Hemphill First United Methodist Church In 1858, the same year Hemphill became county seat of Sabine County, local residents formed a Methodist society. Brother John C. Wollem preached at the early gatherings and served until 1870. The young church held services in the Methodist meetinghouse on Masonic grounds. In 1882, as a Methodist Episcopal Church, South, congregation, members acquired this site and constructed a new sanctuary. Church members built a second sanctuary in 1922; a third was built in 1966. The congregation has served Hemphill through groups within the church. A women's group first formed in 1910, and youth scholarship and other outreach programs continue to connect church members to their community.