Our History

On May 6, 1979, 124 persons attended the Chartering Service of Oak Hill United Methodist Church. On this special day, 64 adults, youth, and children joined as charter members.

Charter membership remained open until Aug. 26, 1979.

By then, there was a total of 80 charter members.

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The first worship service was held outside at a park in the Travis Country subdivision. Eventually, the congregation began to look for an indoor worship site. The Silver Dollar South Saloon, a large country and western nightclub, was leased for $200 a month from its owner George Weems, a Methodist from Round Rock. This was to be the temporary Sunday morning home for the fledgling church. Some raised eyebrows about a church meeting in a dance hall, but this actually helped the congregation develop its relaxed, open character. After all, how many other churches could refer to Sunday School as “Happy Hour”?

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As Mike Willenberg, first chairman of the Board of Trustees, wrote in a news article in those early days, “A church isn't buildings. It’s the people.” This philosophy continues to this day.