A 157-Year Legacy on East 28th Street
First Methodist Church, Bryan has stood at the corner of Houston and 28th Street in downtown Bryan, Texas since December 10, 1951, when the congregation walked from its previous sanctuary on Houston and 27th Street to the new building. The congregation's roots go back much further: in June 1868 the First Methodist Episcopal Church, South of Bryan received its first member, Mrs. Smythe, and circuit-riding Methodist preachers had been holding meetings downtown above a saloon for years before that. The church held its first worship service in its first sanctuary in September 1869, two years before Bryan was incorporated as a city. A second sanctuary was built in 1902, burned down, and was rebuilt in 1906 from the same plans. The current sanctuary, opened in 1951, houses a 47-rank pipe organ and the heart of a music ministry that reaches back more than a century.
On January 1, 2023, the congregation voted to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church and join the Global Methodist Church, taking the name First Methodist Church, Bryan. The church sits within the Trinity Conference of the Global Methodist Church and is led by Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. Jonathan Bynum and Associate Pastor Rev. Jeremy Bass. Around that long history the church has built a contemporary ministry that runs three Sunday morning services, a full week of discipleship classes for every age, and outreach projects that reach across Bryan and overseas.
Three Sunday Services, Three Styles of Worship
The Sunday morning begins in the Sanctuary with two traditional services led by Rev. Dr. Jonathan Bynum. At 8:30 AM the Celebration Choir, a small ensemble, leads worship on the first and third Sundays of the month. At 11:00 AM the Sanctuary Choir and the church's 2008 Dan Garland pipe organ anchor a service that follows a traditional liturgy, with hymns, a children's sermon (except on Communion Sunday), and worship activity books for young children.
At 9:00 AM, the River contemporary service meets in the gym, with the entrance on 27th Street marked by flags. Pastor Jeremy Bass preaches at The River, and Kaitlyn Zimmerman leads the River Worship Band. Children through age Pre-K can be dropped at the nursery, while K-12 students are encouraged to worship with their families before going to Sunday School.
At 10:00 AM, a bilingual English/Spanish service meets in the Chapel of the Education Building, giving Spanish- and English-speaking families a place to worship together. Discipleship classes for all ages also meet at 10:00 AM, running from infants through adult Sunday School groups.
Worship services are livestreamed, and Sunday bulletins for both traditional services are posted in advance.
The Music and the Pipe Organ
Music is woven into the life of First Methodist Church. The Sanctuary Choir leads worship at the 11:00 AM service each week and rehearses Wednesdays at 7:00 PM in the Sanctuary, with additional performances for the Hanging of the Greens, Christmas, Holy Week, Easter, and the July Celebration of Faith and Freedom. The Celebration Choir, a smaller ensemble, leads worship at the 8:30 AM service on the first and third Sundays, rehearsing at 8:00 AM in the choir room. The Adult Handbell Choir rings a five-octave set of Schulmerich handbells and Malmark handchimes, rehearsing Wednesdays at 6:00 PM in the Handbell Room. The Children's Choir begins at 5:45 PM on Wednesdays during the school year in the Music Suite.
The church's pipe organ has accompanied worship almost as long as the congregation has existed. A Hook and Hastings organ was installed sometime after 1900 in the previous sanctuary; a rank of pipes from that instrument was retained when the current sanctuary was built in 1951. A Herman Boettcher and Sons organ was dedicated in 1966 and served for over 40 years. The current instrument, dedicated in 2008 and built by Dan Garland Pipe Organs of Fort Worth, has 47 ranks of pipes and a three-manual console in the choir loft, with the oldest Hook and Hastings pipes still sounding alongside newer ranks. Director of Music Ministries Chris Caffee oversees the program, and Angela Corbett serves as organist.
Children from Sprouts to Confirmation
Director of Children and Family Ministries Jeff Hobbs leads a full slate of programming for the youngest disciples. Sunday School runs from infants through 12th grade at 10:00 AM, with a children's sermon at every service except Communion Sunday and activity books available for children in worship. The Children's Choir and handbells are also open to children, with rehearsals on Wednesday evenings.
On Wednesday nights during the school year, families gather at 5:30 PM in the Heritage Room for First Family Dinner, followed by a short worship time and then age-appropriate groups: Sprouts for children 4 and under, the Wednesday Night Bible Club for K-3rd graders, and Children's Bible Study for 4th-6th graders, each running 6:30 to 7:30 PM. Parents meet on the first and third Sundays from 6:00 to 7:15 PM in the Chapel for Faith@Home, working through The Disciple-Making Parent by Chap Bettis.
Sixth graders go through a year-long Confirmation process that includes instruction in church history, the basics of Christianity, and the history of Methodism, along with visits to other denominations and service projects. Confirmation meets Sundays at 10:00 AM in Room E212, with Confirmation Sunday as the formal commitment. Other annual offerings include a one-night Christmas VBS for families with children in 6th grade and under, a Children's Worship Festival in August, and Vacation Bible School each summer. The church also sends children and youth to Rise Up Camp at Lakeview, run by NextGen Ministries of the Trinity Conference of the Global Methodist Church, with a $200 scholarship for any FMC child or youth who attends.
Baptisms for children and adults can be scheduled at most Sunday services after a meeting with a pastor. Child care is provided for all worship services and most weekly evening activities.
Youth, Young Adults, and Lighthouse College Ministry
Meredith Pennington, Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries, oversees the Methodist Youth Fellowship (MYF) for students in 7th through 12th grade. Youth Sunday School meets Sundays from 10:00 to 10:45 AM in C214. MYF gathers at 5:30 PM in the Heritage Room for dinner, fellowship, and a Bible lesson, with the youth then going upstairs from about 6:15 to 7:30 PM on Wednesdays to work through Romans and a Diving Deeper reading plan that takes them through 1 and 2 Corinthians.
The Vine, the young adult Sunday School class for adults 18+, meets at 10:00 AM in Room C206 and gathers for quarterly fellowship events and a monthly lunch. Lighthouse College Ministry, led by Pastor Jeremy Bass, is open to anyone ages 18-25 and meets weekly on Sunday nights at 2406 Kent Street in Bryan for small groups, with a Prayer, Worship, and Testimony Night every other month at the church. Wednesday prayer gatherings are held from noon to 1:00 PM in the FMC Bryan prayer chapel. A mentorship program pairs two or three college students with spiritually mature Christians in the church, who host them for a homecooked meal, Christian conversation, and prayer.
Sunday School, Small Groups, and Stephen Ministers
At 10:00 AM each Sunday the church offers discipleship classes for every age. Adult Sunday School classes include Asbury Bible Class for men and women 50+ in Room C108 with a pastor-led expository study; Koinonia in Room E209 for men and women 50+ with a variety of teachers; Journey of Faith in Room E207 for all ages; Mary Porter in Room C111 for women of all ages; Raising Disciples in Room E212 for parents; The Believers in C208/209; The Vine in C206 for young adults 18+; and New Choices in C103 for new believers.
The Methodist Women meet on the first Tuesday of most months at 9:30 AM in the Heritage Room of the Christian Life Center. The Methodist Men gather monthly for prayer, food, and fellowship, and pitch in on projects around the church campus. Two weekly Bible studies round out the adult offerings: Amazing Grace Women's Bible Study meets Thursdays at 10:00 AM in Room E209, and a Bible study for men meets Thursdays at 11:45 AM in the Fellowship Hall.
Early in the Methodist movement, class meetings and band groups were central to scriptural holiness. First Methodist Church, Bryan carries that tradition forward in Small Group Accountable Discipleship, where band groups of adults meet weekly to share how they are growing in the love of Christ, to serve members, family, and neighbors, and to witness to others. Lay pastoral care volunteers also work alongside the pastors to provide care, and trained Stephen Ministers offer one-to-one, Christ-centered care for those who are hurting. Natalie Patterson, Director of Adult Ministries, oversees these ministries.
Missions in Bryan and Beyond
Service and missions are core to life at First Methodist Church, Bryan. The congregation supports the Brazos Church Pantry, a cooperative ministry of more than 30 local churches that serves over 1,200 families and distributes over 62,000 pounds of food each month. Meals of Love provides meals twice a month to residents of the Crestview Affordable Housing, with a written devotional message included with each meal. Mobility Worldwide Brazos Valley volunteers have built 4,500 Personal Energy Transportation (PET) carts since 2010 for disabled children and adults in Liberia and Zambia, giving dignity to those who had previously depended on family to carry them or had to crawl on the ground. Kairos Prison Ministry brings a three-and-a-half day weekend of talks, music, and fellowship to incarcerated men, supported by an outside prayer and meal team.
The Walk to Emmaus, a spiritual renewal experience rooted in the Methodist tradition, is another supported ministry. Pilgrims attend a three-day retreat and then join ongoing small groups for accountable discipleship. Rise Up Camp at Lakeview, run by NextGen Ministries of the Trinity Conference, hosts children and youth each June.
Weddings, Baptisms, and Funerals
The Sanctuary and its grounds are available for weddings, with couples meeting first with Associate Pastor Jeremy Bass and then working with Natalie Patterson on the contract and fees. Weddings can be scheduled no earlier than 11 months before and no later than 3 months before the desired date. Baptisms for children and adults take place at most Sunday services after a meeting with a pastor. In the event of a death or emergency, the church office connects families with a pastor for a service of celebration and resurrection. Members can also order altar flowers for the sanctuary.
Getting Around and Staying Connected
First Methodist Church, Bryan sits at 506 East 28th Street, Bryan, TX 77803, with a mailing address of PO Box 3846, Bryan, TX 77805. The main phone number is 979-779-1324, with extensions for individual staff members. Parking and campus maps are available, and the gym entrance for The River contemporary service is on 27th Street. Worship services are livestreamed on YouTube, and giving is available online. The MinistryOne app gives members and friends a way to stay connected to events, prayer requests, and the church calendar. Newcomers are invited to fill out a Connect Card or a New Member Information Form, and the church mails a regular newsletter to anyone who signs up.