On the small downtown square of Mabank, Texas, between Gun Barrel City to the south and Highway 175 to the north, First Presbyterian Church of Mabank welcomes worshipers to its home on West Mount Vernon Street. The congregation is part of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and belongs to Grace Presbytery, and it serves the broader Cedar Creek Lake area with traditional worship, a steady calendar of Bible study and fellowship, and a deep tradition of mission work that reaches from a busy Monday sewing room to Presbyterian causes across the country.
Sunday Worship at Ten
The Sunday service begins at 10:00 AM in the sanctuary and is open to everyone. The congregation puts it simply: "You don't have to be a member to come worship with us. If you haven't been to church in a long time, you are welcome here. We celebrate the diversity of all God's children." Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of each month, and all baptized faithful are welcome at the table. Music is led by the church's pianist and choir director, with anthems and special music scheduled throughout the year.
After the service, the fellowship hall fills with conversation and food as Sunday Brunch begins at 11:00 AM. Members and visitors are invited to bring what they want to share, and the last Sunday of each month is set aside as Birthday Sunday, when the whole church gathers to mark the month's celebrations around the brunch table. The brunch has grown into one of the more distinctive rhythms of the congregation, a weekly chance to slow down and talk with neighbors.
What FPC Mabank Believes
The church holds to a simple, confessional set of beliefs rooted in the Reformed tradition. The Bible is the Word of God, and the Scriptures are the authority for faith and conduct. The church confesses faith in God the Father, in Jesus Christ the Son, and in the Holy Spirit. All baptized Christians are welcome at the Lord's Table when Communion is celebrated. The Book of Confessions, while subordinate to the Bible, offers instruction and guidance in faith and life. And the Church of Jesus Christ, in the church's words, is the principal expression of the good news of God to the world.
That conviction also shapes its mission in the world. First Presbyterian Church of Mabank is, in the church's own words, "an accepting environment of loving, caring, faithful followers of Jesus Christ who seek to provide spiritual, physical, emotional and educational experiences. We seek to nurture our congregation, our community, our nation and our world."
Presbyterian Men Around the Breakfast Table
Presbyterian Men has met at First Presbyterian Mabank since 1994, and the group carries a tradition of men gathering for breakfast, Bible study, and service to the church and community. Chuck Langdon led the men from 1994 to 1997, Mitch Thompson from 1997 to 2006, Darrell Huth from 2006 to 2009, and Harry McCune has moderated the group from 2009 to the present. The group's mission is to lead men into a vital relationship with Christ and to assist them in their spiritual, personal, and community development.
Meetings are held on the third Saturday of each month in the Fellowship Hall, beginning at 8:00 AM with coffee and "The Wisdom Talks" and moving into the regular meeting at 8:30 AM. The group welcomes men of all backgrounds and ages, and visitors are encouraged to come as they are.
Presbyterian Women in the Dorthy Hyde Room
Presbyterian Women (PW) carries a long tradition of prayer, Bible study, mission giving, and fellowship in the life of the church. The group's stated purpose is to nurture faith through prayer and Bible study, to support the mission of the church worldwide, to work for justice and peace, and to build an inclusive community of faith that witnesses to the promise of God's kingdom.
The PW Bible study meets on the second Thursday of each month from September through May, from 10:00 to 11:00 AM in the Dorthy Hyde Room. The group studies two resources each year and lets members select which they would like to follow. Past studies have included Max Lucado's "It's Not About Me" and the PW Horizons Bible study, "Cloud of Witnesses, the Community of Christ in Hebrews," by Melissa Bane Sevier. The books are provided by PW. The monthly PW business meeting follows on the third Monday of each month, September through May, at 11:30 AM in the Dorthy Hyde Room, with sack lunches.
On the second Monday of each month, PW hosts a birthday covered-dish luncheon to celebrate members of the congregation whose birthdays fall in that month. Everyone in the church is invited to attend. The group also gathers for seasonal celebrations, including a Summer Tea that has become one of the community's more popular gatherings, with decorated tables, themed menus, and a raffle supporting a long list of local and worldwide ministries.
Monday Workshops: Busy Bees and Mission Action
Two hands-on groups meet in the church every Monday morning at 9:00 AM. Busy Bees gathers from January through October to create items for the Fall Festival in November. Mission Action gathers year-round to make stuffed animals for hospitalized children and children in crisis and to assemble layette sets for Parkland Hospital in Dallas. Both groups welcome anyone who would like to join them, and the work is as much about fellowship as it is about the finished projects.
The Choir Loft and Music Ministry
Music is a long-standing part of the church's worship life. The choir, directed by the pianist and choir director, rehearses on Wednesday evenings at 5:30 PM. Anthems and special music are scheduled across the church year, and the church keeps an archive of anthems and recordings. Audio recordings of Sunday services and music are made available so members can revisit past Sundays or catch up on ones they have missed.
Stephen Ministry and Congregational Care
First Presbyterian Mabank is a Stephen Ministry congregation. Trained members of the church provide one-to-one Christian care to people in the congregation and the wider community who are going through grief, loneliness, divorce, hospitalization, disability, job loss, or other life difficulties. Stephen Ministers receive special training before being paired with a care receiver, and they work alongside the pastors. Anyone interested in becoming a Stephen Minister, or in receiving care from one, is invited to talk with a pastor or Stephen Leader.
Mission in Mabank and Beyond
Mission shapes much of what happens at First Presbyterian Mabank. The Mission Action Circle meets every Monday at 9:00 AM to make stuffed animals for hospitalized children and layette sets for Parkland Hospital in Dallas, while also working on Fall Festival bazaar items. The Prayer Shawl Ministry knits and crochets shawls for members of the congregation and others in need of comfort.
Presbyterian Women give to a long list of mission causes, including Presbyterian Children's Homes and Services, Forever Families, Mabank Area Good Samaritans, and Special Olympics, along with Grace Presbytery offerings that support peace, justice, medical missions, and major mission needs. Vacation Bible School is another ministry of the church to children and families in the community, and the church has also been a gathering place for community milestones such as Eagle Scout Courts of Honor.
Becoming Part of the Congregation
Anyone interested in joining First Presbyterian Mabank may do so by meeting with the Session, by profession of faith and baptism, by transfer of membership from another church, or by reaffirmation of faith. The Session, the church's governing body, walks alongside those exploring membership. Worshippers who are not yet ready to join are warmly invited to continue attending worship and fellowship events.
A Word about Pastor Jim Dees
The Rev. Jim Dees is the pastor of First Presbyterian Mabank. A native Floridian raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Jim has lived in Texas since 1989 and moved to nearby Kemp in 2021. He holds a BA in psychology with a minor in Spanish from Oklahoma State University, an MS in counseling and higher education from Oklahoma State, and a Master of Theological Studies from the Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. He also serves as Assistant Dean of Assessment, Data, and Graduate Studies for SMU's Bobby B. Lyle School of Engineering. He describes himself as a "cradle Presbyterian" whose call to ministry was a long, gentle nudge. He and his husband Brent are glad to call First Presbyterian Mabank home.
Jim's pastor's notes share reflections on the changing seasons of ministry, the rhythms of the church year, and the small moments that shape parish life in Mabank.
Visiting First Presbyterian
First Presbyterian Church of Mabank sits at 112 West Mount Vernon Street, one block west of Highway 198. Visitors will find two parking lots accessed from West Mount Vernon Street: one directly across from the main entrance, and a second reached from the east-side driveway. Four marked disability parking spaces and a disability access ramp sit at the side entrance for those who need them. Hearing assistance units are also available for use during worship.
Visitors who want to learn more are encouraged to come to a Sunday service and stay for brunch. Online giving is available through Tithe.ly, and the church is active on Facebook. The church office can be reached at 903-887-2571.