Cross Tracks Church has carried four names across 170 years: Liberty Hill Methodist Episcopal Church, South; Liberty Hill Methodist Church; Liberty Hill United Methodist Church; and, since August 2016, Cross Tracks Church, A United Methodist Community. Through every name and every season, the mission has remained the same—sharing God's love with all by word, worship, and witness.
In 1854, two pioneer families gathered in a small settlement known as Old Liberty Hill and started something that would outlast them by generations. Liberty Hill Methodist Episcopal Church South was founded with five charter members: John T. Bryson, his wife Amelia, their daughter Hulda, Anthony Smith, and his wife Amanda E. Smith. Two visiting Methodist preachers, Josiah Whipple and William Monk, were the first to serve this fledgling community. They met in a one-room log cabin built in the Bryson pasture—used as both church and schoolhouse—situated just south of a stock tank near the present site of the Liberty Hill Cemetery.
In 1870, Captain T. S. Snyder, a pioneer cattleman, and his son-in-law John T. Bryson donated two acres of land at the church's current location. A two-and-a-half-story building was constructed and served the community as a school, a Sunday school, and a place of worship. That small, original chapel still stands today.
Over the decades that followed, the congregation grew and the building evolved with it. In 1905, the two upper floors were removed, the choir and pulpit space was enlarged, and three memorial windows were installed. By 1916, two wings had been added to accommodate a growing Sunday school. In 1913, a tabernacle with a granite gravel floor and cedar-bough roof was erected on the property—the forerunner of what would eventually become the Fellowship Hall completed in 1993. In 1985, the United Methodist Church Commission on Archives recognized the congregation's historic significance, designating it United Methodist Historic Site No. 158.
The story of Cross Tracks Church in recent decades is one of growth, resilience, and deep roots in the Liberty Hill community.
In the 1990s, under the leadership of Pastor Sandy Carothers, a two-story fellowship hall was built beside the chapel. The nursery and kitchen occupied the ground floor alongside a large fellowship area, while the upper floor held offices and Sunday school rooms full of children and adults.
The year 2002 brought the founding of LHUMM, the church's first men's group, which grew into a community institution. The Wild Game Dinners, launched in 2008, drew people from across the region and raised funds for [Mike Bowles to complete this section]. Fifth Quarter gatherings after home football games became a beloved tradition for the whole community, and the church parking lot was enlarged and resurfaced to welcome the growing crowd.
The church's 150th anniversary—its Sesquicentennial—was celebrated in 2004 with a gathering that drew former pastors, music groups from area churches, and descendants of those who had donated the chapel's beloved stained glass windows. Bert and Louise Marcom, Louine Noble, and Rev. Lyndall Fletcher helped orchestrate a celebration that belonged to the whole community. The theme song, "Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow," was drawn from Hebrews 13:8.
Under the leadership of Pastor Randall Hilburn (2007–2014), the congregation continued to expand. A full-time Youth Minister was hired, and Sunday services grew from one to three, adding a contemporary service with a Praise Band alongside the traditional services. A Bell Choir was formed. Stephen Ministry, Grandies for Christ (a seniors group), and the United Methodist Ladies were all launched during this period.
In 2012, a new Worship Center was dedicated on May 20th, with Bishop Dorff delivering the sermon. The approximately 17,500-square-foot facility was built to accommodate a congregation that had outgrown its previous space. That same year, Operation Liberty Hill was founded, and Cross Tracks began a long tradition of serving those in need in the surrounding area.
In 2016, with support from the Texas Methodist Foundation, the congregation voted to rename the church Cross Tracks Church, A United Methodist Community. As Pastor Steve Fieldcamp explained, the name reflects both the church's geographic home and its deeper calling: to leave tracks of Jesus' love on the hearts of people in this place.
On May 11, 2019, fire destroyed the fellowship hall. Five fire agencies responded and saved the historic chapel, though smoke damaged much of the worship center. The congregation adapted quickly — VBS was held just weeks later without air conditioning, and Sonshine Friends Preschool relocated into the worship center while rebuilding began.
Restoration of the historic chapel launched in early 2020, guided by historic preservationists and the Texas Historical Commission. When COVID-19 arrived that March, Cross Tracks never actually closed, pivoting to online worship while exterior work continued. The chapel received a new metal roof, copper cladding, a teak cross, and restored stained glass that experts called a "museum of stained glass."
Interior restoration began in August 2023, uncovering the original tin ceiling from around 1905 and completing new floors, wiring, and lighting throughout. The 1937 pews remain in use, now fitted with cushions and casters. The restored chapel was rededicated on November 2, 2024, and the first worship service was held the following morning, led by Reverend Doctor Brad King.