• Join First Methodist Church Valley Mills for community worship, faith-based programs, and small groups
• Discover a welcoming environment to grow and serve today
Hope. Community. Purpose.
Worship: Sundays at 11:00 in the beautiful, historic sanctuary.
Since 1840
Methodists in Valley Mills trace their roots to the 1840s, when faithful circuit-riding preachers gathered believers for camp meetings on a nearby farm. In those early days, the gospel was proclaimed in open fields, and a strong foundation of faith was laid in the Valley Mills community.
In 1889, after the arrival of the railroad prompted the town to relocate south of the Bosque River, the Methodist congregation constructed its first church building in a residential neighborhood. As the community continued to grow, so did the church. In 1915, the congregation voted to move downtown, and by 1916 this brick sanctuary was completed.
The structure remains a striking presence, featuring two inset temple-front entrances framed by columns. Art glass windows fill the sanctuary with colored light, while corbelled brickwork and a pressed metal roof—crafted to simulate tile—add distinctive architectural beauty.
From camp meetings on a farm to a prominent downtown church, the mission has never changed. Today, as in those early days, the congregation is committed to sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, making disciples for Jesus, and spreading Scriptural holiness throughout the community and beyond.
Meet Our Pastor
John Tidmore serves as pastor with a deep love for the local church and a passion for proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. Though his ministry journey began in worship leadership, John sensed God’s clear call to preach and shepherd His people. That calling has shaped his heart for Christ-centered worship, faithful biblical teaching, and the pursuit of scriptural holiness in everyday life.
John is married to his wife, Julie, and together they are raising two energetic boys, Tripp and Ford, who keep life full with baseball games, golf swings, and plenty of family adventures. When he’s not in the pulpit or cheering from the sidelines, John enjoys the outdoors—especially hunting and fishing.
The Tidmore family treasures their quiet country life on their small farm just outside of town. It’s there, in the rhythms of rural living and family life, that John continues to be reminded of God’s faithfulness and goodness—truths he is eager to share with the church and community.
Our Church
Our Mission
To love God.
To love people.
To make disciples of Jesus Christ.
To spread scriptural holiness throughout our community and beyond.
What We Believe
At First Methodist Valley Mills, we are committed to the historic Christian faith, grounded in Scripture and shaped by the Wesleyan tradition. We believe God’s grace changes lives, and we exist to make disciples of Jesus Christ who spread scriptural holiness across our community and the world.
1. The Bible
We believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God and the final authority for faith and life.
Scripture tells the story of God’s saving work through Jesus Christ and reveals how we are to live as His people.
2. The Trinity
We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
God the Father creates and sustains all things.
God the Son, Jesus Christ, redeems the world.
God the Holy Spirit empowers believers to live holy lives.
3. Jesus Christ
We believe Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man.
He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose bodily from the dead.
Salvation is found in Him alone. Through repentance and faith in Jesus, we are forgiven, restored, and made new.
4. Salvation & Grace
We believe salvation is a gift of grace received by faith.
God’s grace:
Goes before us (prevenient grace)
Saves us (justifying grace)
Changes us (sanctifying grace)
Through the work of the Holy Spirit, believers can grow in holiness and love, becoming more like Christ daily.
5. The Church
We believe the Church is the Body of Christ, called to worship God, love one another, and make disciples of all nations.
We are part of the Global Methodist Church, a movement committed to historic Christian orthodoxy, biblical authority, and vibrant Wesleyan theology.
6. The Sacraments
We celebrate two sacraments instituted by Christ:
Baptism — a sign of God’s covenant grace and our new life in Christ.
Holy Communion — a means of grace in which we remember Christ’s sacrifice and receive spiritual nourishment.
7. Holy Living
We believe faith is more than belief—it is a transformed life.
Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we pursue:
Love of God
Love of neighbor
Personal holiness
Works of mercy and compassion
We believe that human sexuality is a gift of God that is to be affirmed as it is exercised within the legal and spiritual covenant of a loving and monogamous marriage between one man and one woman.
We believe God not only forgives sin but empowers us to live victoriously.
8. The Hope of Eternity
We believe Jesus will return.
There will be a final judgment.
Those who trust in Christ will enjoy eternal life with Him forever.
Let’s Stay in Touch
Questions about worship services, small groups, and community initiatives?
We’d be honored to help you discover how you can grow and serve alongside us.