First Street United Methodist Church

In 1955, a wave of change swept over First Street United Methodist Church with the arrival of Reverend D.L. Dykes Jr. His progressive views on race and theology stirred the congregation. He openly championed civil rights for African Americans, a stance that drew the ire of the Ku Klux Klan, who burned a cross on his lawn. Inside the church, tensions also simmered. One man, fueled by anger, threatened Dykes’ life, only to be disarmed by the reverend’s calm words. First Street United Methodist Church faced a moral dilemma when a black teenager from their youth group wished to join. A substantial donation came with a segregationist caveat: no black members. Dykes, however, prioritized inclusivity, welcoming the girl and forfeiting the funds. During the mid-20th century, as other urban churches migrated to the suburbs, First Street United Methodist Church stood firm. Dykes believed in the church’s vital role in the city’s heart. This commitment led to physical expansions. The Dawson Building was added in 1940. The Hunter and Couch buildings, flanking the main sanctuary and connected by colonnades, followed in 1964. In 1983, the AVN Television and Performing Arts Center marked another milestone in the church’s growth. A neoclassical steeple, added in 1972, graced the skyline until a violent storm in 2009 brought it crashing down, critically injuring a man in a parked car below. The steeple was later rebuilt. Dykes’s legacy also includes his pioneering role as a televangelist. He began broadcasting sermons from First Street United Methodist Church on KSLA television in 1955. He later founded the Alternate View Network, expanding the church’s reach to millions of homes. While his media presence thrived, his theological views sparked controversy within the congregation, particularly his unconventional interpretations of Jesus’s divinity and the Trinity. After nearly 30 years of service, Dykes retired from First Street United Methodist Church in 1984, passing the torch to his co-pastor, James W. Moore.