A Family of Believers in South Taylor County
Wylie Methodist Church gathers on Antilley Road in the Wylie area of southern Abilene, Texas, and the people there like to say that the family of believers under the Lordship of Jesus Christ is what the church is all about. Pastor Jeff Hatcher, who has led the congregation since September 2002, summarizes the mission in three short phrases repeated often around the building: "LOVE GOD. LOVE PEOPLE. OFFER CHRIST." Two blended worship services each Sunday morning, a full slate of children's and student ministries, midweek meals and small groups, and a busy local outreach calendar all flow out of that three-part focus.
From a Schoolhouse in 1902 to a New Sanctuary Today
The story starts in 1902, when a small group of citizens in the sparsely settled community of Wylie in south Taylor County met to raise money for a single building that would house both a school and a church. Mrs. M.V. Wylie agreed to donate two acres if the building carried the Wylie name, and construction began that summer under T.J. St. John and W.S. Shaw. The building measured 30 feet wide by 20 feet long. The first Sunday School was organized in 1903, with W.S. Shaw as superintendent, and on November 27, 1904, Rev. E.L. Sisk came over from Caps Methodist to organize the church with twenty-nine charter members.
For years the small Wylie, Caps, and occasionally Tuscola congregations shared a single pastor who sometimes arrived on Saturday night and stayed with different families. The original schoolhouse was purchased by the church in 1916 for one hundred dollars and served for decades. A new rock building went up in 1943 and was destroyed by fire on February 23, 1969; the rebuilt sanctuary was dedicated on November 25, 1970, with Bishop Alsie H. Carlton and District Superintendent Darris Egger present. Educational annexes followed in 1972 and 1979, a gym and additional Sunday School rooms appeared in 1985, and the indebtedness was paid off by December of 1982.
Continued growth pushed the congregation to buy a new property at 3430 Antilley Road in 1992, the address Wylie Methodist still calls home. In September 2022 the church voted to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church, and on January 1, 2023, it became a charter member of the Global Methodist Church and joined the West Plains Conference. Today the same growth that prompted the 1992 move has the church preparing to break ground again: a new sanctuary, gym, and playground are being added to the Antilley Road campus through a capital fund drive introduced by a sermon titled "The Lord Will Provide."
Love God, Love People, Offer Christ
The church's statement of belief is short and direct. Wylie Methodist is a family of believers under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, holding that "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." It affirms that all have sinned and are redeemed freely by God's grace through Christ, that the absolute truth of God is found in Holy Scripture, and that the Holy Spirit is the source of power for carrying out the Great Commission to go and make disciples. The same heartbeat shows up in three words on the wall: Love God, Love People, Offer Christ.
Sunday Mornings at Wylie Methodist
Wylie Methodist holds two worship services each Sunday at 8:30 and 10:45 am. Both follow a blended style, mixing contemporary praise songs and traditional hymns under the leadership of the Praise Team, which uses guitars, piano, and keyboard. The order of service runs from a time of praise and worship into a children's sermon, prayer, and a scripture-based message. The first service is often slightly quieter, and the second service is often livestreamed on YouTube for those who cannot attend in person; a digital bulletin is posted online for the day's service.
The dress code is relaxed. Some people wear business attire, others wear jeans, and the church family emphasizes that visitors should simply be comfortable. Greeters wait at the atrium door to point first-time guests toward the Welcome Center, where hosts can answer questions and escort them to a Bible study class or a seat in the sanctuary.
Parking is available on site, and the building is wheelchair accessible with an elevator to the upper level. For those needing a little help hearing, an audio feed of the service is available through the Audio Everywhere app on a personal smartphone; staff at the Sound Booth in the back of the sanctuary will set it up.
Children from Nursery through Fifth Grade
The Children's Ministry at Wylie Methodist reaches kids from infants through fifth grade, and its mission statement is simple: that kids grow in relationship with God, family, and friends. The Children's Pastor is Carlene Crim, who is assisted by Theresa Sauve and Linda Higginbotham.
On Sunday mornings the nursery is open for infants through two-year-olds from 8:30 am to noon, Bible Study classes run from 9:45 to 10:25 am for ages three through third grade, and Children's Church gathers kids ages three through third grade during both the 8:30 and 10:45 services. Children start the service with their parents in the sanctuary, then come forward for a children's sermon before heading to their own age-appropriate program. On the first Sunday of each month the kindergarten through third grade class rejoins families in the sanctuary for communion.
A separate group called 45 Connect meets for fourth and fifth graders on Sunday mornings at 9:45 in Room 207 and again on Wednesday evenings at 6:00 pm. These pre-teens dig deeper into scripture together, and the church sends each year's class on a high-energy trip called SuperStart in February, supported in part by an annual pancake dinner the students serve.
Wednesday nights run children's programming from 6:00 to 7:30 after the family meal, and Mother's Day Out operates on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 am to 2:30 pm for children walking through Pre-K. Special events run throughout the year, including Vacation Bible School in June, an Easter Egg Hunt on Palm Sunday, Summer Splash, a Fall Festival and Trunk or Treat in October, a Christmas Workshop in December, and summer camps at Camp Butman.
Tower Students: Grades Six through Twelve
The youth ministry carries the name Tower Students and welcomes students from sixth grade through high school senior. Brent Aiken serves as Youth Pastor with Shawna Johnson as Assistant Youth Pastor, and the ministry maintains a presence on Facebook and Instagram under the Tower Students name.
Wednesday nights are the main gathering: students worship together as a full group, split by grade level for the message and discussion time, and rejoin for games. After the service, high schoolers head out for an extended hangout at a different restaurant around town. Sunday mornings include Tower Students Sunday School with interactive lessons, songs, videos, and direct Bible reading. Monthly events add variety - the ministry has hosted Nerf Wars, paintball trips, Winter Olympic Game Nights, and more - and the summer brings Junior High Camp, High School Camp, and the High School Mission Trip in June and July.
Wednesday Nights at Wylie Methodist
Wednesday is built around the table. A light family meal is served from 5:00 to 6:00 pm, and three tracks of ministry begin at 6:00 and run until 7:30. Children meet for worship, prayer, Bible study, games, and missions in rooms 109 and 110 (for three-year-olds and Pre-K) and in the Sanctuary (for kindergarten through 123 Kids). Tower Students gathers for their main worship service. Adults gather in Community Groups - coed and ladies' options meet in various rooms and homes around the church.
Sunday nights offer a second round of Community Groups from 6:00 to 7:30 pm. The Community Groups year is divided into three trimesters - fall, spring, and summer - with a five to six week break between them. A typical group includes the Hatcher-led all-ages group, the Gregorys' group for mostly older adults, Naomi Wood's group for families in their 30s and 40s, a young adults group led by Zeke and Amanda Duke for those in their twenties and thirties, a ladies group led by Myra Moreau, and several others. Adult Discipleship Ministries also oversee the Sunday morning Bible Study classes that meet between the two services: a Ladies Class with Vickie Graham in Room 202, Messengers for mid-career adults in Room 204, Foundations led by Mike Matthews in Room 206, a Young Adults Class in Room 208, the Outreach Class for late-career adults in Room 210, and a Fellowship class in the Fellowship Hall with Kitten Arthur.
A House of Prayer
The church takes the phrase "my house shall be called a house of prayer" seriously, and the Prayer Ministry undergirds nearly everything else. Prayer chains pray for needs at home, urgent needs, and special events. A prayer room is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week - visitors can access it through a door and short hallway behind the children's nursery while the building is open, or ask for the code to enter directly from the front parking lot. On Monday at noon, the congregation meets in the sanctuary for a focused prayer time for the city, state, nation, government, and the wider world. Anyone can submit a request through the prayer link on the church's site, and a volunteer team commits to lifting those requests before God.
Serving Abilene and Beyond
Local outreach is woven into the rhythm of the church. The Methodist Food Pantry operates out of the church every third and fifth Tuesday from 6:00 to 8:00 pm, with a grocery cart parked in the foyer for non-perishable donations. Through the CarePack for Kids program, volunteers deliver weekend food packs to children at Reagan Elementary each week. The church partners with Love and Care Ministries to sort clothing for the homeless and with Bless Every Home to pray for, care for, and share the gospel with neighbors. Mission trips run both domestically and internationally - the congregation has supported Santiago Global Methodist Church's building project overseas and continues to send relief dollars abroad when needs arise.
A partnership called Houses for Healing provides long-term medical housing for out-of-town patients receiving care in Abilene. Wylie Methodist has adopted one tiny home dedicated to residents of Brown County and is in the process of building a second that will serve Knox County; volunteers are needed for both construction and ongoing ministry to the residents.
The Praise Team and a Blend of Music
The Praise Team Ministry is made up of volunteer musicians and singers who want the name of Jesus lifted up, and the team blends traditional hymns with contemporary worship songs. The leadership describes worship this way: "worship is more than singing - it is an attitude of the heart."
Threads of the Heart and Other Adult Ties
Threads of the Heart is a women's ministry of crocheters, cross-stitchers, knitters, and quilters who share their needle talents with the church family and the broader community. Their handiwork supports outreach events, and each year the group organizes a country store booth within a larger craft show whose proceeds go toward the Building Fund for the new sanctuary.
Men gather on Tuesday mornings at 6:20 am for a Bible study led by Billy Crim, with several men's fellowship events scheduled throughout the year. A Tuesday morning ladies' study is led by Joyce Collins at 10:00 am, and the broader Wylie Methodist Women's ministry hosts periodic gatherings for fellowship and encouragement. A free RightNow Media account is provided to the church family as a resource of over six thousand Bible-study videos accessible on phones, tablets, computers, and TVs.
What to Expect on a First Visit
Anyone in the Abilene area looking for a church home will find a welcoming building on Antilley Road, two morning services to choose from on Sunday, a heavily programmed Wednesday night, and a congregation that is used to people trying things on for size. Sundays are casual or business-formal, whichever feels most natural, the nursery is staffed and ready for the youngest members of the family, and the sanctuary is set up with the same blended style of worship at both hours. From Antilley Road, the church draws families across south Taylor County and hosts a steady stream of mission efforts throughout Abilene, across the region, and beyond.