Our Current [Belt Line] Location Continued to Grow...

from the 3/5/2004 issue of Good Tidings

Final services in the Greenville Avenue church were held on April 6, 1958.  The cornerstone from the red brick church was placed in the cornerstone of the future sanctuary building at the new site.  April 13, 1958 open house was held in the new church for the 653 members of the church and visitors. 

The membership of The First Methodist Church continued to grow; in just over two years the membership was approximately 1600. With the continued growth a second education building became necessary.  The children’s unit of the building program was completed in July of 1960.  This gave the church more than 30,000 square feet of floor space and a property evaluation of $500,000. 

With the membership continuing to grow a church-wide study helped the members think through the meaning of the church as a place of worship.  The Building Committee, under the leadership of Paul McKenzie, worked diligently with James Clutts and Howard Parker, architects, to develop a set of plans, which would express the faith of First Methodist Church.  The plans included a new sanctuary, choir room and administrative office wing. Many months of careful study and planning went into to developing the sanctuary to make it a meaningful place of worship. The shape of the sanctuary was designed to express the old or traditional, as the building is in the form of the Greek cross. Groundbreaking for the new additions was held on September 15, 1963.

The new sanctuary with a seating capacity of over one thousand held its formal opening services on September 13, 1964.  With the opening of the new sanctuary two Sunday School sessions and two morning worship services were held. In 1966 church membership was 2,766 and attendance at church school was near capacity.

Dr. Leighton K. Farrell became pastor of First Methodist Church, Richardson in June 1967 with the membership at approximately 3,000. The Methodist Church merged with The Evangelical United Brethren Church to form The United Methodist Church and Richardson church became known as The First United Methodist Church. 

The music ministry at First United Methodist Church of Richardson continued to be an important part of worship and in March 1969 a new 39-rank Wicks pipe organ was added to the new sanctuary and it was dedicated on May 27, 1973.

In December 1972 the Administrative Board voted to construct a new two-story Activities Building.  The cost of the project was $326,850 and was composed of youth facilities, fellowship hall, kitchen, parlor and adult Sunday School classrooms.  The building was named in memory of the late Dr. Bob W. Middlebrooks, who served as  minister of the church from 1957 to 1964. Middlebrooks Hall held an open house on August 19, 1973. 

The First United Methodist Church of Richardson has a long history and has held a place of importance in the life of the community for many years.