Clyde FUMC

Each Sunday join us at 8:30 AM for Donuts and Coffee in our beautiful fellowship hall. Sunday School is held at 9 AM. There are a variety of different classes for all age levels, we are happy to help you find the class that is right for you. The morning worship service begins at 10 AM. Clyde FUMC offers a traditional worship service including shared prayer time, children’s message, scripture and sermon, responsive readings with hymn music accompanied by piano and more. Holy Communion is served on the first Sundays of each month by the music notation. Service length is 60-75 minutes.

Wednesdays are filled with a variety of activities. Our children’s ministry team hosts Kingdom Kids during the school year from 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM. Transportation from the elementary and/or intermediate is available. The children receive a snack upon arrival and then rotate to various classes with their age group. The Kingdom Kids program teaches honor, respect, love and most importantly how to be a disciple of Jesus. Please contact our children’s director, Morgan Ramos, via email at children@clydefumc.org for additional information.

Youth group is held every Wednesday from 5-8 PM. Jr High Youth is 5-7 and Sr High Youth is 6-8, with a youth family meal for both age groups at 6 PM. Our youth group is very active in our community with service projects such as volunteering with the Boys and Girls club, helping at Love and Care ministries, feeding the hungry and various other servant hearted projects. They love to be the hands and feet of Jesus, and it is our honor to guide them in that direction. For additional information about our youth program please contact Erin Hughes at youth@clydefumc.org

Our music ministry fills the halls on Wednesday evenings with the beautiful sounds of music. The Handbell choir meets from 5:30 to 6:30 PM and the Sanctuary choir meets from 6:30 to 7:30 PM. Both ministries perform on various Sundays, for special events and different holidays throughout the year. Their music glorifies God in numerous ways as well as blessing our congregation. For more information or to join either choir please contact Jared Reiff at music@clydefumc.org.

Dive into the depths of the one book that will lead us through every aspect of life, the Bible, each Wednesday from 5:00 to 6:00 PM with our Adult Bible study class led by Steve Simoneau. Please contact the office for additional information. office@clydefumc.org

Clyde FUMC invites you to come and worship with us. See you at the altar!

Church History

The first members of the Methodist Church of Clyde may have come from a congregation meeting southwest of the present-day town. As early as 1884, Methodist families met at "Hubbard Timbers" and were organized into a local church with Brother Thompson as their first pastor. The church at Clyde probably began to be organized in 1900 or 1901.

In July of 1903, the Clyde congregation was incorporated into the Abilene district of the Northwest Texas Conference. Charlie Young was pastor. B.C. Clemer donated land for a new church building and the members built a white clapboard structure in 1904. Membership grew rapidly and by 1910, Clyde was the largest congregation in the Abilene area with 425 members. The sanctuary, which held 100 persons, proved too small, so in 1936, a building committee under the leadership of Mrs. P.C. Steen, designed a new sanctuary. Church members built the new structure with rock from the Berry ranch.

A Sunday School wing was added in the 1940's and a children's building in 1956, under the chairmanship of Harry Steen. Lee Crouch was the pastor. In 1961, the old parsonage was torn down and a new brick structure was built by Ed Craig for $14,500. Weldon Edwards was the building chairman for the project and Merrill Abbott's family was the first to enjoy the new parsonage.

The sanctuary was renovated in 1970 and enlarged to seat 250 persons. Bishop Alsie Carlton broke ground for the new Fellowship Hall in 1977, and Thelma Berry served as chairperson of the building committee. Bishop Louise W. Schowengerdt, District Superintendent Darris Egger, and Pastor Danny Whitehead presided over the dedication service on March 15, 1981.

In 1987, two memorials were added to enhance the beauty and usefulness of our facilities. A stately bell tower, housing the original bell from the 1904 church and a Schumerich carillon, was dedicated in memory of David Edwards. A lighted sign with marquee was given by Olaf South in memory of his wife, Amy. In the same year, a building marker was dedicated for our sanctuary from the Texas Historical Commission. The church is also listed in the National Register of Historic Buildings.

Meet Our Staff

Monty Barnett, Pastor

Monty became our pastor in June of 2013. He and his wife, Ashley, along with their three children, Hannah, Caleb, and Hope, moved here from O’Donnell, where Monty served the O’Donnell and Draw United Methodist Churches for four years. Prior to this, Monty served the churches in Throckmorton and Elbert. Monty attended Asbury Seminary from 2002 through 2006. Monty and Ashley both are graduates of Texas Tech and their children know the words to the Red Raiders fight song!

The Barnetts have enjoyed their time in Clyde, with their two dogs, Zoey and Zachy, and their 5 hermit crabs. They have been a part of church camp at Camp Butman since 2007. Hannah and Hope love gymnastics and various forms of artistry, and Caleb will chase the ball of whatever sport is in season.

Visit Pastor's Page

Jared Reiff, Director of Music & Worship Ministries

Jared Reiff is a recent graduate of Hardin-Simmons University, earning the Bachelors of Music degree in 2014 and the Masters of Music degree in Choral Conducting in December 2016. A native of Arkansas, Jared currently lives in Abilene with his wife, Alex, who is a prominent middle school orchestra director in town. They share their home with two adorable dogs, a chihuahua-terrier named Moose and a small chocolate poodle named Bear, who make sport of being lazy. Jared is a member of many professional organizations which include the American Choral Directors Association, Texas Choral Directors Association, and Texas Music Educators Association.

As a performer, Jared has conducted the Historic Paramount Theater’s Summer Musical productions of Les Miserables and Into the Woods. In 2013, he was selected as a student conductor for TCDA and performed at the annual conference in San Antonio that year. His other conducting experience includes his service as a former student director of HSU’s Upbeat! a cappella choir, and he performed as the Assistant Conductor for Hardin-Simmons Concert Choir and University Chorale. He has performed here in the U. S. in states such as Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma, but also abroad at European venues in Ireland, Scotland and Great Britain.

Jared is excited about the ongoing music and worship ministry of the First United Methodist Church in Clyde, whose emphasis has been on choral traditions and musical excellence. He looks forward to upholding the historic musical traditions of the church while also developing newness in the context of today’s worship. He is currently in the process of writing a book about shoe-tying technique, and intends to have it completed by the end of 2018. After several years in the ministry, Jared would like to pursue the D. M. A. degree and intends to pass along his knowledge and experience as a conductor and a church musician by teaching higher-education music.