Funerals
Your Church family is here to walk with you in times of grief. Every funeral inquiry at First Houston begins in conversation with one of our pastors. To connect with us, feel free to send an email to [email protected] or reach our pastor on call at 877-772-0577.
Contact A Pastor
Rev. Lindsay Kirkpatrick is our new Senior Pastor. She brings 17 years of ministry experience, most recently serving 11 years at Asbury UMC in Pasadena. Lindsay and her husband, Kenton, have three children—Braden, Logan, and Beth.
Pastor Eric Pugh, our Pastor of Missions & Family Ministry, has served at First Methodist Houston. An ordained United Methodist Deacon, he brings over 15 years of ministry experience and holds a Master of Theological Studies from SMU and a Doctor of Ministry in Preaching from Garrett-Evangelical Seminary.
Pastor Sylvia Kiboko leads Altar Umoja at First Methodist Houston, celebrating African culture through worship in Swahili and French. Join for fellowship at 11 AM and worship at 12 PM on the second floor; first Sundays are in the sanctuary with translation services.
Amanda Davis, Executive Pastor at First Methodist Houston, brings years of pastoral experience and a passion for community ministry. She is a wife and mom of two who loves family adventures and cheering on the “A Team.”
Columbarium Niches Now Available
Have you noticed the Columbarium on the front porch of the Downtown Campus? (A Columbarium is a place where cremated ashes may be inurned.) People are buying their permanent resting place. Rather than being a few square feet in a large cemetery, they will be surrounded by the church that they have loved and supported for years.
There are advantages to making your arrangements now. First, you lock in today’s price of $4,000 per niche. Second, when the time comes, your family is left to concentrate on what’s important–helping each other get through their grief rather than funeral details.
To find out more about the Columbarium, contact Judy Saenz, by email or 832-668-1836. There will be no obligation and our information will be confidential. More detailed information about the Columbarium will be forwarded for you to read and prayerfully consider.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a columbarium?
A columbarium is a place where cremated ashes may be inurn.
Why are we building a columbarium?
More and more frequently members of our church or their families are choosing to have their loved ones’ remains cremated. Creating a space for these remains in the church grounds is a way of honoring the life and legacy of those who have loved the Lord. It is a tradition that goes back to the early Christians.
What does the church teach about cremation?
The Christian understanding of the resurrection of the body is based on the example of Jesus’ resurrection. St. Paul tells us our bodies will be transformed when the perishable puts on the imperishable (1 Cor 15:53). In other words, as we die in Christ our resurrection life is not so much a continuation of life as we have known it as it is becoming more truly and completely alive than we can now imagine. The promise is that God will restore all of the person to a new level of perfection. Therefore, historically the church has endorsed burial, cremation, or burial at sea, knowing that God will raise up the faithful Christian to an abundant and whole life.