About Us
What We Believe
Lyons Evangelical Church is a historic Reformed Congregational church, whose Constitution outlines the structure of our common life of faith together.
The Apostle's and Nicene Creeds as well as the Evangelical Catechism (Eden Publishing House 1961) express our church's fundamental beliefs about the Bible's teaching of the Triune God of grace and a life of obedience.
In addition, our church abides by the core beliefs, values and faith of the Evangelical Association of Reformed and Congregational Christian Churches (evangelicalassociation.org).
History
As German immigrant farmers moved westward from Washington County in the mid-19th century, three German Reformed Congregational churches were established in Burleson County by the 1880s – Immanuel Lyons Church, St. Stephen’s Mound Prairie and Salem Birch Church. For many years, these churches collaborated in various ways, such as sharing a pastor, combining their confirmation groups, etc.
In the 1920s each of the churches joined the Evangelical & Reformed denomination, which was headquartered at that time in St. Louis, Missouri.
In 1961, after several years of discussion and much sacrifice among the members, the three churches united. Pooling their resources and even different parts of their previous church buildings, they constructed a new church building in the agreed central location where the Immanuel Church of Lyons, Texas was located. This united Congregation joined the United Churches of Christ denomination at that time, along with most other Evangelical & Reformed churches.
In 2007, a new church building was deemed necessary. Plans were drawn, and a common mind was evident in the congregation. By 2009, the new church was under construction and was completed after 8 months of work. The previous church building was donated to a rural congregation and stands to this day.
In 2020, after several years of discussion, the church changed its affiliation (from United Church of Christ to Evangelical Association of Reformed Congregational Churches, EARCC). The EARCC is a revival of the old Evangelical & Reformed church affiliation, and through the EARCC, LEC remains connected to her historic faith and in partnership with likeminded churches. As a result of this new affiliation, the church changed its name to Lyons Evangelical Church in 2020.
Our rural community is experiencing population growth, as the highways in and out of our town are expanding to accommodate a new generation of young families who wish to enjoy a more traditional country life than the big city environment affords. Situated just 20 minutes south of College Station, which is home to Texas A&M University (the largest public university in the USA), the future has never looked brighter for LEC – Weekly we minister God’s Word, seek the health of our community, care for one another and worship the Lord in spirit and in truth – all of which we continue!
