Our Church History
Curtis United Methodist Church, located at the intersection of Hwy. 63 West and FM 777 in the Curtis community, was originally called Methodist Camp Meeting Ground or Byerly’s Camp Ground.
The first church was located just off FM 777 about one mile from Hwy 63 on land which Adam Byerly received in the form of a land grant in 1835. As soon as his grant was received Adam, invited the Rev. Henry Stephenson to come and preach to the people in the area. People came from as far away as 25 miles, as there were very few Protestant churches in the state. In 1843, Adam Byerly and wife Nancy Stephenson Byerly, daughter of Henry Stephenson, whom he had met at the camp meetings and married, sold ten acres to the Methodist Episcopal Church. This included the area where the camp meetings were being held.
Around 1850 the congregation built a church house, which faced the main road on which wagons and horses traveled carrying travelers to and from Jasper. Across the road in front of the church a cemetery was laid out and in 1898, a one-room school was built by the church for the community. School was held in this building until 1937.
When the new FM777 was built west of the church, the membership of Byerly Camp Ground Methodist Church was dissatisfied with the location of the building. Adam Byerly, grandnephew of the original Adam Byerly, donated land for a new parsonage and sanctuary at the present location. In 1946 the congregation built a new parsonage and two years later in 1948 a new sanctuary was begun, being completed in early 1949. It was at this time that the congregation decided to change the name of the church to fit its new location and Curtis Methodist Church became the official name of the old Camp Ground Methodist Church. In 1954 the congregation decided to build the educational addition to the church. The upstairs was added in 1956. The spiral steeple was added in 2001, which is lighted at night and can be seen a great distance away by travelers as thy approach from the west on Hwy. 63.
With five years of work in the Methodist ministry 22 year old Pastor Dick Phillips took the pulpit at Curtis United Methodist in 1956. Then in 1999 he return to East Texas to retire and once again serve at Curtis United Methodist Church.
 Fun Friday |
| Home |
| Linda's News letter |
| Our Church on the Move |
| Our Mission Statement |
| UMW |
| Chamber of Commerce |
| Texas Annual Conference East District |
| UMW Texas Conference |
| East District UMC |
Send E-Mail to: cumc@webspawner.comCopyright © 2012 Jim Mitchell. All Rights Reserved