Trinity United Methodist Church

In 1852, the Reverend Charles A. Grote, pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South in Fredericksburg, held the first Protestant worship service in the Llano Valley for the early settlers, mostly of German descent. The service was held on the north side of the Llano River, near the present community of Castell. In 1871, Rev. Grote was assigned as pastor and the congregation built a combination parsonage-church. In 1880, under the Rev. Jacob Kern, the first part of the present Castell church building was constructed. In 1900, a “T” addition was made to the church under the pastorate of Rev. E.A. Konken. The bell for the church was obtained in 1891. In 1899, the old parsonage (built in 1871) was sold and a residence with 50 acres of land was bought for parsonage purposes. In 1908, this residence was torn down and the present parsonage was erected adjacent to the church.

The wood-framed Methodist church at Hoersterville was erected in 1885 under pastor U.E. Urbantke.

On October 29, 1939 the Hoersterville Methodist Episcopal Church and the Castell Methodist Episcopal Church, South united under the name of “Trinity Methodist Church.” In 1940 the Hoersterville M.E. Church was disassembled and rebuilt as the present Trinity United Methodist Church's Education Building and Fellowship Hall.

Under the pastorate of the Rev. R. Moerner, the Castell Worship Tabernacle was built in 1915.

Through the years, God has called 14 men into the ministry from the congregations of the Hoersterville and Castell Methodist churches.

In 1951, under the leadership of C.C. McKinney, and in preparation for the church's Centennial, the church building was thoroughly renovated inside and out. The church purchased new furniture for the sanctuary which included an altar, a pulpit, a lectern, a pastor's chair, a lay reader's chair and the present pews. The church's Centennial was celebrated July 31 - August 3, 1952.