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Asbury Building History
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In 1925, it was determined
that a second Methodist Church was needed in Lubbock. A
borrowed tent was used for the initial services on a lot
located at 19th Street and Avenue J. On
Sunday, June 7, 1925, thirty-one members met and organized
19th Street Methodist Church with Rev. W. W. Edgar serving
as pastor.
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A small wood frame building
was soon erected, which served as both parsonage and church.
Because Lubbock was growing to the southwest, a new location
was selected for the church at 20th Street and
Avenue T. The congregation met in the District
Courtroom of the Lubbock Courthouse while the new building
was being constructed. In 1929, the congregation
began meeting in their new location, and the church was
renamed Asbury Methodist Church in honor of Francis Asbury,
an English missionary to America who became a Bishop of the
Methodist Episcopal Church. By 2000, the congregation of
Asbury United Methodist Church had declined significantly,
but they still desired to provide ministry to the
neighborhood. The Shalom Program, directed by Esther
Moses began as an after school outreach program in 2002.
Students from Dupre came to the building twice each week for
snacks, homework assistance, and literacy activities.
In 2005, the building was bequeathed to the Community of
Shalom, Inc., a nonprofit organization. The Shalom
Program continues in the facility, and other space in the
former church building is intended for community outreach
and use by other nonprofit organizations.
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