History:

In May of 1959, neighbors in the ranch land community of Cypress met to organize the Cypress United Methodist Church. Two months later under the leadership of The Reverend C. E. Clark, a retired Methodist minister, forty-nine persons met for the first worship service of the new church in Lamkin Elementary School. The Reverend Gregory Longenbaugh was appointed pastor to the new church. Thus began the church’s tradition, “Meeting Community Needs.”

In October of 1959, a small down payment under the United Methodist Church’s “Room-to-Grow” program secured the purchase of five acres of land for the new church. By January of 1960, the congregation numbered 95 and, that year, WSCS and MYF groups were formed. A parsonage was purchased in Timberlake Estates. In the summer of 1961, the first Vacation Bible School was conducted.

The young church continued to meet at the elementary school until a converted war surplus building, used as a band hall, was purchased from the Cy-Fair High School for $1,650 and moved to the five-acre site. The first worship services were held in the “new” sanctuary on February 1, 1964. Twice remodeled, the converted band hall is still used today as a Fellowship Hall .

Phase I of a master building plan was completed in December, 1967, with the construction of a building containing the present sanctuary, church offices and educational space.

In August, 1967, a new parsonage was completed on Mile Drive. With the rapid growth of church and community, Phase II of the building plan was completed in February 1973, with the dedication of an educational building to Ray L. Hinds.

In 1977, Phase III of the building plan resulted in the completion of the lower floor of the new Wesley building, construction of a larger choir rehearsal room and paved parking space for 178 vehicles.

In 1977 the church also developed a library resource center and refurbished the fellowship hall with funds raised by United Methodist Women.

Phase IV of the building program was finished in November 1993 with the completion of the Wesley Building’s second floor, expansion of the Narthex, and additional parking. In 1996, the sanctuary was refurbished and land was purchased to allow future expansion of church facilities and services.

On January 30, 1996 a l.7 acre track of land was purchased on the west side of the campus adjoining the existing property, leaving .5 acre, prime property, joining the property at the corner of Cypress Corner and Cypress N. Houston Road. With the purchase of the .5 acre track of land on December 30, 1996 CUMC began to make plans for the future. A note burning and dedication of the land and prayer circle was held on September 26, 1998.

In early 1998 a long range planning committee was formed to review the growth of CUMC over the past few years and to forecast the needs of the church. With this study complete a Long Range Plan was submitted which required more land. With this plan in mind, on December 20, 1999 ten acres was purchased south of the existing property.

On August 20, 2000 a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the building of a Multiply Purpose Family facility on the west side of the campus. This facility is used for our Contemporary Worship Service, a Traditional Worship Service and the large gatherings of our church family.

With a current membership of almost 2,200 and the spirit of that first organizational meeting in 1959, Cypress United Methodist Church continues to grow and meet the needs of the community through service in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ