FAIRFIELD — The scene in the basement at First United Methodist Church in Fairfield would have warmed the heart of any Texan: lines of people, waiting to get servings of chili, with cornbread or crackers to go along with it.

Of course it might be hard to convince a Texan that mild chili is, in fact, chili. Or that white chili is chili. And vegetarian chili might cause a revolt.

But this was Iowa and the chili cookoff Beth Bell helped organize spread across four categories. There was space for mild, hot, sweet and unusual chilis. Main ingredients ran from ground beef to shredded chicken, and most of the pots were a deep red from the spices.

Bell isn’t a Texan. She moved to Iowa from Ohio and brought the idea of a cookoff with her.

“We did this there to raise money for the youth,” she said.

It’s still a fundraiser, but for a different purpose. Revenues this time went to the Fairfield Lord’s Cupboard, a nonprofit food pantry.

The idea of a cookoff matches well with what the church does on Wednesdays anyway. That’s the Worship Café service, when the church holds a meal followed by a service. The meal this time around just happened to have a bit of a competitive edge.

Judges sat in a room off to the side, away from the other diners. They received a small sample bowl from each entry, identified only by a letter and number. Judging depended on the chili’s color, aroma, consistency and overall taste.

Other diners waited patiently until the judges had their samples. Then they formed up quickly, most heading for the mild chili.

Jason Kurth, whom Bell dubbed the “Chili King,” said the cookoff was one of his favorite events for the Worship Cafe.

“It’s just a good atmosphere,” he said. “It’s good to see people come out.”

And they do come out. The cookoff is only in its second year and it has already built a reputation for being one of the stronger programs in terms of attendance. Most of the tables scattered around the basement were full of people.

Erma and Wes Johnson were good examples of why the church likes the event and thinks it has the ability to draw new people. It was their first time at the cookoff.

So what makes a good chili? For Erma Johnson it comes down to having a balance. She prefers chili in the medium range. She figured one of the entries would fit her tastes and planned on trying several.

Kurth changes things around when he makes chili. He’s not a big fan of onions or tomatoes, but he knows both are important to the overall flavor. So he purees them. The texture is gone, but the flavor still contributes to the final product.