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The town of Bovina was organized in the early 20th century in the heart of the "XIT" Ranch on the Pecos Valley Railway. Soon after its establishment, a Methodist church was founded with nine charter members. The Rev. V. H. Trammell, who served as pastor from 1905 until 1908, helped organize the congregation and held services one Sunday a month. Members of the Bovina Methodist Church first met in a one-room schoolhouse. In 1910, during the pastorate of the Rev. J. A. Sweeney (d. 1919), the congregation constructed its first sanctuary across the street from this site. Much of the money raised to help build the structure came from cowboys on area ranches. The church hired its first full-time pastor during the 1940s. As the oldest Methodist congregation in Parmer County, Bovina Methodist Church has a long history of providing service and leadership to the community and the surrounding farming and ranching area. With its emphasis on Christian education, youth ministry, and music, the congregation continues to uphold the ideals and traditions of its founders. (1985) |
