Picture this. A small Texas town in 1908. Tomball. A mere 150 souls. Three saloons. No schools. No churches. Yet from this seemingly barren landscape sprang Tomball United Methodist Church. It all began with Mrs Hegar a devout woman. She missed her church. She missed the fellowship. More importantly she saw the need. Tomball’s children needed religious instruction.
So Mrs Hegar took action. She started a Sunday school in her hotel lobby. Across from the train depot her hotel was a hub of activity. Railroad workers frequented it. Her Sunday school though was open to all. Baptists Methodists everyone was welcome. Ministers from both denominations visited. They preached. They shared their faith.
The little Sunday school blossomed. It outgrew the hotel lobby. It moved to the Woodmen Hall. This hall stood where Tomball’s old fire station is now. The town’s first public school was there too. Tomball United Methodist Church was a tiny seed back then.
In 1909 the church officially organized. Five charter members. Little money. Many hardships. But they persevered. Baptists and Methodists worked together. They built a church building. To get Methodist Conference funding it had to be the “Methodist Episcopal Church South”. The Baptists shared the building until they had their own. From a humble beginning in a hotel lobby Tomball United Methodist Church grew. It became a pillar of the community. A testament to faith perseverance and community spirit. Today it continues to serve Tomball. It is a vibrant part of this town’s history. A place of worship a place of community a place of hope. A place where faith continues to blossom.