First Methodist Lockhart has been a steady presence in the center of Lockhart, Texas, where its doors at 313 W. San Antonio Street open directly across from Lockhart City Hall. The congregation belongs to the Global Methodist Church and gathers each Sunday morning around prayer, Scripture, song, preaching, and Holy Communion, with a strong rhythm of programs for children woven through the week.
Sunday Mornings on San Antonio Street
The Sunday rhythm starts at 9:15 am with a time of modern praise and worship music led by worship leader Dallas Shreve and the worship team. The time of singing is meant to help the congregation focus and prepare for the 9:30 am main service. During the service the church prays, hears Scripture read aloud, sings, and listens to the sermon. On the first and third Sundays of the month the congregation shares Holy Communion together.
The sermon includes a brief message just for children, after which kids are invited to step out to Kids' Church for the remainder of the service. Once the service ends, the Sunday school hour begins at 10:45 am. Adults gather for a class called Christians Under Construction that walks through the same Scripture passages read in the morning service. Kids Sunday School meets at the same hour in a different room, reached by going through the doors on the north end of the Fellowship Hall and through the garden.
For those who cannot be in the pews, the 9:30 am service is livestreamed on YouTube each Sunday, and sermons are available afterward through the church's online resources.
Kids at the Center
Children are not tucked away at First Methodist Lockhart; they are part of the service. During the 9:30 am worship, children are invited down front for a short message just for them before being escorted to Kids' Church, a room set up for learning, activities, and kid-friendly worship. The nursery, located in the education building north of the sanctuary and fellowship hall, cares for infants and toddlers during services and other church events. Parents who need help finding the nursery can ask an usher or a member of the welcoming team.
The same attention to children carries through the week. Kids' Club meets every Wednesday evening, except on Lockhart ISD holidays, and includes dinner, fun, games, crafts, and Bible teaching. A single online registration form covers all children and youth activities.
What the Church Believes
First Methodist Lockhart belongs to the Global Methodist Church, and its teaching reflects classic Methodist convictions expressed in its own words.
God is the Holy Trinity: one God in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who is the creator of all things. Jesus Christ is the unique, eternally begotten Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary, fully divine and fully human, who lived a sinless life, died on the cross to atone for sin, rose again, ascended to heaven, and will return. The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son, leads people to repentance, gives new life, and empowers them to follow Jesus.
The Bible is God's word written by human authors under the Spirit's guidance and is the primary authority for faith and life. Human beings are created in God's image and possess inherent dignity, value, and the capacity for love, reason, and creativity, but humanity is also fallen, inheriting a tendency toward sin. Salvation is both the promise of eternal life and a present deliverance from sin, unfolding as preventing, convincing, justifying, and sanctifying grace. Baptism is the covenant by which people join the church, and Holy Communion is the church's ongoing act of thanksgiving; both are called sacraments and are means of sharing in Jesus' death and resurrection.
The Team Behind the Church
Matt Bailey became Senior Pastor in August 2025, after a decade in pastoral ministry. He holds a Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary, is an elder in the Global Methodist Church, and grew up in Houston. He and his wife Jennifer have three children: Jesse, Emma, and James.
Monty Pearson serves as Evangelism and Family Minister. He has been part of the congregation for almost 25 years and was baptized at the church on April 1, 2001, along with his wife Cat. They raised their three daughters, Heaven, Caitlyn, and Brenna, in the church. He leads the men's group Men Among Men and is taking classes toward ordination in the Global Methodist Church.
Gregory A. Hilliard Jr. directs the choir. A graduate of Florida State University in Choral Music Education, he recently completed a Master of Music in Choral Conducting at Texas State University and served there as a graduate assistant. He also directs the Austin Harmony Chorus, holds K-12 music certification in Florida and Texas, and sings with the international competition-level chorus The Marcsmen based in San Antonio.
Dallas Shreve leads the contemporary worship music. A graduate of Youngstown State University, he directs the orchestra at Northeast Early College High School in Austin and plays multiple instruments. He and his family live in Lockhart.
Visiting First Methodist Lockhart
The church sits across from Lockhart City Hall at 313 W. San Antonio Street, with the office open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. The office number is 512-398-3232, and general questions can be sent to office@fmlockhart.org.
Dress is up to the visitor. On any given Sunday you will see everything from t-shirts and jeans to suits and ties. Holy Communion is open to anyone who repents of sin and wishes to draw near to God and is shared on the first and third Sundays of each month. The nursery is staffed for infants and toddlers during worship services, and Kids' Church welcomes school-age children after the children's message during the main service.
Online giving is available through PayPal. The church shares a monthly calendar and regular updates through its pages on Facebook, Instagram, and X.