 |
|
 |
|
|
HISTORY OF FIRST
UNITED METHODIST CHURCH _____________________________ This history was compiled from several sources, including some of the original church records and minutes of the Quarterly Conferences, an anonymously written history report from 1968 entitled "Memorandum On Hartford Methodist Church," the Alabama/West Florida Conference Journals, and other sources. Every precaution was taken to ensure accuracy in the details; however, the possibility of errors in information, misspelled names or incorrect dates always exists. PROLOGUE The Methodist Movement began with the Reverend John Wesley, an Anglican clergyman from Epworth, England, who after spending more than thirty years trying to find peace with God through attempting to achieve righteousness by his own effort, came to a glorious understanding of God's grace through his experience at Aldersgate Street in 1738. There, he "felt his heart strangely warmed" and learned to trust in Christ alone for his salvation. Together with his brother Charles, John Wesley traveled throughout Great Britain preaching and teaching the message of faith in Christ for salvation, coupled with the need to live out lives of holiness and radical obedience to Christ's call for discipleship. Thousands were joyfully converted under the Wesley's ministry, ushering in a spiritual revival that spread throughout Europe. In order to help people live out their new lives in obedience to Christ, Wesley organized converts into "classes" -- small groups of believers that met together weekly to study the Bible, pray and encourage each other in holiness and discipleship. Critics of the movement scoffed at their disciplined approach to the Christian live, derisively calling them "Methodists" for their habit of conducting their weekly meetings in such a methodical manner. Ironically, John Wesley like the name, and adopted it as a badge of honor for the movement, which he believed was a movement raised up by God for the purpose of "spreading the message of Scriptural holiness across the land." The Methodist movement spread to many other parts of the world, especially the American colonies. Wesley never intended to start a new church or denomination, and he himself never left the Church of England. He believed the Methodist movement was a renewal movement within the Anglican church, and he fully expected all Methodists to worship and receive sacraments only from ordained Anglican clergymen. However, when the American colonies successfully won their war for independence from England (which put a huge strain on the relationship between the two countries), the new nation of America was left with a rapidly growing number of Methodists with no ordained Anglican clergy to lead them. Therefore, Wesley decided to take matters into his own hands by ordaining Thomas Coke a clergyman and sending him to America with instructions to ordain another man, Francis Asbury, and together to minister to the new converts by "offering them Christ." Together, these two men saw such tremendous growth in the new country that the need for a new church as apparent. Therefore, in 1784, Coke and Asbury (with Wesley's somewhat reluctant permission) met with Methodist delegates in Baltimore, Maryland on Christmas Day and organized the Methodist Episcopal Church. The church grew rapidly through the years, expanding as the country expanded, and during most of the 19th century was the largest Protestant denomination in America. It also underwent several splits and mergers throughout the years, which led to the creation of new denominations such as the Methodist Protestant Church, the Free Methodist Church, the Wesleyan Church, the African Methodist Episcopal church. A major split over the issue of slavery took place in 1844, with the Methodist Episcopal Church dividing along the Mason-Dixon live into the M.E. Church, North and the M.E. Church, South. It is from the Methodist Episcopal Church, South that we trace the beginnings of the Hartford United Methodist Church. 1901-1921 Hartford, Alabama, was incorporated as a town by an act of the Alabama State Legislature in 1897. Consisting mostly of farms and agricultural enterprises, the town began to grow significantly when the railroad came to Hartford in 1900, bringing increased travel and opportunities for industry, business and commerce. The earliest records of the church that we have go back to the Quarterly Conference reports of 1899. Methodist Episcopal Church congregations existed in Pondtown, St. Paul, Millville, Wesley Chapel, Tabernacle, and Hurricane. Together, these six congregations made up the Pondtown Circuit or Pondtown Charge, which was a part of the Marianna District. The pastor of the Pondtown Charge in 1899 was the Rev. A.B. Brown. In 1900, the Rev. P.M. Guthrie was appointed pastor of the Pondtown Circuit. On January 12th, 1901, the first Quarterly Conference of the Pondtown Charge convened at Hurricane, under the leadership of the Rev. J.E. Roberts, the Presiding Elder, with Mr. I.H. Alberson serving as Secretary. At the time, the membership of the charge numbered 678. Although no minutes of the actual conversations exist, it can be surmised that a movement to establish a new congregation in the growing town of Hartford was spearheaded by a group of members from the Pondtown congregation. The three men who seemed to be the most influential leaders in this movement were Mr. S.G. Burch, Mr. W.F. Clemmons, and Mr. William J. Jerkins. A new congregation was approved to be added to the circuit (which was renamed the "Hartford Circuit" at this same meeting), and three days later on January 15th, 1901, Rev. Guthrie entered the names of 40 members as having transferred their membership to the new congregation of Hartford Methodist Episcopal Church (38 of the new members were transferred from the Pondtown Church, one from Tabernacle). Five more members joined later that January, and by the end of 1901, the membership numbered 59. These 59 individuals can claim to be the charter members of the Hartford Church. THE ORIGINAL 59 CHARTER MEMBERS OF 1901
The first 38 members listed transferred from Pondtown, member #39 (Mr. Lammons) transferred from Tabernacle, and the remaining 20 member's origins of membership are unlisted. The first wedding recorded at the Hartford Church was Mr. Burrell Strickland and Miss Octava Rice, married by Rev. Guthrie on Sept. 15th, 1901. The first infant baptism recorded was Emory Hugh Corbitt, the son of Mr. & Mrs. Larkin Corbitt, baptized by Rev. Henry S Ellisor on March 3, 1905. The Hartford Circuit numbered eight Sunday Schools and an Epworth League of 20 young people during the year 1901. Although no records of membership show the breakdown in numerical membership among the different churches, the Hartford Church seems to have quickly become one of the largest, since they gave the lions' share of financial support for the minister's and presiding elders' annual salaries. The total membership of the circuit went up and down over the years as different churches were added or removed to the circuit. (The Slocomb church was added in 1902, the Oak Grove church in 1906, and the Samson church was briefly added for a few years, beginning in 1910). The Hartford Circuit officially became part of the new Dothan Distric in 1908. The Hartford Church began meeting on property that was homesteaded by Mr. W.F. Clemmons. When the town of Hartford was laid off in lots, he deeded two lots to the Hartford Methodist Episcopal Church -- the same land we own today. The only owners of this property have been the United States, Mr. W.F. Clemmons, and the Methodist Church. It is unclear where the congregation met for worship during those first few months or years. According to the records, there was a house on the corner of what is now South 3rd Avenue and Mill Street, where the present church stands. This house was apparently used as the original parsonage. The building used for worship was a white-framed church building which stood between the present church location and the parsonage -- there is no record of when this building was erected. In 1909, however, another parsonage was built on the approximate location of the present parsonage; part of it was apparently a very high building. The house that stood on the corner and was used originally as a parsonage was now rented out. In 1921, the records show that a Mr. Charlie Chancy and his family was living in the house. It was torn down the following year when work began on a new sanctuary on that particular site. 1922 - 1950 THE BRICKS ARE LAID In 1922, under the leadership of Rev. C.P. Atkinson, work was begun on a new church sanctuary building. The cornerstone of the building indicates the following information: that the Architect and Builder was a Mr. W.S. Price, that the Presiding Elder of the Dothan District was Dr. R.A. Moody, that Mr. S.G. Burch was the Sunday Schoool Superintendent Emeritus, and that the Building Committee consisted of W.F. clemmons, J.C. Holman, O.E. Hightower, CQ, Borland, and Dr. A.L. Townsend. The church was built with a main sanctuary on the ground level, with both basement and upstairs rooms used for Sunday school classrooms, offices, and fellowship space. Different families gave money in memory of loved ones for the stained glass windows that still bear the names today. A working bell tower called the faithful to worship each Sunday morning. According to one record, the cost for building the church was approximately $37,000 in 1922. It would cost over $200,000 (according to 1968 estimate -- probably much more now) to replace it today. In the mid 1920's, the Hartford M.E. Church became known as the Hartford Station -- on church charge with its own pastor (separate from the "Hartford Circuit" which still combined the surrounding area churches into a charge). The Conference Journal of 1927 lists the membership at 322. By 1940, it had grown to almost 400. In 1939, the Methodist Episcopal Church, North, the Methodist Episcopal Church, South and the Methodist Protestant Church merged into one denomination. Hence, the name of our church became simply Hartford Methodist Church. 1950-1968 THE CHURCH GROWS... In the 1950's (the decade in which church attendance was at its highest peak in American history) membership swelled and peaked at nearly 500 at Hartford Methodist Church. The Sunday School enrollment soared to nearly 300, with an average Sunday attendance of 235. This growth spurt required extra space to accommodate the large numbers of children, youth, and adults who came for instruction in Sunday School. During the ministry of Rev. Lamar Spencer from 1950 to 1955, an Education Building was planned, built and completed. This building contained Sunday School Classrooms, a fellowship hall, and pastor's study. A construction company from Troy won the contract and carried out the construction of the building. Also, in 1950, work was begun on a new parsonage building to replace the old one that was falling into disrepair. The pastor and his family were moved out, the old parsonage was demolished and a new house was built and completed in April of 1951, which remains the church's parsonage home to this day. Church membership and attendance declined slightly in 1960's from the high of the previous decade, but still managed to remain in the low 400's. Children's programs, youth programs, Sunday School, and giving to missions and other outreach programs remained strong. Under the leadership of the Rev. Sidney Lock, the sanctuary was refurbished to enlarge the choir area, refinish the pews, repaint and recarpet. In 1968, the Methodist Church formally united with the Evangelical United Brethren and our name changed once again, to the First United Methodist Church of Hartford. 1968 - Present REMAINING FAITHFUL... Although the membership of First UMC has gone up and down during the last three decades (in keeping with the fluctuating population of Geneva County), God has continued to bless the church as it has remained faithful to Him. Through Spirit-led preaching and teaching, innovative outreach programs revivals, excellent music, quality children and youth programs and revivals, excellent music, quality children and youth programs, faithful stewardship, warm fellowship, and dedicated maintenance of our buildings and grounds, God has touched and blessed unknown numbers of peoples' lives with His grace and love through the ministry of First United Methodist Church of Hartford Memorandum of Pastors Serving the Church Copy of the original article is available in the church
office. |
||||
