Easter makes memories. For me, most of those memories revolve around being shoved into a stiff dress, itchy tights and shoes that made running impossible. Kids had to go to the main church for Easter service instead of Sunday school. In the sanctuary was a stained-glass image of the Apostle Paul on the road to Damascus that would glow in the morning light, and on Easter there were fresh flowers along the window sills. It was beautiful to me, even though I spent more time looking at Paul and daydreaming than listening to the sermon. Brownwood has a lot of churches, which no doubt hold a lot of memories as well. People will gather in many of these churches this coming Sunday to celebrate Easter, as they have done here for a century and a half.

The First Methodist Church of Brownwood, the oldest church in town, and also the possessor of some lovely stained-glass windows donated by members, has been holding Easter services in Brownwood for at least 147 years, making it one of the oldest continually in service community facilities we have.

The exact date of the founding of the church is not quite nailed down, as Frank Hilton explains in his publication, A History of First United Methodist Church, Brownwood, Texas. “The history of First United Methodist Church of Brownwood, Texas began in the 1870s, however we are not sure exactly what date it started. Vervia Mehaffey Everitt stated, ‘Found on all programs when First Methodist congregations moved to new churches was the statement: ‘First Methodist Church was organized in the T. D. Harris home by Rev. Bobby Childers.’ With all the research in all the places searched, which cover state and out of state place, no Bobby Childers was found.” Everitt added, “But in 1875, beginning with the Mission Church deeds and the parsonage deeds of the Methodists recorded in the Deeds Records in the Brown County courthouse, there can be no doubt that Methodists in Brownwood started at that time.’”

First Methodist has been rebuilt several times, with the current structure erected in 1967, but the church continues to recognize its historical roots. Despite the uncertainty on the exact date of the founding of the church, it’s nice to think that Easter services have been an integral part of this community since its early days.

According to Hilton, forty-five pastors have served at the First Methodist. That’s a lot of life hours right there. I wonder how many thousands of kids have sat through an Easter service at that church, squirming in their Sunday best gazing at the windows with a longing to be outside.

It might seem that kids don’t learn much in church services like that, but I think that really they do. I bet most of us remember. I heard the message of the Resurrection on Easter, maybe not always the words, but the smell of fresh flowers, the deep rumble of the congregation repeating in unison “He is risen indeed”. These things impact people on a deep level, even the very young, who later remember such times as a treasured experience and take their own families to see and hear the same Easter message that has resonated with so many for so long.

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Diane Adams is a local journalist whose columns appear Thursdays on BrownwoodNews.com