St Andrew Methodist Church - Faith, Family, and Fellowship
Updated: Nov 14
Last October, the pastor and executive committee chair of St. Andrew Methodist Church shocked regional and church-wide leaders when they announced that the church would disaffiliate with the United Methodist denomination. This followed a strategic churchwide process that included a hard look at finances.
Several Texas megachurches have recently decided to leave the UMC over its stance on LGBT issues.
Services
The church’s guiding mission is Faith, Family, and Fellowship. The church offers a variety of programs and services to meet the needs of all ages.
Founded in 1895 as Edward’s Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church, the church moved to its current location on Riva Road in 1985. The church continues to build on its legacy and support the community through benevolent ministries in addition to providing worship services and educational opportunities.
The church commissioned J. C. Cady & Company to design a new Romanesque Revival-style building at 120 West 76th Street. The new edifice was designed to seat 800, exclusive of galleries that would be added later. The architects used limestone instead of the more visually ponderous granite or brownstone typically employed in churches of this style.
Church School
The Church School offers Sunday morning classes during the 9:30 Contemporary service for children in Kindergarten through fifth grade. Parents may pick their children up in Room 4 at the end of the worship service.
The school grew quickly and became a grant-in-aid institution. Venn died in 1866 and financial support was withdrawn.
By the 1980s, the Woodsville site was unable to accommodate the growing junior and senior schools, so they moved to Malan Road. The sheltered Jacob Ballas Bridge connects the two campuses. This project included a stand-alone chapel designed to be a "chapel in the woods" overlooking the creek and pond on campus and honoring Robert Hasley.
Children's Programs
Our children's program is designed to nurture and grow the mind, body, and spirit of our kids. They are exposed to an academic curriculum that enables them to realize their intellectual potential and a spiritual education that empowers them to reflect God's character in the world around them.
During our 9:30 Contemporary worship service, children aged 3 years through 5th grade will be led to their own Sunday School experience by caring teachers and volunteers. All workers undergo Safe Gatherings training and several levels of background checks.
Youth Programs
Our Youth Program is a fun place for 6th-12th graders to gather, have dinner together and study the Bible. They also participate in service projects, recreation, and fellowship activities.
They are involved in the church's mission work with local and global outreach. The Youth also meet yearly for an enriching weekend retreat of faith and fun.
The youth are placed into Life groups that meet a few times a week in homes to study scripture and build relationships with other students of the same grade/gender. They are also encouraged to attend yearly Youth Retreats and District events.
Adult Classes
A variety of groups meet throughout the week for soul-enriching Bible studies and structured curriculum studies. There are also ongoing covenant groups that meet regularly to support church, community, and global missions.
Missy joined SAPUMC in 2014 and manages office affairs. She is a native of Charleston and enjoys spending her free time cheering on her boys in their various sports.
The megachurch's decision was made in accordance with its governing legal documents, which allowed it to make major decisions without a congregational vote. It was a result of the denomination's long-standing schism over LGBT issues and its Book of Discipline, which prohibits blessing same-sex marriages and ordination for non-celibate homosexuals.
Fellowship
We offer a wide range of opportunities to get involved in fellowship. For example, the UMM meets monthly for a fellowship breakfast and supports youth participation in the Salkehatchie Summer Service through annual fundraisers. The UWF is open to all women and provides opportunities for spiritual growth, fellowship, and community service.
After completing the sanctuary renovation and children's, students, and mission projects on their campus, St Andrew tasked GFF with designing a stand-alone chapel to honor their founder, Robert Hasley. The goal was to create a space for intimate weddings, funerals, and worship services that would be unique to the church. The result is this beautiful jewel of a building!
