Is there anything Willie Nelson can’t do?
At 92-years-old (some might argue he’s 92-years-young), Nelson is still touring and performing live for his fans. He also just recently launched a business that’s now worth millions, and on top of that, he’s one of the most influential artists to have ever walked the Earth.
With as long as Willie has been around and in the spotlight, you’d think we know everything there is to know about the Red-Headed Stranger… but have you heard the story about how he saved his childhood church?
Nelson grew up in the small town Abbott, Texas. He and his older sister, Bobbie (who played piano in his band for years before passing away back in 2022), were raised by their grandparents in the Central Texas town. Willie and his sister grew up attending a little church called Abbott Methodist Church, and the building they frequented on Sundays ended up meaning a lot to them.
So much so that, in 2006, when membership had dwindled (it apparently got down to just five people), Willie Nelson made a phone call to keep it afloat. According to KWTX, the United Methodist Conference had decided to close up the spiritual building and list it for sale. And who could blame them? Most of the pews were empty during services.
But the church meant too much to Willie Nelson for him to sit idly by. When he found out that Abbott Methodist Church was in danger of shuttering, he called an old friend that was still in town and provided these seven words:
“Go make an offer on the church.”
Willie Nelson’s offer ended up being enough to keep the church firmly planted in Abbott, and now in 2026, some 20 years later, it’s a thriving church in the community once more. The current pastor, Stephen Girsh, is grateful that the country music legend stepped in when no one else would to save the building that means so much to so many.
That being said, Pastor Stephen Girsh knows that the church really has God to think for working through Willie Nelson so that Abbott Methodist Church could continue leading others to Christ:
“We are grateful that he saved the church and that we are able to continue that legacy now. Pretty awesome. It’s got a rich history with Willie being involved with it. But, it’s about serving the Lord and worshipping the Lord. Willie just happened to grow up here.”
Willie Nelson has been known to drop into the church on occasion since it reopened following the country star’s successful purchase of the building. The current pastor recalls one time where the Red-Headed Stranger brought his sister, Bobbie, back to the place where they spent time together in their youth.
The piano in the sanctuary of the church was played by Bobbie, and Willie led vocals as they sang a song he penned in the 1950s and released in 1971:
“They gathered around that piano and he sang ‘Family Bible’ while she played.”
What a beautiful moment that must have been, and a moment that was only made possible by Nelson’s generosity and willingness to help out his hometown church.
“Family Bible” by Willie Nelson
