First Methodist Houston

What First Methodist Houston does

First Houston United Methodist Church (legally First United Methodist Church of Houston, DBA First Methodist Houston) is a 501(c)(3) religious non-profit headquartered at 1320 Main Street in downtown Houston, Texas. Founded in 1839 following a request by Colonel William Barrett Travis for Methodist pastors in the Republic of Texas, the church is one of the oldest Methodist congregations in Texas and operates as part of the United Methodist Church denomination. It employs approximately 49 staff across pastoral, communications, finance, worship, children's ministry, and facilities functions, and serves a multi-generational congregation plus broader downtown Houston community.

The church's core offerings center on three weekly worship expressions: Traditional Worship (Sundays 11 AM in the Sanctuary), Altar Umoja African Worship (Sundays 11:30 AM on the 2nd Floor, featuring Swahili and French), and Wednesday Prayer Services (12 PM in the Chapel). Supporting programming includes Adult Sunday School, Family Ministry (infants through 12th grade), Vacation Bible Camp (July 20–24, ages 5–12, $125 per camper), Music Ministry/Choir, Main Street Indoor Park (free playground for children 5 and under), and pastoral care via Stephen Ministry, Prayer Ministry, Hospital Visits, and Homebound Ministry. The community-outreach surface includes Lifeline Ministry (homeless outreach distributing ~460 sack lunches monthly at $3,000/month in food costs and serving ~260 individuals), Neighbors In Action, and the Quillian Center.

The technology and revenue stack combines traditional in-person worship with a digital layer: a website, dedicated iOS/Android mobile app, online giving via a TPS platform, live streaming on firsthouston.online.church and Facebook, and email newsletters via my.fmhouston.com. Revenue is generated primarily through tithes and offerings, online giving, stock donations processed through LPL Financial (DTC #0075, Account 7747-9767), wire and asset transfers, facility rentals for corporate and family events, and the First Methodist Foundation, which invests bequeathed assets for the church's long-term protection. The organization maintains strategic partnerships with Wesley Community Center, The Safe Sanctuary Foster Care, Camino Global, West Houston Assistance Ministries, Walk to Emmaus, and Clarewood House, among others.

Name

First Methodist Houston

Legal name

First United Methodist Church of Houston

Website

https://fmhouston.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1839

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

First Houston United Methodist Church is a historic 1839-founded downtown Houston Methodist congregation of about 49 staff offering traditional, African, and online worship plus children's, youth, and homeless outreach ministries funded by tithes, donations, and facility rentals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Community Food Services (62421), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG), Places of Worship & Religious Facilities Operations (Cemeteries, Retreat Centers, Pilgrimage Sites) (BPAGAJAL), Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD)

Keywords

• Worship services
• Religious education
• Community outreach
• Pastoral care
• Youth ministry

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Members and visitors contribute through weekly tithes and offerings during worship services
2. Online Giving: Digital giving through the church app and website
3. Stock Donations: Accepts stock donations through LPL Financial, DTC #0075, Account 7747-9767
4. Asset Transfers: Accepts asset transfers and wire transfers as contributions
5. Facility Rentals: Rentals of church spaces for events including corporate town halls, business symposiums, quinceañeras, and family celebrations
6. First Methodist Foundation: Foundation that invests proceeds of assets left to its care for future protection of the church

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

First Methodist Houston delivers in-person and online worship services (Traditional, Altar Umoja African worship, Wednesday Prayer), faith formation programs (Sunday School, Vacation Bible Camp, Family Ministry/First Kids, Music Ministry), pastoral and congregational care, and community outreach ministries including Lifeline (homeless outreach), Neighbors In Action, Quillian Center, and Main Street Indoor Park. The church also rents its downtown facilities for external events and accepts tithes, online gifts, stock donations, and asset transfers through its mobile app, giving portal, and the First Methodist Foundation.

Product overview

First Houston United Methodist Church offers a portfolio of worship, ministry, and community services centered around its faith-based mission. The core offerings include Traditional Worship Services (11 AM Sundays in the Sanctuary), Altar Umoja African Worship (11:30 AM Sundays on 2nd Floor), Wednesday Prayer Services, and Sunday School Classes (9:30 AM Sundays on 4th Floor). Supporting ministries include Family Ministry/First Kids (children's programs from infancy through grade 12), Lifeline Ministry (homeless outreach), Main Street Indoor Park (free playground for children 5 and under), Music Ministry/Choir, Vacation Bible Camp, and Women's Ministries. The church also provides digital services including online giving through a TPS platform and a mobile app for iOS/Android. Additional services include facility rentals, pastoral care (Stephen Ministry, Prayer Ministry, Hospital Visits), and lifecycle ceremonies (baptisms, weddings, funerals). These offerings work together to fulfill the church's mission of transforming lives and communities by putting God's love into action.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Traditional Worship Service
• Altar Umoja Worship Service
• Wednesday Prayer Service
• Sunday School Classes
• Lifeline Ministry
• Main Street Indoor Park
• Vacation Bible Camp
• Family Ministry (First Kids)
• Music Ministry / Choir
• Online Giving Platform
• First Methodist Houston Mobile App
• Facility Rentals

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and supporting.

• Wesley Community CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal ministry partner serving the Houston community through social services and spiritual development programs.
• The Safe Sanctuary Foster CarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoster care ministry partnership providing safe sanctuary services for children in the child welfare system.
• Generacion Es IglesiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHispanic ministry partnership focused on spiritual growth and community development.
• Westchase Neighborhood SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with local school to support educational initiatives and student welfare.
• Camino GlobalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational mission partner spreading hope globally through indigenous ministries and organizations.
• West Houston Assistance Ministries (WHAM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal assistance ministry providing support services to Houston community members in need.
• Walk to EmmausminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with The Upper Room for 3-day spiritual retreat program developing Christian disciples and leaders.
• Clarewood HouseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSenior living community partnership providing support and services for elderly congregation members.
• Neighbors In ActioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with families in Port Houston and surrounding communities to transform lives through spiritual growth, education, and meeting basic needs.
• Quillian CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity center partnership providing programs and services to downtown Houston families.
• Lifeline to the HomelesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExtension ministry of First Houston UMC providing food, clothing, Metro cards, and referrals to downtown homeless neighbors.
• LPL FinancialsupportingOthersBrokerage firm handling stock donations to the church with DTC #0075 and Account #7747-9767.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Houston's First Baptist Church: Large, multi-campus Southern Baptist congregation in the Houston area with extensive family, missions, and digital giving infrastructure; broad incumbent with overlapping programming and digital engagement model.
• Lakewood Church: Houston-based megachurch with national digital reach, streaming-first worship, and a large mobile giving/app footprint - a much larger incumbent that defines the upper-bound operational model for Houston-area congregational scale and digital engagement.

Direct peers

• St. Martin's Episcopal Church: Large Houston mainline congregation with multiple worship styles, robust music ministry, family programming, and significant outreach to downtown populations - structurally similar in scale and mission breadth.
• St. Paul's United Methodist Church, Houston: Historic downtown Houston United Methodist congregation with comparable downtown footprint, multi-style worship, traditional mainline programming, and community-outreach focus - the closest denominational twin within Houston.
• Chapelwood United Methodist Church: Major Houston-area UMC with broad family, music, missions, and small-group ministries and multi-site reach, providing a directly comparable mid-large Methodist operating model.
• Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church: Historic Houston congregation sharing an urban footprint with comparable music, formation, and outreach programs; a directly comparable downtown Houston mainline peer.
• Foundry United Methodist Church: Houston-area United Methodist church pursuing contemporary outreach, family ministry, and community service - a comparable active Methodist peer with overlap in gtm and program mix.
• Memorial Drive United Methodist Church: Large historic UMC congregation in Houston offering multi-style worship, extensive children's and family ministries, adult formation, and community engagement that closely parallel First Methodist Houston's portfolio.
• First Presbyterian Church of Houston: Historic downtown Houston mainline Protestant church with comparable urban footprint, multi-generational programming, music ministry, and community service emphasis.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/first-united-methodist-church-houston

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about First Methodist Houston