The Fine Arts Council is part of the Music and Fine Arts Ministry of First United Methodist Church Longview. Made up of members from the congregation, the council depends entirely on donations from the public to fund events planned during the year and is dedicated to bringing a wide variety of fine arts events to this church.
Past performances include the composer Mark Hayes, the Texas Boys Choir, the duo-Pianists Nielson & Young, guitarist Doyle Dykes and the Vienna Boys Choir!
If you would like to find out more about the Fine Arts Council or wish to give a donation, please contact:
Church Book Honored in ADDY Awards
A book about the stained glass windows in Longview’s First United Methodist Church won a Silver ADDY in the Shreveport ADDY competition.
The church’s Fine Arts Council produced the book, “The Life of Christ through the Windows of First United Methodist Church”. It features color photographs of all the stained glass windows in the church along with scripture attendant to each window.
According to the American Advertising Federation, the ADDY Awards represent the true spirit of creative excellence by recognizing all forms of advertising from media of all types, creative by all sizes and entrants of all levels from anywhere in the world. The ADDY Awards are the world's largest and arguably toughest advertising competition, according to the AAF website.
The church’s Fine Arts Council worked on the book for more than a year. Three active ministers, three retired ministers and three church members contributed material to the book. The largest windows in the church are in the sanctuary, which was completed in March, 1952. The sanctuary windows were designed and executed by artists at the Jacoby Art Glass Co
of St. Louis, MO.
The cost of the windows was less than $20,000 in 1952, according to church archives. Today, they are insured for more than $800,000.
In 2002, the church was renovated and enlarged. Stephen Wilson Stained Glass of Baton Rouge, LA, designed windows for the hallway that attached the church’s Faith Center to the existing building. Each of those windows illustrates one of the “I Am” Bible verses.
The church’s three current pastors were joined by three retired pastors in writing brief reflections about the meaning of each window. Rev. Pat Sparks, senior minister contributed reflections on the sanctuary windows as did associate ministers David Lindwall and Mike Schultz. Connie Winborn and Larry Crider, retired United Methodist ministers also contributed material about the sanctuary windows.
Bob Parrott, also a retired United Methodist minister, explained the meaning of the ”I Am” windows that were added when the church was renovated and enlarged in 2002.
Glenn McCutchen chaired the effort to produce the book. He and Jennifer Slade explained the history of the windows while Van Craddock chronicled important events in the life of the church beginning in 1845.
Longview News-Journal photographer Les Hassel photographed each of the windows. Abbey Tyson and Jason Butler of Forbes & Butler designed the book and Hudson Printing printed the book.
Books are available at the church for $45 each. More information about the church is available at www.longviewfumc.org.
CAPTION:
”The Resurrection,” is one of 12 sanctuary windows featured in a book about the stained glass windows in Longview’s First United Methodist Church. This window shows an angel dressed in white greeting Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome at Jesus’ empty tomb. The three letters in the Celtic cross at the top of the window represent the first three letters of Jesus name in the Greek alphabet. “He is Not Here for He is Risen,” the angel’s message to the three women is displayed in the open book at the bottom of the window.
