Westminster College and the Congregational Methodist Church Era (1953-1972)

In 1953, the Congregational Methodist Church purchased the campus for its Dallas-based Bible school. The school relocated to the larger, rural campus and was renamed Westminster Junior College and Bible Institute. The move allowed the denomination to expand its academic offerings beyond ministerial training, combining a two-year junior college curriculum with Bible courses, and to provide boarding facilities for students from across the region. The historic campus gave the school an immediate sense of permanence and identity, and the Westminster name was retained to connect with its established reputation for Christian education in Texas.

Pictured: Theology students, pictured in the 1960-61 Westminster yearbook.

Upon arrival, the church adapted the campus for its needs with modest but functional updates. The main college building, built for the earlier Westminster College, became the central academic and administrative space. Classrooms were reequipped, and some areas were converted into offices and specialized Bible instruction rooms. Dormitories were refurbished for student housing, the dining hall was put back into service, and recreational areas were reestablished for a small residential student body. Chapel services, central to the school’s mission, were held in existing assembly spaces. Over time, additional maintenance projects addressed deferred repairs from the years the property had been vacant, including roof work, plumbing upgrades, and improvements to heating systems.

Pictured: Aerial photograph of the Westminster campus circa 1950.

Academically, Westminster Junior College and Bible Institute followed a dual-track approach: students could pursue a junior college diploma while also completing coursework for religious vocations. This structure was designed to prepare future pastors, missionaries, and church workers, but it also served lay students seeking a general education within a Christian environment. The school maintained strong ties to the Congregational Methodist denomination, and its small size allowed for close interaction between faculty and students. In addition to classes, the campus hosted denominational conferences and youth gatherings, making it an important religious center in Tehuacana.

Pictured: A group of student pastors featured in the 1960-61 Westminster yearbook.

Despite these strengths, the school faced persistent challenges. Enrollment numbers remained modest, limiting tuition revenue, and the cost of maintaining the historic but aging campus steadily increased. The rural location, while conducive to a close-knit community, proved a disadvantage in recruiting new students, particularly as higher education opportunities expanded in urban areas during the 1960s. The denomination also began to see growth in its congregations outside Texas, shifting the geographic center of its activity toward the Southeast.

By the early 1970s, denominational leaders concluded that relocation would better serve the institution’s long-term viability. In 1972, Westminster Junior College and Bible Institute moved to Florence, Mississippi, where it could be closer to a larger base of potential students and more centrally located within the denomination’s area of influence. The move ended nearly two decades of Congregational Methodist use of the Tehuacana campus and marked the close of its era as a center of religious education. The departure left the historic property vacant once again, setting the stage for its next chapter.

Pictured: “Leaving the Hill”. Students walking away from college hill, featured in the 1971-72 Westminster yearbook.