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HISTORY OF ERNEST T. Dixon
United Methodist Church
During the 1982 Session of the Southwest Texas Conference, the late
Bishop Ernest T. Dixon, Jr. appointed the Reverend Morris Daugherty as Pastor
and charged him with organizing and building a church in the far east quadrant
of San Antonio. On June 30, 1982, the first organizational meeting was
held in the home of Mr. and Mrs. William “Bill” Dixson with fifteen
members in attendance.
 While
plans for the construction of the church were being enacted, worship services
were held at the East Side Multi-Purpose Center, the Sun Park Lane Senior
Citizens Home, and the Herman Hirsch Elementary School. The church was
originally named Rigsby Road United Methodist Church because of the location of
the property. During October 1982, the name was changed to Ernest T.
Dixon United Methodist Church in honor of Bishop Ernest T. Dixon, Jr., a native
of San Antonio and the first Black to serve in the Episcopacy of the Southwest
Texas Conference.
On February 10, 1985, the realization of a vision began when Bishop
Dixon, Rev. Daugherty, and District Superintendent Charles Giesler led the
Ground Breaking Ceremony. On February 2, 1986, the congregation moved
into their new church edifice. The Consecration Services for the new
edifice were held on April 6, 1986.
Since the pastoral appointment in 1982 and the completion of the
church edifice in 1986, E. T. Dixon experienced multiple changes internally and
externally, yet remaining faithful in ministry. There have been
organizational, disciplinarian, social, and procedural changes impacting the
church in various ways and degrees all providing new opportunities to display
faithfulness out of a relationship with Jesus Christ.
When Rev. Morris Daugherty received a new appointment, the Rev.
Donald Brewington succeeded him in carrying on the mission of the church body
from 1988 to 1992. The “Master Life” studies were initiated
by Rev. Brewington out of a need to enhance spiritual growth.
The Rev. James P. Amerson was appointed to E. T. Dixon UMC in 1992,
and continued to lead and work toward strengthening the ministries while
instituting new ministries. It was during Pastor Amerson’s tenure
in June 1996, that our beloved Bishop Ernest T. Dixon passed. His works
and warm smile will forever rest in our memories. In Bishop Dixon’s
honor, Senator Frank Madla introduced a bill to the Texas Senate in 1997, to
rename the stretch of Highway #87 between Loop 410 and Loop 1604, “Dixon
Memorial Parkway”.
In June 2000, the church welcomed the Rev. Robert Glenn who kept the
doors open and led the flock. During his first two years, he served a two
point charge as Pastor of E. T. Dixon UMC and Down’s Memorial UMC.
Pastor Glenn was devoted to spiritual growth and quality leadership of the
church.
During the June 2002 Session of the Southwest Texas Conference
Down’s Memorial United Methodist Church was merged with the E. T. Dixon
United Methodist Church. The rich and glorious history of Down’s
Memorial, named after Carl Downs, past president of Samuel Huston College,
began forty-four years ago out of the homes of committed Christians under the
leadership of the Rev. Nathanial Johnson. Down’s Methodist
Episcopal Church held services in the basement of St. Paul’s Methodist
Episcopal Church and the old Brackenridge School building until property was
acquired at the corner of Lone Oak and Lincolnshire. The church
experienced one name change during the merger between St. Luke, Ellison Eads,
and Down’s, in 1970; and in 1982, claimed and continued ministry under
its original name of Down’s Memorial United Methodist Church.
As a result of Pastor Glenn’s leadership, dedication, fervent
prayers, and faithfulness, the church was blessed to achieve one-hundred
percent payment of it’s apportionment for the year 2004. In
addition, God’s blessings were further evidenced as the E. T. Dixon
Church became a “Stephen’s Ministry” congregation.
The Rev. Robert Douglas was welcomed by “The Church on the
Hill” in June 2006. He has continued to lead us through ventures of
faith for he believes that all our needs are sufficiently met by God, as we
live obedient to God’s Word. In 2006, the E. T. Dixon Church
achieved the “Five Star” status with the Southwest Texas
Conference. Pastor Douglas is involved in all phases of the church and
has led us to embrace a new vision of dedication and service.
On December 8, 2008, Pastor Robert Douglas informed the
congregation he had been approved for a sabbatical leave, effective December
31, 2008.
On January 1, 2009 the church welcomed the Reverend
Germaine Mathis to lead the flock and continue our vision through spiritual
growth.
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