let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably
with reverence and awe... Hebrews 12:28

A History of Wylie United Methodist Church

In the 1850’s, the early Methodist families in the Wylie area held services in the homes of Mark L. Morris and William Spurgin.  Later they were held in the Lee schoolhouse, built by William H. Lee prior to the Civil War.  In 1875, land was bought from Mr. Lee for $10 for the construction of a church and school building, yet it continued to be referred to as the Lee Schoolhouse.  A proper church, called the Methodist Episcopal Church South of Wylie, was finally built on S. Ballard Street in 1887, under the leadership of Rev. J.W. Lively.  Twenty-four ministers served in this white frame building over the next thirty-seven years.

In 1924, Wylie United Methodist Church built a sanctuary on the corner of Jefferson and Jackson streets, with over 100 Methodists transferring to their new church home for worship and fellowship.  A bell was placed on a pedestal and run every Sunday by the Sunday School Superintendent, David Click.  This bell now sits on the south side of our present building.  In 1946, St. Paul Methodist members merged with the Wylie United Methodist Church, moving their building next door to WUMC to serve as an annex to the church.  An Educational Building was constructed in 1969, containing Sunday School classrooms, nursery, kitchen, fireside room and a fellowship hall.  Ground was broken for an Administration Building in 1984 (actually the old St. Paul Methodist Church site), with Rev. Glyn Rives as the minister.

In 1996, under the leadership of Rev. John Thornton, it was decided to relocate the church building to a site that addressed the growth of Wylie, and offered room to accommodate the needs of the church for many years.  In 1999, land was purchased at the corner of McMillen and FM 1378.  The building at Jefferson and Jackson was sold to Wylie Bible Church and the congregation worshipped at Dodd Elementary while the first phase of the new facility, the 30,000 square foot Multi-Purpose building, was being built.  On December 15, 2002, the first worship service was held in the beautiful new building, which could hold 550 people for worship.  In June 2004, Rev. Jack Wallace, became the minister of the church. After many years of service, Pastor Jack was moved to a new opportunity. In March 2008, Rev. Kathryn Strempke became the new Senior Pastor at Wylie United Methodist. Today, the word is rapidly spreading about the warmth of WUMC and the commitment of our congregation to share the blessings of Christ.