×

Sesquicentennial celebration: Methodist Church marks 150 years

The United Methodist Church is celebrating its sesquicentennial anniversary this year, having first formed in 1868. Anniversaries are always special events, but especially when they mark a milestone event. As such, even though the church had a special homecoming celebration on September 16, the celebration will continue year-round according to Pastor Tony Fink.

“It’s not a one shot thing for us,” he stated. “We’re going to be doing something again in November and about every week throughout the year too.”

In honor of the 150-year anniversary, Leslie Walkowiak of the church’s sesquicentennial committee has complied an extensive history, enjoying some unique discoveries along the way.

“I’ve got an entire huge presentation of the history of both the history of the Methodist Church and the history of the Methodist Church in Fairmont,” she said. “I’ve been working my tail off, but there’s some fun stuff in there.

“One of the very early pastors died because a splinter from the head of a nail impaled his eye and it became infected. That’s not the kind of stuff you normally know,” she stated. “The next pastor that replaced him left because there were no supplies, and that was during the grasshopper plague years.

“I’ve highlighted all the pastors that were here, and over the course of only four years during that plague there were ten pastors. They just couldn’t stay because there was no money and no food. The grasshoppers just came and destroyed everything so they had to keep moving.”

According to the history provided by Walkowiak, though the church was organized in 1868, the first service was actually held two years prior at the William Budd home, with seven people in attendance. The church was served with traveling Circuit Riders with services on alternate Sundays, weather permitting, at the old fort. As any Fairmont historian knows, Fort Fairmount was located where the Martin County Courthouse now stands.

Prior to 1875, the Methodist Episcopal and Congregational Churches held prayer meetings together and the women also held joint meetings of the Ladies Aid Society. Later, in 1878, the Methodists decided to build their own church home and ended the relationship with the Congregational Church. The first church building was a small 30 foot by 40 foot wooden frame structure built on the same site where the church stands today, with the lot being purchased from A.L. Ward for $100.

A second church would later be built in 1894, at a cost of $7,000 and boasting a seating capacity of 650. Many expenses were incurred during the building and, despite being February, an Ice Cream Social was held that proved to be a financial success. The tradition of the women of the church raising money for church expenses continues today through the United Methodist Women.

Finally, the current church was built in 1927. Membership at that time was 1,011, and the new brick structure was dedicated in 1928, during a ten day long celebration.

The November 4 celebration is a special time for the church known as All Saints Sunday. Fink explains what that means, and points out that this year’s celebration will be something a little different.

“Usually each year, that’s when we celebrate everybody who’s passed away and gone on to heaven in the previous year. This year we’re also going to talk for a little bit about everybody who’s passed away in the last 150 years.”

Fink himself has been in Fairmont for about 12 years.

“I’ve been sent by the bishop to serve as the pastor, to help the church with their ministry in the communities. When asked if he’s observed anything unique about the people of Fairmont over the years, Fink stated “People are the same everywhere you are. I think every church is unique, but I think there’s good people everywhere.”

As far as the church’s future, Fink states that the goal is the same as it has been.

“As a congregation, we’re striving to be more faithful to Jesus’ call for us to serve the communities. Right now our vision of the church is to resound God’s grace to everybody in the community. So anybody who can hear the bell play every 15 minutes, it’s a chance for them to be reminded that there’s a group of people in town, this church and other churches, that want to follow Jesus and welcome them and show them the way that leads to eternal life.

“As you walk up the ramp [from the main entrance] you can see a picture of Jesus, and the folks of the church have said they want to live out this promise of Jesus: that I was a stranger and you welcomed me. Part of what we’re doing is we want to be faithful to Jesus and the message of Jesus is something that people who don’t attend church resonate with, so we want to remind them that there’s an invitation and that Jesus isn’t necessarily what you hear about when you think of church. We’re striving to radically welcome more people and provide a radical hospitality.”

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

COMMENTS

[vivafbcomment]

Starting at $4.65/week.

Subscribe Today