Dating back to 1867 in Springville in Wood County, Emory United Methodist Church has served its community for 150 years. Its namesake took shape after Rains County was formed in 1870 and the city of Springville was renamed Emory in honor of county founder Emory Rains. In its early years, the congregation met in the old Masonic hall on the town square, which also served as the first school in Emory, then called Springville. In 1889, Rev. J.W. Beckham led the congregation in building a single-room church at the northeast corner of the intersection of present-day Wood and North Streets in Emory. A tornado destroyed that church and all its contents in 1894, including a new organ, and only the bell was saved; it is still in use and hangs in the present-day church belfry. A new church was built on the same site the following year, and several years later it was moved to the present site. After a storm damaged the church roof in 1944, members raised money for a new brick structure, which was completed and dedicated debt-free on September 16, 1945. To honor some of the church and church school founders and sustainers, stained glass windows from a builder in Hunt County were inscribed with the names of Uncle Tom and Aunt Fannie Weatherly, Captain Tom Cain, the Ballew, Berzette, Edwards, Henslee, Jenkis, Rodes, and Woosley families, and the Gethsemane window was dedicated to Mr. and Mrs. T.J. Shaw. Through the congregation’s hard work and dedication, Emory United Methodist Church continues to provide care and hope for the community.