The Building Tradition Continues in 1924

from the 1/30/2004 issue of Good Tidings 

In 1921 The Reverend E. B. Jackson was assigned as pastor of The First Methodist Episcopal Church, South. He was a member of a nearby pioneer family and was a very popular minister. The church membership increased quite rapidly under his successful leadership.

The church soon was in need of a new facility. The Reverend Jackson called a church meeting in 1923 to discuss the construction of a new building. The members agreed to construct a brick church building on the northeast corner of Greenville Avenue and Polk Street.

An ambitious project of building a new sanctuary and church school building was launched for the growing church in 1924. The first $300 pledge was from the Woman's Missionary Society. They raised the money with dinners and special projects. The total cost of the church building project in 1924 was $14,052.

The first Sunday in April 1924 the final service in the white frame church built in 1898 was held. The next day the tearing down process began. Until the new building was completed the congregation met once again in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. 

In May 1925 Baccalaureate service was the first service held in the new church building. The Methodist Church was the first church in Richardson to have classrooms and a kitchen. C. B. Reddick chaired the Building Committee; L. W. Wallis served as the Secretary-Treasurer; committee members were A. R. Poole, C. T. Stubbs and R. E. Price. John Rowland, John Jordan and T. F. McKamy were stewards.

....the First United Methodist Church of Richardson continues to grow and impact the community with a new church building, and the first Church in Richardson continues to have classrooms and a kitchen.