Sunday’s service at the Wheatland United Methodist Church in Dallas was a special one, as the church and its congregation celebrated its 175th anniversary.
Founded in 1847, just over a year after Texas joined the United States, Wheatland United Methodist Church is the oldest Methodist church west of the Trinity River.
Originally constructed in 1859, the church made additions in 1912 and has gone virtually untouched since then. It was designated as a Recorded Texas Landmark in 1965.
Over the course of time, the city of Dallas grew from a small trading post on the eastern bank of the Trinity River to become one of the premiere “go-to” cities in the state and the country.
And still, the church stood tall on the hill.
But over time, the church’s ceiling, rear wall, and exterior walls experienced aberration and structural decay. The ceiling was sagging by more than 8 inches.
As a result, the church was not being used for safety concerns until it underwent a major restoration in 2019. Its sanctuary coffer beams were reconstructed, and new ceilings were installed, but it retained its original stained-glass windows.
When you first walk into the church, there is a sense of history and the feel of a small country church in the middle of a big city.
Located in the 8000 block of South Hampton Road in a South Oak Cliff neighborhood, Wheatland has brought people from different backgrounds together.
“We are blessed to have a ministry that speaks to all ethnic and social groups,” pastor Reverend Rosalyn Hilburn told The Dallas Express.
Hilburn began leading the church in January 2022, having previously served as the senior pastor of Haven Chapel UMC in Denison from 2016 through December 2021.
“Everybody has a voice. Everybody is welcome. We’re all-inclusive and God, just you know, somehow, works it all out. We do wonderful ministry here,” Hilburn continued.
As the time neared for the reverend to begin her sermon, the senior pastor announced that there would be a guest speaker delivering the sermon for the 175th anniversary.
Settling in the wooden pews lined with red velvet cushions, the congregation was treated to a special sermon given by Edlen Cowley, the Metro District superintendent for the North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church.
“The church might be the last place that black people, white people, conservative people, progressive people of all different understandings, where we can kind of all come together because if the God we believe in is the God of creation, the creation should be coming together,” said Cowley in an interview with The Dallas Express.
In his sermon, Cowley spoke about the food Manna, which in the Bible was said to feed the Israelites during their 40-year walk in the desert, prior to their conquering the land of Canaan.
He spoke about how the Israelites ate the same food for 40 years and how important it is to remain steadfast in faith. Just as the Wheatland United Methodist Church has been holding on for 175 years, Cowley invoked that same message for the congregation.
Peter McNabb, former senior pastor of the church, now lead pastor at First United Methodist Church in Terrell, said, “Wheatland was and is more than just a church, it’s an entire community that now is spread around the world, but still has deep roots to a world where neighbors cared and shared and came together to be the people of God.”