The Woodlands United Methodist Church celebrates 40th anniversary

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- The Woodlands United Methodist Church (TWUMC) embarked on a year- long celebration Jan. 7, marking its 40th anniversary of Christian ministry, discipleship and missions outreach.

During its four-decade history TWUMC has grown from informal home gatherings to the third- largest attended United Methodist congregation in the United States (5,000+ each weekend).

The church is situated on 40+ acres in the heart of The Woodlands Town Center and includes a 13-acre parcel of land in the master-planned community of Woodforest in western Montgomery County.

Ed Robb and his wife Beverley arrived in The Woodlands in late 1977 and held the first worship service at the community’s information center on Sunday, January 8, 1978. The following years have been marked by steady growth, facility expansions and global ministry outreach. The church recently raised $800K for Hurricane Harvey relief efforts and gives away more than $4.5M annually to fund local and global missions.

“People often ask me, ‘did you ever imagine what this church would become?,’” says Robb, “and I say, ‘absolutely not. I am astonished at the ways in which our members have given their hearts and treasure for God’s kingdom and God’s glory. It’s never been about us. Our ministry together has always been about being faithful to our calling, being committed to God’s word, being generous with our resources and being compassionate as we serve.’”

Ed Robb served in local government roles for 17 years and retired after completing his term as Chairman of The Woodlands Township in 2016. Robb was recently elected as a board member of the Houston Methodist Hospital. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Asbury University, a Master of Theology from Southern Methodist University and an honorary Doctorate of Divinity degree from Asbury University. He and his wife have three grown children and eight grandchildren.

TWUMC is a 13,000-member congregation offering 11 live worship services each week in three unique worship styles across two campuses. Each Sunday, TWUMC webcasts three services (one in each style) live online on Facebook and YouTube. TWUMC offers dynamic Christian programs for all ages, placing special emphasis on discipleship, missions and outreach. TWUMC also runs an accredited preschool, a private school for grades K-8 and a licensed counseling center. The TWUMC mission is to “Win people to Jesus Christ, disciple them in faith, and help those in need.” Learn more at www.thewoodlandsumc.org.