First United Methodist Church of Lubbock

What First United Methodist Church of Lubbock does

First United Methodist Church of Lubbock is a non-profit religious organization founded in 1892 and headquartered at 1411 Broadway in Lubbock, Texas, operating as a local congregation of the United Methodist Church denomination. The church delivers a comprehensive ministry platform spanning three distinct weekly worship services — Traditional (Sanctuary, 1,200 seats), Contemporary (Christian Life Center, 300-600 seats), and Chapel with weekly Communion (Bowman Chapel, 140 seats) — supplemented by a TV broadcast ministry on KMYL Channel 14.1 operating since 1978, Facebook Live streaming, and online sermon archives for homebound and remote attendees. Beyond worship, it operates life-stage programming from nursery through senior care, including children's ministry (First Kids), youth ministry (First Students, 6th-12th grade), college ministry targeting adjacent Texas Tech University, adult Sunday school with 13+ classes, the Vesper Concert Series (46+ years), the FUMC Counseling Center (faith-based counseling on a sliding scale), Treasured Times respite care for early-stage Alzheimer's patients, and community missions including Second Helpings meals, South Plains Food Bank distribution, and Helping Hands home repairs.

The church's operational technology is commodity-based and ministry-focused: a Squarespace-hosted website (fumc.com), SecureGive and PayPal for online donations, Facebook Live for streaming, and standard broadcast equipment for the TV ministry. There are no proprietary software products or AI/ML systems disclosed. Its revenue model is anchored in voluntary member tithes and offerings (encouraged at the traditional 10% of income), supplemented by donations to designated funds, memorial gifts, columbarium niche sales at $5,000 per niche (including urns and engraving), and nominal program fees ($15-$20 for retreats, Bible study materials, and Kids Night Out events). The Everliving Church Trust endowment, established in the 1980s, held a corpus exceeding $2.75 million by end of 2020 and funded over $600,000 in facility repairs over the prior five years.

The organization is led by Senior Pastor Dr. Todd Salzwedel (appointed March 2020) and Pastor of Spiritual Formation and Congregational Care Dr. Shera Atkinson, supported by a ~20-25 person staff including directors of music, children, youth, communications, missions, and counseling, plus administrative and facilities personnel. The church maintains formal partnerships with Family Promise of Lubbock, Habitat for Humanity, Lubbock Meals on Wheels, South Plains Food Bank, Backyard Missions, and Bayless Elementary for community service delivery, and operates a wholly-owned FUMC Counseling Center subsidiary.

Name

First United Methodist Church of Lubbock

Legal name

First United Methodist Church

Website

https://fumc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1892

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

First United Methodist Church of Lubbock is a 1892-founded non-profit Methodist congregation delivering three weekly worship services, full life-stage ministries, counseling, missions, and a 46-year concert series to the Lubbock community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Organization Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311), Religious Organizations (813110), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

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

• Religious worship services
• Faith-based community programs
• Christian youth ministry
• Church music programs
• Community outreach missions

Headquarters

HQ city

Lubbock

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Members contribute through regular tithing (10% of income as encouraged) and offerings via online giving, PayPal, or in-person collection during worship services.
2. Special Donations and Memorial Gifts: Donations to specific funds including general fund, missions, ELCT endowment, memorial/honorarium gifts.
3. Columbarium Niches: Sale of columbarium niches for cremated remains storage at $5,000 per niche (holds two urns), including urns, engraving, and opening/closing fees.
4. Event Fees: Some programs charge nominal fees such as Women's Spring Retreat ($15), Kids Night Out ($15 per child, $40 family max), Summer Book Club ($20 for study book).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

First United Methodist Church of Lubbock provides Christian worship services across three styles (Traditional, Contemporary, and Chapel) along with a comprehensive suite of spiritual formation, music, counseling, and community outreach programs. Core deliverables include weekly worship services, children's/youth/college/senior ministries, Bible study and Sunday school, the FUMC Counseling Center, music programs (Chancel Choir, Children's Choir, handbells, Vesper Concert Series), and mission programs (Second Helpings meals, food bank distribution, Helping Hands home repairs, Family Promise support).

Product overview

First United Methodist Church of Lubbock offers a comprehensive suite of worship services and community ministries. The church provides three distinct worship experiences: Traditional Worship in the Sanctuary (8:45 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.) featuring organ and Chancel Choir; Contemporary Worship in the Christian Life Center (11:00 a.m.); and Chapel Worship with Communion (9:00 a.m.). These core worship services are augmented by online streaming and TV broadcast ministry reaching homebound and unchurched individuals. The church's music program includes Chancel Choir, Children's Choir, and Sanctuary Ringers handbell ensemble, supported by the Vesper Concert Series presenting professional musicians. Beyond worship, the church operates extensive care ministries including a Counseling Center, Treasured Times respite care for dementia patients, and community outreach programs such as Second Helpings meals, South Plains Food Bank distribution, and Helping Hands home repairs. Children's and youth ministries provide age-appropriate spiritual formation, while the endowment (Everliving Church Trust) supports long-term facility maintenance. Online giving is available via SecureGive and PayPal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Vesper Concert Series: Concert series presenting finest musicians from around the world and community as a ministry to Lubbock and the South Plains for over 46 years
• FUMC Counseling Center
• First Kids
• First Students
• Everliving Church Trust
• FirstLBK College and Young Adults

Products and services

• Traditional Worship Services Sanctuary-based worship services featuring traditional hymns, organ music, and Chancel Choir performances at 8:45 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Sundays, free and open to the public.
• Contemporary Worship Service Modern worship experience held in the Christian Life Center at 11:00 a.m., featuring contemporary music, fellowship, and casual atmosphere, free and open to the public.
• Chapel Worship Service

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 4,000 attended Easter 2002 service, setting a Sunday attendance record
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Family Promise of LubbockcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch partners with Family Promise of Lubbock to provide resources and volunteers, supporting families experiencing homelessness through the organization's shelter and support programs.
• Habitat for Humanity (Lubbock)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch partners with Lubbock Habitat for Humanity to support affordable housing construction and home ownership programs in the Lubbock community.
• Lubbock Meals on WheelsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch partners annually in September to collect snacks for weekend snack bags that supplement meals provided to homebound seniors.
• South Plains Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch serves as mobile distribution partner, hosting food distribution twice monthly (2nd and 4th Mondays, 1-4pm). Volunteers help sack food, check in guests, and distribute food packages to community members.
• Backyard MissionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch partners with Backyard Missions to identify and approve elderly homeowners in financial need for the Helping Hands Ministry home repair program. Working together since 2001 with 25th home being repaired in 2026.
• Bayless ElementarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChurch partnership with Bayless Elementary began in 2013, supporting staff and students through prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. Includes volunteer projects and educational support.
• FUMC Friends of MusicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupport organization for the Vesper Concert Series. Contributors enable the church to present free concerts featuring world-class musicians as a ministry to Lubbock and the South Plains for over 46 years.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Chapelwood United Methodist Church: Large Houston UMC with multiple campuses, traditional and contemporary worship, music ministry, and faith-based counseling services. Operates a comparable ministry portfolio to FUMC Lubbock.
• St. Luke's United Methodist Church: Large Houston-area UMC with multiple worship services, extensive children's/youth programs, music programming, and community partnerships. Comparable in programming depth and denominational identity.
• First United Methodist Church of Fort Worth: Historic downtown Fort Worth UMC with multiple worship formats, music programs, and community outreach. Comparable in historic Texas-UMC character, urban campus model, and long institutional history.
• First United Methodist Church of Dallas: Historic downtown Dallas UMC with similar multi-format worship, music ministry tradition, and community outreach orientation. Directly comparable as a long-established Texas UMC flagship with comparable facility footprint.
• First United Methodist Church of Amarillo: West Texas regional UMC in Amarillo with comparable scale, multiple worship services, music ministry, and community programs. Closest geographic and demographic peer within the UMC's West Texas region.
• Highland Park United Methodist Church: Large flagship United Methodist congregation in the Dallas area with a comprehensive ministry ecosystem, multiple worship styles, strong music program, and significant endowment. Closest analog to FUMC Lubbock in denominational affiliation, scale, and programming breadth.

Broad incumbents

• First Baptist Dallas: Large historic downtown Dallas Baptist church with comparable facility scale, music programming, broadcast ministry, and broad community outreach. Comparable as a Texas mainline Protestant flagship rather than direct denominational peer.
• Second Baptist Church Houston: Large Texas Baptist congregation with multiple campuses, extensive children's/youth programs, music ministry, and global missions orientation. Comparable in operational scale and programming breadth across a different denomination.

Emerging players

• Gateway Church: Large multi-campus Texas church with contemporary worship focus, extensive children's/youth programming, and strong digital/media presence. Comparable in operational scale and youth-oriented programming model, though non-denominational and newer.

Regional players

• Travis Avenue Baptist Church: Mid-sized historic Baptist church in Fort Worth with comparable traditional worship, music ministry, and community outreach programs. Comparable in programming model at a smaller scale within the same Texas religious-organization landscape.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/lubbockfumc
• Instagraminstagram.com/fumc_finearts
• TikToktiktok.com/@fumclbkstudents
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/first-united-methodist-church-of-lubbock

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 United Methodist Church of Lubbock