Jefferson UMC to mark 200th anniversary with homecoming celebration
Sunday will be a day of celebration at Jefferson United Methodist Church.
The Greene County church will mark its 200th anniversary with a homecoming celebration, which will begin with a service at 11 a.m.
The church traces its roots to April 6, 1824, when a session of the Pittsburgh Conference was held in Winchester, Va. During that session, the Rev. Thomas Hudson was appointed to the Greenfield Circuit, which included Greene County.
Hudson organized a church in Jefferson on April 20 of that same year. In 1835, that church purchased four lots for $300 on Hughes Street from Thomas and John Hughes, executors of the estate of Thomas Hughes, founder of Jefferson, and shortly after erected a church.
A second church building was constructed in 1868 by the International Order of the Odd Fellows and dedicated by the lodge April 26, 1869. The congregation worshiped on the first floor, and the lodge met on the second floor until April 11, 1924, when the building burned.
The congregation rented a large room above the Rodney clothing store, now the Jefferson Hotel, before members purchased the property for the current location at 190 Washington St. for $2,000. The new church was dedicated June 17, 1928.
鈥淲e have a beautiful church,鈥� said Lynda Smith, the church鈥檚 administrative board chair and a 68-year member. 鈥淲e have some beautiful stained-glass windows in the church. Those were put in when the church was built. The person who designed the windows lived where the Jefferson Hotel is now while he was doing it.鈥�
Numerous improvements were made to the church in the 1990, and in 1993, the congregation bought the adjoining property to use as its parsonage. It was dedicated as 鈥淔aith Manor鈥� in November 1994.
The adjoining building was purchased in 1999, renovated and opened as the Jefferson Community Center in 2003. The local senior citizens meet there weekly.
Brian Carroll, pastor, has been a member of the church since 1985, when he started as a lay speaker.
In 2020, Jefferson joined five other churches to become the Greater Purpose Team Ministry. The combination of the six churches is served by Carroll and several lay speakers. The weekly service at Jefferson is at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday.
鈥淭hey alternate,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淚t may not be ideal, but it works.鈥�
Carroll praised his congregation for putting together the anniversary celebration.
鈥淎ll of the people in that congregation are wonderful,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 do the best that I can to work with them to support them with prayer, with hospital visits and whatever responsibilities they need to help them out. There have been challenges and we鈥檝e been meeting them head-on.鈥�
Ross Pryor, superintendent of the Washington District of the United Methodist Church, will deliver the morning message. Several previous pastors are expected to participate. Any former member of the church or friend of the church also is invited.
After the service, a group picture will be taken in front of the church. A luncheon will follow in the Jefferson Community Center, which is adjacent to the church.
Memorabilia will be on display, as well as an anniversary book.
鈥淲e spent many, many hours putting together an anniversary book,鈥� Smith said.
Like many churches, Jefferson United Methodist has seen a decline in attendance. Smith said the congregation currently only numbers about 50.
鈥淭he people are very welcoming,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a very comfortable congregation.鈥�
Smith said the church remains active in the community with events such as community fundraiser dinners. Members also participate in the food bank and visit senior citizens and shut-ins.
鈥淲e are a smaller congregation now, made up mostly of older people,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淏ut we manage to hold our own.鈥�