Corrigan First Methodist Church hosted an open house and re-dedication ceremony for its “ascension window” on Sept. 26 following the recent restoration of the stained glass window.
Over the many years of its history, the church has been blessed with 19 exquisite stained glass windows, all but one having narratives that go along with them.
Age, combined with general wear and tear on the church building, resulted in the window becoming bowed.
The “ascension window” is 120 years old. It was donated to the church by John Henry Kirby in 1905 in memory of Matthew Gibbs. Gibbs settled in the Pine Grove area in the mid-1800s and is buried in the Pine Grove Cemetery. Kirby was from Peach Tree Village in Tyler County. He became a lumber tycoon and investor in the early 20th century.
Scott Eaton of Freebird Glass out of Cypress completed the restoration. He is one of only three people in the U.S. that does restoration of stained glass, Church Secretary Deidre Cornelius said, noting that it is in “remarkable shape” to be 120 years old.
Prior to the re-dedication, Pastor Lewis Ivey presented the following timeline of the church:
- 1887 – First Methodist services held in Corrigan.
- 1889 – Corrigan First Methodist Church formally organized and a new sanctuary was built and completed in 1890.
- 1906 – New church building with stained glass windows completed under the leadership of Rev. I.W. Campbell.
- 1909 – All denominations utilized this church building until the Baptist Church was completed.
- 1921-1924 – Extensive repairs to the windows and ceilings.
- 1927-1930 – Sunday school rooms were added above the study and the choir room in the of the building.
- 1936-1939 – Recreation hall was completed.
- 1947-1949 – The church became a station, a single church assignment.
- 1952 – The current building (sanctuary and Sunday school rooms) were completed.
- 1990 – Old steeple removed and new one was added.
- 2020-2021 – Bible Memorial Methodist Church in Moscow, the property and all memberships merged with Corrigan.
- December 2022 – Corrigan United Methodist Church disaffiliated from the United Methodist Conference.
- January 2023 – The church became an independent Methodist Church renamed as Corrigan First Methodist Church.
- September 2023 – Replaced the original flooring in the fellowship hall with extensive remodeling.
- June 2026 – Ascension window removed for restoration by Freebird Glas.
- August 2026 – Ascension window returns restored and reinstalled with new LED backlighting.
Restoration of the window cost $10,000.
“We’re a small church, but through prayer and faith that money was raised in about five weeks,” Ivey said.
