Pearl Methodist Church

A group of Methodists gathered in the home of the Rev. John Wesley Shook (1846-1921) in the winter of 1875-76 to organize a congregation. Early worship services were held in the Hope schoolhouse. In 1890 landowner Charley Karnes (1854-1933) gave the Methodist church three acres of land on which to build a sanctuary. By 1892 a Sunday School was in operation, and in 1900 a parsonage was built near the church. The existing sanctuary was erected about 1919-1920, and the parsonage was sold in 1953. Serving the people of a large area, the size of the church's membership varied over the years. As the population of surrounding communities began to grow, members of Pearl Methodist Church withdrew to help organize new congregations. In October 1975 the church celebrated its centennial with a special program involving descendants of J. W. Shook and other early members. Four years later, in March 1979, the congregation voted to disband and the church was officially discontinued by the Methodist denomination. The church property was given to the Pearl Cemetery Association in 1985. Pearl Methodist Church stands as a reminder of the area's early heritage. (1988)

Pearl Methodist Church is a historical marker in Pearl, Coryell County, dedicated in 1988. It is one of 44 historical markers documented in Coryell County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 120 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 31.4111, -98.0376 near Pearl. The nearest cataloged historic site is Pearl Baptist Church (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Pearl Church of Christ, Pearl School, and Pearl Cemetery.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5099003963. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.