About Us

The First Christian Church of Van Alstyne is recognized as the oldest Christian Church in Texas by virtue of the longest continuously worshipping congregation. These worship services began informally in 1841 in the homes of members, before being founded as The Christian Church in the winter of 1841‑1842 by the McKinney family at McKinney's Landing Red River. This pioneer family later moved to Mantua bringing their church family with them. It was here in 1846 that twenty‑one members of this group formally organized the Mantua (or Liberty) Church. The charter members were: Collin McKinney, his wife Betsy (Leake) McKinney, Elder W.C. (Billie) McKinney , Margaret (Peggy) McKinney, Polly McKinney, Marcus S. McKinney, Ashley McKinney, Sarah (Sally) McKinney, D. L. (Leake) McKinney, C. M (Mile) McKinney, James S. McKinney, Deacon George McKinney, Nancy McKinney, Elder J. B. Wilmeth, Nancy Wilmeth, and Eliza Milam. Five members of black families were also Charter members: Vina, Polina, Lucinda, Hannah and Anderson. These twenty‑one Christian pioneers have been immortalized in the present church with a stained glass window depicting The Last Supper.

These members continued to meet in private homes until a log church was erected in 1850. A larger house of worship was built in 1854 to accommodate the growing congregation; and by 1871 that church had been outgrown and a new one built. With the advent of the railroad in Van Alstyne, Mantua, in effect, migrated to the new community. In 1888 during the ministry of Elder R. C. Horn, the congregation built their first church in Van Alstyne. When the remainder of the Mantua congregation joined this congregation in 1891, the name was changed to The First Christian Church of Van Alstyne.

In 1914, the first brick church in town was constructed by The First Christian Church. This church is noted for its extraordinarily beautiful stained glass windows which encircle the sanctuary. All the windows are dedicated to early church members who contributed so much to the growth of the church. This beautiful building still serves as an inspiration to today's congregation, with many members able to trace their roots back through several generations who have worshipped here. A few have direct ties going back to our beginning in 1831.

You will be welcomed by our members and friends. We are very happy you have joined us and want to make sure you feel welcome and comfortable. Please let us know if we can help you in anyway.
Come as you are. You’ll see people in suits, jeans and everything in between.
Bring your children for the start of worship. They normally leave for “Kids Praise and Worship” right after the service Prayer and Dedication. If you have younger children, we have a nursery that will take good care of them.
We have a worship bulletin that will guide you through the worship service. If you have a question or aren’t sure about something, just ask.
We share in communion each week. The Lord’s Supper is a memorial of Christ and His redemptive death. The Lord’s Supper or Communion is celebrated in our weekly worship and is open to all who believe in Jesus Christ.
We take an offering during the worship service. We know that some are not able to give so don’t worry if you can’t. If you do, it is appreciated and whatever you give will be used to support the various ministries and missions of our church.
Is there an elevator? Entrance to elevator is located off the church's parking lot on S. Waco St.

Dr. Deuel has a Doctor of Theology Degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. His degree is in preaching with a minor in counseling. Dr. Deuel was selected to participate in an honors study program at Oxford University in Oxford, England. He has served Christian Churches (Disciples of Christ) in Missouri, North Carolina and Texas. Most recently, he served for 8 years as the senior minister of First Christian Church in Plano, Texas. Dr. Deuel has worked extensively with Habitat for Humanity both in the United States and abroad. He has taken mission teams to work in Mexico, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Jamaica, Honduras, India and Ecuador. In 2012, Dr. Deuel was awarded the William Jewell College Humanitarian Award for his “commitment to serving others to create a more compassionate and just world”. This was only the second time this award was given by the William Jewell Board of Governors to a William Jewell alum. Dr. Deuel is also a published author. He published a series of sermons for Lent and Easter in a book titled Returning to God. His unique style of preaching seeks to apply the biblical message to contemporary life through the use of stories and applications that speak to the heart. Dr. Deuel is married to Mellony and they have three grown children.