St Stephen’s United Methodist Church

What St Stephen’s United Methodist Church does

St. Stephen's United Methodist Church is a 75-year-old religious nonprofit organization founded in May 1950 by Reverend Bernard Hatch through the Board of Missions and Church Extension, currently operating from a single campus at 2003 West 43rd Street in the Garden Oak/Oak Forest neighborhood of Houston, Texas. It functions as an independent local congregation within the United Methodist Church denomination, led since December 25, 2024 by Senior Pastor Rev. Trey Comstock and supported by a paid staff of approximately 20 employees including a Family Ministries Director, Assistant Family Ministries Director, Office Manager, Community Events Coordinator, and Accompanist. The church's core offering is weekly Traditional Worship held Sundays at 10:30 a.m., supplemented by a third-Sunday Family Worship service with Community Breakfast, Sunday School for all ages at 9:15 a.m., Youth Group (UMYF), Bible Studies, and seasonal programs including Vacation Bible School and Messy Church. In-person services are paired with YouTube live streaming, and the church operates a Church Center SaaS integration for donations, event registration, prayer requests, and group management.

The church operates Johnson Memorial School (Robert A. Johnson Memorial School for Little Children) as a wholly-owned ministry established in 1967 in memory of Sgt. Robert Alan Johnson, serving 3- and 4-year-olds with a developmentally-appropriate Christian curriculum across Tuesday through Thursday mornings from September through May, with documented tuition of $400 per month plus a $225 non-refundable registration/supply fee payable via Zelle. The preschool has cumulatively served over 1,000 children since inception and recently added optional after-school enrichment programming (Dance, Soccer Shots, Stay 'n Play, Music, Gymnastics). Revenue is generated through three streams: recurring tithes and offerings from members and visitors via the Church Center giving portal, monthly preschool tuition, and donations/fundraising for specific purposes such as Altar Flowers and JMS support. The church is funded entirely by member contributions and program fees with no external ownership, private equity investment, or public funding. There is no proprietary technology, no AI/ML capability, and no patents or trademarks disclosed in the source data.

Beyond worship and education, St. Stephen's delivers a portfolio of community-outreach programming including a recurring blood drive partnership with the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center, Parents' Night Out, Musical Theater Camp, Blessing of the Backpacks, a Sewing Circle, and the annual Nonprofit Community Fair (GOOF). Past ministry milestones include the Furlough Kitchen program led by former Pastor Nathan Lonsdale Bledsoe during COVID-19, which provided over 8,000 meals to the community, and the 2015 sanctuary renovation that added ADA-compliant accessibility features to the 1962-built facility. The church is currently active with events scheduled through 2026 and 2027, including the Altar Flowers program running January 4, 2026 through January 3, 2027.

Name

St Stephen’s United Methodist Church

Legal name

St. Stephen's United Methodist Church

Website

https://stsumc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

St. Stephen's United Methodist Church is a 75-year-old Houston-based religious nonprofit operating weekly traditional worship, youth and family programs, and the Johnson Memorial School preschool for ages 3-4, funded by member tithes, donations, and tuition, with a staff of approximately 20.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Educational Services (611), Religious Organizations (81311), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Preschools (EDACABAF), Faith-Based (Religious) K–12 Schools (EDAJABAC), Faith-Based Before/After Care Programs (Early Years) (EDACAHAE)

Keywords

• Religious worship services
• Christian ministry programs
• Preschool education
• Community outreach
• Youth fellowship

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Traditional church giving through weekly Sunday offerings and online giving options for members and visitors
2. Preschool Tuition: Johnson Memorial School charges monthly tuition of $400 for the 2026-2027 school year, September through May, for children ages 3-4 years old. Additional registration/supply fee of $225 is non-refundable.
3. Donations and Fundraising: Church accepts donations for various purposes including Altar Flowers (2026-2027), JMS donations, and general ministry support through online giving portal

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

St. Stephen's United Methodist Church is a religious congregation providing weekly traditional and family worship services, Sunday school for all ages, youth fellowship (UMYF), Bible studies, Vacation Bible School, and community outreach events. It also operates Johnson Memorial School, a preschool for 3 and 4 year olds offering developmentally-appropriate curriculum in a Christian atmosphere, with monthly tuition of $400.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Traditional Worship Services In-person and online traditional worship services held every Sunday at 10:30 AM, featuring hymns, organ music, and classic Methodist liturgy. Available to community members and visitors.
• Family Worship Services Intergenerational worship services held on third Sundays at 9:15 AM, designed for families with children and paired with Community Breakfast at 8:30 AM.
• Sunday School Religious education classes for all ages held every Sunday at 9:15 AM, complementing the worship service schedule.
• Youth Group (UMYF) United Methodist Youth Fellowship group for teenagers providing faith-based fellowship, activities, and service opportunities.
• Bible Study Programs Discipleship-focused small group studies including the Great Heights Bible Study and Sermon Conversation, along with the Discipleship Pathway resource program.
• Johnson Memorial School (Preschool) A preschool program for children ages 3 and 4 operated by the church as a ministry, offering developmentally-appropriate curriculum with Christian values education. Classes held Tuesday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, September through May. Monthly tuition is $400 plus a $225 non-refundable registration/supply fee.
• After-School Enrichment Programs Optional enrichment classes at Johnson Memorial School including Dance, Soccer Shots, Stay 'n Play, Music, and Gymnastics held after regular school hours.
• Vacation Bible School (VBS) Annual summer program for children featuring the Bible Village, themed activities, crafts, and faith-based learning; takes place each summer with registration available for volunteers and participants.
• Messy Church A family-friendly church experience combining crafts, activities, and worship designed for families with children, held periodically throughout the year.
• Community Events Program Various community-focused events including Blood Drives, Musical Theater Camp, Parents' Night Out, Blessing of the Backpacks, Sewing Circle, and the annual Nonprofit Community Fair (GOOF).

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000 children served by Johnson Memorial School since 1967
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Gulf Coast Regional Blood CenterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 August 2026Community blood drive partnership hosting periodic blood donation events at the church facility. Supports regional blood supply needs through community engagement.
• Ginny Martin (JMS School Board)minorOthersRobert Johnson's sister serves on the Johnson Memorial School Board along with JMS parents, HISD Kindergarten teachers, church staff, and former JMS Directors, supporting the school's mission.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Church of the Resurrection (United Methodist): One of the largest United Methodist churches in the U.S., known for multi-site operations and innovative ministry programming—provides a UMC benchmark for scale, programming breadth, and growth strategy relevant to a small Houston UMC peer.
• South Main Baptist Church: Large Houston-area Baptist congregation with traditional and contemporary services, family ministries, and community outreach—competes for similar Houston families seeking community-based religious programming.
• Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church: Historic mainline Protestant church in Houston offering traditional worship, family programming, and community outreach—operates as a comparable mainline alternative in the Houston religious market with overlapping target demographics.

Direct peers

• Chapel Hill United Methodist Church: Houston-area UMC congregation with comparable size, family-focused ministry, and community engagement—shares denominational governance and similar programming portfolio for the same demographic.
• Westchase United Methodist Church: Houston-area United Methodist church with comparable community-focused programming, family ministries, and worship schedule—operates under the same UMC conference with similar congregational scale and ministry mix.
• Chapelwood United Methodist Church: Houston-area United Methodist church with multi-generational programming, traditional worship, and family ministries—operates in the same UMC conference and serves a comparable suburban Houston demographic.
• First United Methodist Church Houston: Historic downtown Houston United Methodist congregation in the same Texas Annual Conference as St. Stephen's; shares UMC governance, apportionment structure, and liturgical tradition, providing a direct denominational peer.
• St. Luke's United Methodist Church: Large United Methodist congregation in Houston offering traditional and contemporary worship, extensive children's and youth programming, and a preschool—directly comparable denominational affiliation, Houston geography, and ministry portfolio to St. Stephen's, though at significantly larger scale.
• St. Paul's United Methodist Church Houston: Houston-based United Methodist church sharing denominational affiliation, traditional Methodist liturgy, and community-focused ministry approach—provides a same-denomination peer in the same metropolitan area.
• Memorial Drive United Methodist Church: Large, historic Houston United Methodist congregation offering traditional worship, extensive children's and youth programming, and community service initiatives—directly comparable UMC affiliation and ministry scope at larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/stshtx
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/st-stephen%E2%80%99s-united-methodist-church

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 St Stephen’s United Methodist Church