History of St. John the Apostle

Since 1985, the people known as St. John the Apostle United Methodist Church have shared life together in south Arlington - worshipping together, working together, building together, serving together while caring for and ministering to one another as the people of God. As with any group of people, St. John the Apostle has had high points and low points, times of progress and times of stagnation-decline, times of celebration and times of grief, memorable experiences and experiences we would rather forget. Through the years, numerous people have come and gone – and others have stayed.

Church Growth and Development of the Central Texas Conference initiated the founding of St. John the Apostle in 1985, including purchasing the current property. Rev. Jerry Chism was appointed in June, 1985, as the founding pastor. On September 8, 1985, the first worship service was held at Corey Elementary with 239 people in attendance. For three years, Corey Elementary would be SJA’s place of worship. SJA was formally consecrated as a church in June of 1986, with 200 charter members. Groundbreaking for the first building on the property was held in February, 1988. December 18, 1988 was the final worship service at Corey Elementary as well as the first worship service in the new facility. In May of 1990, Winifred Bailey was hired to serve as Minister of Music and Program Director. The annex buildings were added in 1991 to accommodate the growth the church was enjoying. By 1993, the church was averaging over 400 in worship.

In June of 1993, Rev. Billy Strayhorn was appointed as SJA’s second pastor. Rev. Steve Billingsley was appointed as associate pastor in June, 1995. Rev. Rick Springer, a deacon in the Central Texas Conference, joined the staff in June of 1996 as Minister of Music. Groundbreaking for an educational wing was held on February 23, 1997. The new addition - providing a kitchen, a large fellowship room, and six classrooms – was completed in October of 1997. Rev. Roberta Maltas replaced Steve Billingsley as associate pastor in June of 1998. Many of the ministries that exist today - Disciple Bible Study, youth summer mission trips, the Pumpkin Patch, Stephen Ministry – were initiated under Billy Strayhorn’s ministry.

In January, 1999, Rev. Ken Shamblin was appointed as SJA’s third pastor. Becky Pierson was hired as full-time youth director in July of 2000. The church initiated a contemporary worship service in 2001. A new sound system and projection system were purchased and installed in the worship area. A youth praise band was formed. Ken led the church to emphasize adult small groups as a basis for spiritual formation and friendship. SJA became involved with Arlington Urban Ministries, establishing a food pantry to support the ministry, and with Habitat for Humanity.

The retirement of Pastor Ken in June, 2002, led to the appointment of our fourth and current pastor: Rev. Dr. Steve Langford. The current mission statement – St. John the Apostle is a community of grace, committed to making disciples – was adopted in the fall of 2002 along with the emphasis on involvement in two places beyond worship: (1) a small group of trusted spiritual friends that will nurture one’s growth in grace and (2) a place of ministry, witness and service. A Leadership Council with a system of ministry teams was developed to replace a committee-based structure. Age group ministry teams were formed along with a Pastoral Care Team and a drama team. Pastor Steve introduced From the Pastor’s Study – a Wednesday evening, in-depth Bible study - to support and nurture those in leadership roles and others. A digital recording ministry grew out of that study. A new staffing paradigm was adopted, replacing full-time staff with part-time staff hired from within the congregation. (See the Staff page on this web site for a listing of the current members of SJA’s staff.) A Praise Team composed of SJA members was developed to lead the contemporary/celebration service. In December, 2004, the church voted to purchase the 0.9 acre corner lot at Mansfield Road and Green Oaks Boulevard. In September of 2005, SJA celebrated 20 years of ministry in south Arlington. In August of 2006, present Sunday morning schedule was adopted to offer additional worship and disciple-making opportunities. (See the Worship Schedule page for a glimpse of the Sunday Morning schedule).

The history of St. John the Apostle United Methodist Church continues to be written through the faithfulness of God and of the people of God. These days are days of blessing that involve growth and progress in every aspect of our life together: in spirit, in membership, in worship attendance, in staff, in ministry, in outreach, in mission involvement, in finances. The best days of our history are still ahead of us as we live out our vision to be a community of grace, committed to making disciples.