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1930-1939
Smoke in the Belfry
Mr. Herb Medsger was a teenager at the time, and he describes what happened on that fall day in 1935:
"I remember the day well. I was only about 50 yards away when it caught fire.
Brother Hallonquist was preparing for winter by trying to rid the chimney of bird nests. He had put a lot of old newspapers in the stove and had set fire to the paper. What happened next was a big 'belch' of burning bird nests out of the chimney onto the dry wood shingles on the roof. The rest is history. We had no fire department in those days, and a fire truck from Texas City finally arrived about an hour too late."
Members of the congregation rushed to the blazing wood-frame building and were able to save the pulpit and benches. Sadly, the bell that had rung out for so many years was ruined. League City Methodist Church has not had a church bell since.
New Church Building
Bishop A. Frank Smith officiated at the dedication service in early October 1936. Those who attended the dedication entered a building that was much larger than the one it replaced. White chandeliers hung in a symmetrical pattern from the high ceilings. In addition to a kitchen, the new church had a large room for dinners and other activities.
While the new church had no vestibule, trees provided a shady area for parishioners to gather before and after services. It's easy to imagine people chatting to their hearts content on Sunday mornings in a time when life was much less hurried.
This building is still standing (minus the steeple) on 3rd Street.
Centennial of Methodism in Texas
In September 1934, Methodists gathered in San Antonio to celebrate the hundredth anniversary of the appointment of Rev. Henry Stephenson (1772–1841) to begin organizing Methodist work in Texas.
Ministers 1930-1939
1929-1933 Rev. R. L. Lemons
1933-1936 Rev. Allen Grady Hallonquist
1936 Rev. Chester Arthur "C.A." Harris
1936 Rev. W. D. White
1937 Rev. Jack P. Sparling
1938-1940 Rev. Joe S. Strother