About Us
Our History
In 1879, when there was no place of worship in Coppell, a few families came together to build the first church on the corner of Bethel and Coppell Road. This young Methodist congregation was led by Rev. J. B. Bennett. First Coppell became a shared worship space for all Christians in the area, and the church also served as the first school in Coppell for ten years.
By the late 1930s, the old church was beyond repair and the members raised the $700 necessary to construct a new building. Consecrated in May 1939, the building became home to the 88 members of First United Methodist Church of Coppell.
In 1978, the church had grown bigger than the building could hold, and five acres of land were purchased at the intersection of Bethel School Road and Heartz Road, where the church still stands today. A new church home was dedicated in 1984 and the stained glass window from the original church was placed in the Narthex of the new church.
The church’s new home featured a 200-seat sanctuary, six classrooms, a kitchen, nursery, and office. It was the first phase in a three-phase master plan for the church. An additional education building was added in 1988, providing a fellowship space that was later dedicated as B.J. Smartt Hall, and 18 classrooms were added. In 2000, under the leadership of Rev. John Rosenburg, the first services were held in the new 1,000-seat sanctuary. The new addition included 20 new classrooms, an office complex, a large nursery and commissary, as well as a large new gathering area named Wesley Hall. The original stained glass window was moved to its present home in The Rosenburg Prayer Chapel.
A new Ministry Center, located at Heartz and Van Bebber, was dedicated on December 7, 2014. The center’s auditorium hosts Elevate, the weekly modern worship service, as well as community events. The center also houses Student Ministries.
First United Methodist Church has been serving the Coppell community for over 140 years, and continues to be the home of many seeking transformation through a relationship with Jesus Christ.