First
Presbyterian Church of Dumas, Texas
Founded 1947
About a dozen citizens gathered in the county courtroom of Moore County Courthouse, Dumas,
Texas, on a Sunday morning in 1947 to hear about prospects for a Presbyterian church to be organized in the rural community
of about 6,000 people. The small town and the remainder of the county were emerging from a brutal war and
the face of the area was changing from rural and agricultural to industrial development. Those gathered agreed to request the Presbytery at the time to permit them to begin “recruiting” members
and planning work. Fifty Christians, most of whom were involved in other congregations in the community,
signed the charter, and the deed was done.
The first fulltime minister called to the pulpit was Karl
Ernst. Four other men have served in that capacity. Interim ministers have taken the
pulpit when needed. Even functioning without fulltime pastors, the congregation has continued to serve
the area, which includes the communities of Sunray and Cactus, as well as rural members.
Today,with
a congregation of about 200 members, the church is deeply involved in service to those in need contributing to children’s
day care, senior citizens activities, and meal service to shut-in residents, FPC gives $10,000 annually to local missions.
Physical facilities for First Presbyterian Church of Dumas began with a chapel moved from a nearby U.S. Air Force Base.
Interior of the sanctuary has been converted throughout the years into a comfortable space to worship God.
The church has made many additions to the building including a kitchen, fellowship hall, education wings, nursery,
and youth rooms. Besides outreach within the community, FPC
Presbyterians have been generous with their facilities allowing organizations and groups to meet in the building.
For more than 25 years, Alcoholics Anonymous meetings have been held here at FPC.
In the sixty-plus
years since the church was chartered, the face of Dumas and, indeed, all of Moore County, has changed dramatically.
Once, agriculture was the reigning industry, and while farming remains a major economic factor, energy concerns are
becoming of prime importance. A major oil refinery employs 400 persons. A meat-packing
plant runs around the clock with over 1,000 men and women. Oil and gas development is making strides in
helping to solve the country’s energy crisis. Demographics
also play a role, and FPC has attempted to respond to the new citizens, such as Hispanics from Mexico and Central America,
Southeast Asians from Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and more recently, Myanmar, formally Burma.
Change
in a congregation six decades old is gradual. In addition to the young families in our church, we have
two families who represent five generations from the days of charter to present-day FPC.
What is the PC(USA)
Portions of the Presbyterian Church in the
United States have separated from the main body, and some parts have reunited, several times. The greatest division
occurred in 1861 during the American Civil War. The two branches created by that division were reunited in 1983 to form
the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), currently the largest Presbyterian group in this country.
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