Miss Dorthel Robinson, who were two icons in the history of this church, the new building was named “Robinson Hall.”