Beginning In 1929, this part of Texas drew the interest of families from different areas. Some of these families settled in the Perico and Bunkerhill communities. Deacon Jake and Lizzie Wedel and family were some of the first to move to the area. Deacon John Boeckner bought land and improved it. Minister Hiram J. Mininger and family moved onto his farm. It had a large two-story home where they organized the first church services. In 1931 a new church was built. About 50 members lived there at that time. The first years were good, with plenty of rain to raise good crops and gardens. They raised many watermelons, and sold them in Texline and Clayton, New Mexico.

On 10 December 1934, Samuel Fricke was ordained to the ministry. Then came the Depression. In 1934 there was no crop. Families began to move away. Some of the last moved away in May 1937. Eight families moved to Winton, California. Others moved to Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Louisiana.

Later, as irrigation proved successful, some families took another look. In 1974 the Marvin Schmidt family moved to Texline and were soon followed by other families in 1975. Sunday school was organized and held in the homes, but it became evident that more space was needed. Together with families living in the Hartley area, the group worshipped together, primarily in the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Dalhart.

In 1976, Minister Eli Nightingale and his family from Cimarron, Kansas moved to the area. In time the Texline area families believed the distance to Dalhart every Sunday was too great, and plans were made for a building in Texline. In fall 1976, work began on land four miles south of Texline. The church was completed in the spring of 1978.

The Stateline Christian School began in August 1981 with two classrooms. The congregation conducted the school in the church fellowship hall for a number of years. A new school was built in 1988.

In 2020 the congregation was part of the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite. The ministers were Matt Koehn, Stanley Unruh, and Gary Schmidt.

Bibliography

Author(s)	Samuel J Steiner
Date Published	March 2021

Church of God in Christ, Mennonite. Yearbook (1996-2020).

Histories of the congregations. 3rd. ed. Moundridge, Kansas: Gospel Publishers, 1999: 519-521.

Additional Information

Address: 216 Hershey Lane, Texline, Texas 79087

Phone: 806-362-4829

Website:

Denominational Affiliations:

Church of God in Christ, Mennonite

Ordained Pastors at the Texline Mennonite Church

Name	Years of Service
Eli Nightingale (1928-2015)	1978-1989
Stanley Unruh	1981-2012 2015-present
Gary Schmidt	1994-
Matthew Koehn	2011-

Membership at the Texline Mennonite Church

Year	Membership
1995	150
2000	176
2010	138
2020	158

Original Mennonite Encyclopedia Article

Texline Church of God in Christ Mennonite Church, now extinct, located near Texline, Dallam County, Texas, was organized in 1930 with 40 members. H. J. Mininger was their pastor, and later Sam L. Fricke was ordained to the ministry. A meetinghouse was built in 1932. Because of the drought and sandstorms, the members soon began to leave, and the congregation became extinct in 1940.

Cite This Article

MLA style

Steiner, Samuel J. "Texline Mennonite Church (Texline, Texas, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. March 2021. Web. 21 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Texline_Mennonite_Church_(Texline,_Texas,_USA)&oldid=170784.

APA style

Steiner, Samuel J. (March 2021). Texline Mennonite Church (Texline, Texas, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Texline_Mennonite_Church_(Texline,_Texas,_USA)&oldid=170784.

Texline Mennonite Church (Texline, Texas, USA)

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