Welcome to St. Paul's United Methodist Church - Houston, Texas

The Great Organ & Gallery Organ

The Great Organ inside the St. Paul's Sanctuary was purchased during the 1980 Golden Jubilee renovations made to the sanctuary building of St. Paul's. It was built and installed in 1981 by the Schantz Organ Company of Orville, Ohio. Originally it contained 76 ranks, 4,258 pipes, and incorporated pipes from the 1909 Pilcher and the 1930 Kilgen organs. (Later work on the organ increased the ranks to 84 and the pipes to 4,359.) The original cost was underwritten by David Farnsworth and the organ dedicated to his mother and father, Martha and Madison Farnsworth. The organ case and Trompette en Chamade was given by the Walzel family. The Schantz Organ was dedicated February 14, 1982, with a dedicatory concert by Dr. Clyde Holloway, Professor of Organ at Rice University.

Over the years, some of the pipes became damaged by water and heat-induced metal fatigue. In 1996-97, several ranks of pipes were replaced. The facade was replaced with pipes made of polished zinc. This was made possible by a generous gift from Pat Walzel, in memory of her father Earnie McNabb and in honor of her mother, Mable McNabb. On Sunday, April 13, 1997, there was an organ rededication service and concert with a concert by Robert Brewer.

In the winter of 2004, the Gallery Organ was installed, which was made possible by a generous bequest from William Lortz. Mr. Lortz made the gift to St. Paul’s in honor of his close friend Larry Walters, a long-time member of the church and choir of St. Paul’s. The Lortz-Walters Gallery Organ was built by the Schantz Organ Company and contains 12 ranks with 732 pipes and is playable from a one-manual portable console in the balcony or from the console of the Great Organ. 

Organ Specifications (PDF)

Chapel Organ

Inside the St. Paul's Chapel is a German Oberlinger organ, with 9 ranks and 444 pipes. It is a mechanical organ with an electric blower at the base of the case.


St. Paul's United Methodist Church - Houston, Texas