A Tour of St. Paul's UMC, Houston
Architecture
The architecture is Modified English Gothic. This design creates an older appearance than the actual building date of 1929-1930. The outside is Indiana limestone, the roof and most of the original floors are slate. The architect was Alfred C. Finn, popular in Houston in the late 1920’s, and a protégé of Houston civic leader Jesse H. Jones, who was a member of St. Paul’s congregation. Finn also is well known for his design of the Gulf Building (now part of the Chase Bank complex in downtown Houston) and the San Jacinto Monument.
In traditional Gothic style, the worship area is shaped in the form of a cross, or cruciform. The center aisle forms the long bar of the cross, and the cross bar ends in the transepts. In large Gothic churches, the transepts are deep. In Roman Catholic churches, the transepts may hold small chapels with candles and kneelers for prayers. In Protestant churches, transepts are fairly plain, and in this church, they only have the large Wesley windows and a few pews.
The worship area is often called the ‘sanctuary,’ but it should be called the ‘nave,’ from the Latin word ‘navis,’ meaning ‘ship.’ In early years, the church was considered “the ship of the Lord on which the Christians sailed the sea of life.” 
The actual ‘sanctuary,’ from the Latin ‘sanctum,’ is where the altar is located. From that area to the altar rail is the ‘chancel,’ from the Latin ‘cancelli.’ The pulpit on the south side is for preaching the Word and reading the Gospel. The lectern on the north side is for reading other scriptures and making announcements.
Candles Crosses Other Symbolism
Kneelers Organs Windows
Ceiling Narthex History
Guided group tours during the week may be arranged by calling the church at 713-528-0527.
The church normally is open to visitors on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Exceptions would be during funerals or other scheduled activities. Please enter at the Jones Plaza entrance near Fannin, on the opposite side of the building shown above right.
Information for the narrative portion of this tour was compiled by Joesphine Crain, St. Paul's volunteer archivist. The better photographs in this tour are by Dax Nessosi, Frank White, and Sandy Bankston.
Candles
Candles play a significant part in worship services.
The single tall candle by the lectern is called the “Christ Candle,” referring to Jesus’ words, “I am the light of the world.” (John 8:12)
Two candles on the altar represent the two-fold nature of Jesus – human and divine. 
Sometimes there are seven-candle candelabras on the altar or beside it. These are used on special occasions, such as Easter, Christmas, and weddings. The seven candles represent the seven flames of the Spirit, referred to in the Book of Revelation. (Rev.4:5)
Crosses
There are many types of crosses, each with meanings beyond the reminder of God’s love as revealed in Christ. A plain cross with a long bar and a shorter crossbar is known as a Latin cross. Examples of those are in the glass in the doors.
The silver cross usually on the altar with the circle in the center is know as a Celtic (kel tic) cross. (See illustration in Candles section, above.) There are many large stone ones in the cemeteries in Ireland and Wales, taken from the time of the Celts (kelts). The distinctive feature on this cross is the circle, which represents eternal life. In the center of the cross are the letters I H S. There is an ‘I H C’ in the shield in the center of the altar. In Greek, the letters ‘S’ and ‘C’ are interchangeable. This is an abbreviation for ‘Jesus.’ The full word in Greek is ‘IHEOYE.’
Behind the silver cross is a Latin cross carved in wood with the Greek letters ‘XP’ (Chi Rho) in the center. These are the first two letters in Greek for the word ‘Christ.’ These letters are also on the pillow in the chair. The full word in Greek is ‘XPIETOE.’
Another type of cross is the Jerusalem, or Crusaders, cross. Our processional cross is such a cross. 
The Jerusalem cross is used as the logo for our church and is on our banners, worship bulletins, and other printed material. There are several symbolic meanings for this cross. One is that the large cross represents the original Christian church in Jerusalem founded by the disciples, and the four small Greek crosses represent the four corners of the earth to which the Gospel spread. Jesus told his disciples to take the good news to the ends of the earth.
Other Symbolism
The grape clusters, vines, and leaves carved around the top of the altar represent Holy Communion. There are 12 clusters of grapes, representing the 12 Disciples. The carved words “This Do In Remembrance Of Me” are the words of Jesus to his disciples in the Upper Room the last Thursday of his life, when he initiated what we now observe as the Communion Service. (In Candles section, see photograph of altar illustrating two candles on either side of Celtic cross.)
The wooden panel behind the altar, the reredos (rear dahs), holds much symbolism. Four small, but very significant, shields represent the Passion and Death of Christ. The first shield has an olive branch and a club, symbolizing the Garden of Gethsemane, which was an olive grove. Jesus prayed there, and the Roman soldiers arrested him there. The second shield has a crown of thorns and three nails, representing his torture and nailing to the cross. The third shield has a ladder, reed, and sponge, symbols of his crucifixion. When he said “I thirst,” a ladder was put up, and he was offered a sponge of sour wine, or vinegar, which would have acted as a sedative. He refused it. The fourth shield has a pincer and mallet, representing the lowering of Christ’s body and removal of the nails with a mallet and pincer. 
Also carved on the reredos is a large stylized rose on each side, with smaller roses in other places. These symbolize “The Promised Messiah.” In the Old Testament book of Isaiah, the prophet states that “the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose upon the coming of the promised Messiah.” (Isaiah 35)
At the top of the reredos and on the sides and back of the choir loft are carvings of angels, symbolic of heavenly beings, praising God. The angels in front are praying, and those around the choir loft are singing. Each angel is carved a little differently – note the wings of those around the choir loft. Also on the reredos and the top of the large chairs are spires with acorns, representing life everlasting. 
The pulpit and lectern have the vine and grape design, here symbolizing Jesus’ words, “I am the vine and you are the branches.” The front of the pulpit has symbolic carving. The crown reminds us of the Kingship of Christ – “He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” The shield signifies faith and is also a symbol for St. Paul. The descending dove is the symbol of the Holy Spirit descending at the time of Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist. (Mark l:9)
Sketches of many of these and other symbols along with explanations of each are in a separate brochure available at the church and also in this link.
Kneelers
The kneelers at the altar have some of the symbols previously described – several different crosses and Greek letters, including the Alpha and Omega letters, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. Jesus said, “I am the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
The Methodist insigne of the cross and flame, at left, is also in the kneelers.
Organs
The Great Organ
(The Madison & Martha Farnsworth Organ)
The large organ above the choir loft was installed in 1981 by the Schantz Organ Company of Orville, Ohio. When installed, it contained 76
ranks and incorporated pipes from two previous organs. It has been renovated and upgraded several times since 1981, and it currently has 84 ranks and 4,569 pipes of polished zinc. The majority of the pipes are behind the walls on the sides and in the center, stacked closely together. The largest pipes are 32 feet tall, and the smallest are the size of a pencil. It is a four manual electro-pneumatic instrument, and it is played from a console at the front of the choir loft. This organ is played at all worship services and special organ and choral concerts.
The Gallery Organ
(The Lortz-Walters Gallery Organ)
An Echo Organ in the ceiling of the balcony had become inoperable over the years, and the current organ was installed in November 2004 by the Schantz Organ Company. It consists of 12 ranks and 732 pipes in casing on the back wall of the balcony, also made by the Schantz Organ Company to match the casing of the Great Organ.
This organ can be played from the console of the Great Organ alone or in conjunction with the Great Organ. Also, a keyboard can be attached so that it can be played from the balcony.
These organs are illustrated and further described in the Music and Arts/Organs section of this Website.
Windows
St. Paul’s stained glass windows are called "antique" windows, and this has to do with the way they were fired. For the "antique" procedure, a charcoal mixture was put on them and baked into the glass to achieve a diffused light through them. (They are not dirty; the black does not come off.) Because of the predominance of blue in them, the windows also are called "cobalt" windows.
Three of the original windows in the first St. Paul’s church building downtown were brought to this building – the large windows in the transepts and the round one above the organ pipes. The round window is lighted from inside and is called the "Gethsemane Window." It depicts Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane on the last Thursday of his life, as he prayed “Father, if it be Thy will, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not my will but Thine be done.” (Luke 22:39-46)
The large window in the transept on the south side (right, facing the altar) has the figure of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. John Wesley was a minister in the Church of England in the 1700’s. He rode up and down England on horseback, preaching and teaching. He did not plan to start a new denomination, but when he sent missionaries to America, they became known as ministers of the Methodist denomination.
Continuing along the south side, every second set of windows contains figures. The first window is called “Christ In The Temple.” It shows Christ as a child of 12 conversing with the learned priests of the Temple in Jerusalem. The story is in Luke 2:47 and states: “All who heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.”
The next picture is titled “St. Paul.” He is important to us, not only because our church is named for him, but because nearly half of the New Testament is comprised of letters from Paul to the churches he either founded or visited and wrote to in the first century. This shows him with a sword. In describing the armor of a Christian, Paul talks of the “sword of the Spirit.” (Ephesians 6:17)
The next two pictures are the only ones depicting stories from the Hebrew Scriptures. The first is “Ruth, The Gleaner.” It illustrates the Old Testament story from the Book of Ruth and shows her gleaning wheat in the fields of Boaz. She later married Boaz and down through the generations, she and Boaz became ancestors of Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus. The next picture is of “Moses,” to whom God gave the Ten Commandments. It is unusual that it shows Moses with a scroll on which the Ten Commandments are written, rather than the stone tablets we normally see in pictures of Moses.
The large window facing Main Street was designed for this location and is titled “Come Unto Me” from the passage in Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me, all who labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” In the circle at the top of the window is what looks like a dove; however, the records say it is a phoenix. Greek mythology says the phoenix bird was consumed by flames and arose alive from the ashes. For Christians, this symbolizes resurrection.
Along the north side (left, facing the altar) is a window with the picture of “The Comforting Christ,” or “Christ The Consoler.” It shows a young man with his head on Jesus’ lap, and Jesus consoling him. The next picture is “The Good Shepherd,” symbolizing the story of the good shepherd and the sheep in John 10:l-16. There are many scriptures when Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd, I will guard my flock, I will tend my sheep.”
The next pair of windows are together referred to as the "Easter Windows." The one on the left is “The Three Marys,” or “He Is Risen.” The three Marys are a little hard to see – one has a red robe, one a blue one, and one a green robe, with the angel in white standing on the tomb. This illustrates the passage in Matthew 28:6 when the angel says, “He is not here, for he has risen, as he said.”
The Easter Window on the right is named “The Ascension.” It shows Jesus being taken into heaven, as described in Luke 24:51, “And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.” Most ascension pictures show Jesus in white for purity. This shows him in a purple robe, signifying royalty.
The large picture in the north transept is of Charles Wesley, the brother of John Wesley. He was also a minister in the Church of England and was the hymn writer for the “Methodist Societies,” as they were called in England. He wrote more than 6,000 hymns in his lifetime, though we have only 50 in the current hymnal of the United Methodist Church.
The other windows have various religious symbols and geometric designs – circles for eternity; flowers of the lily (fleur-de-lis) for the Trinity. Windows like these are in the narthex, the Chapel, and rooms on other floors. There are 89 stained-glass windows throughout the sanctuary building, and several more are in the Jones Building, across Jones Plaza.
Ceiling and Lights
Gothic architecture is reflected in the shape of the ceiling, which resembles the hull of an upturned ship. The early Phoenician Christians, who were seafaring people, turned the hull of a ship upside down and held their first worship services under it. This tradition has continued in Gothic structures, and in large churches, the ceiling is sometimes stone, often dark wood. This ceiling is pecky cypress, which has tiny pinholes in it.
The light fixtures are etched amber glass. There are 25 light bulbs in each fixture, and when they are replaced, scaffolding has to be erected under them.
Narthex
The Narthex is at the Main Street entry. The word ‘narthex’ comes from the Latin, meaning ‘outer court.’ The doors are leather-covered with unpolished brass nail heads. Above the doors are designs of four open circles, which represent the Four Gospels. Within the circles are shields, representing St. Paul. The glass cross in the doors is a Latin cross, and the one in the side doors, with equal bars, is a Greek cross. The furniture in the narthex has the grapes, leaves, and vine carving. The floor is slate, as is the floor in the hall at the other end of the nave.
History
The St. Paul’s congregation was organized in 1905-1906. We celebrated our 100th year anniversary in 2005-2006. The first church building for the congregation was downtown at Milam and McGowen Streets. The congregation worshiped there until 1927, when more space was needed and plans were begun for the building of the present church building at 5501 Main Street at Binz/Bissonnet. Additional history information is in the History section of this Website.
