History
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History
From the time the original fifty acres was laid our for the town of Bainbridge, a small parcel in the Southwest corner was reserved for the Methodists. In 1830, a title to the property was vested in the Methodist Episcopal Church. The initial building, erected in 1840, was a log house which was built to the West of and adjacent to the present church site. In 1854, a larger wooded church was built, which became inadequate by the early 1890's. Thus, a new brick building was built which was dedicated on November 9, 1899. Fire destroyed that structure in 1906 which resulted in construction of the current building, dedicated in 1911. There have been several additions to the original building, In 1957, the Sharp Building, which is more commonly known as the Children's Education Building, was built. It was named after a beloved Pastor, John Sharp. It currently houses Gladtown, a creative place for our children to learn and grow in Christ. A generous contribution from the J.O. Smith family later initiated construction of a large, mult-purpose activities building. The J.O. Smith Building, named after a prominent layman of the congregation, has a state of the art industrial kitchen used for Wednesday Night Fellowship Dinners and many other meals. It is home to our contemporary worship service on Sunday mornings and has additional rooms used for various classes and children/youth group meetings. The Adult Sunday School Building completed in 1999 has numerous classrooms and a library where adults and youth meet for Sunday School and various Bible Studies weekly. In April of 2007, the Oscar Jackson building and property was secured which is currently being used for the Food Bank and serves about fifty families weekly. The Donald Smith Scout Building is home to Boy Scout Troop 503. This church has sponsored a scout troop since 1949, from which over 70 Eagle Scouts have emerged. A well beloved icon to many in the congregation is a large wooden cross which hangs high in the J.O. Smith Building. It was carved by Bill Holt, Carl Pritzl, and their team from a walnut tree that once stood on the property in the early 1870's. God has a special plan for that tree and a beautiful 7'x6'5" cross now adorns the building. For nearly two centuries, First United Methodist Church has not only been a beautiful landmark in the community but a vital source of spiritual outreach. Sixty-nine Pastors and fourteen Associate Pastors have ministered the needs of this congregation and the surrounding community. From this Church, five former members have gone into active ministry. |
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