The First United Methodist Church or First Methodist Church is a historic church in Pensacola, currently located at 6 East Wright Street. The church's current pastor is the Reverend Dr. Wesley H. Wachob.
| First United Methodist Church of Pensacola | |
| |
| Denomination | Methodist |
|---|---|
| Organized | December 7, 1821 |
| Senior Minister | Rev. Dr. Wesley H. Wachob |
| Location | 6 East Wright Street |
| Previous locations | NE corner Tarragona and Intendencia Streets NW corner Palafox and Garden Streets |
| Website | www.pensacolafirstchurch.com |
| <googlemap version="0.9" lat="30.417221" lon="-87.215652" zoom="16" width="300" height="250">
30.417032, -87.215583 First Methodist Church </googlemap> | |
Contents
History
The early church
Spain, a Catholic nation, controlled Florida prior to 1821, and did not permit open congregations of Protestantism. The transfer of Florida to the United States in 1821 opened the door for Protestant churches to establish a presence in Pensacola.
On December 7 of that year, the Mississippi Conference of the Methodist Church, in session at Washington, Mississippi, established a mission to Pensacola; the Reverend Dr. Alexander Talley was appointed as the mission's first pastor. Talley served for about a year before being relieved by Rev. Ashley Hewett, who in turn was succeeded by Rev. Dr. Henry P. Cook. Without a permanent home, church services were held in public buildings as well as in a theatre. The March 20, 1824 issue of the Pensacola Gazette mentions a service held at the courthouse.
Rev. Dr. Cook died of yellow fever in the fall of 1825, and was replaced by Rev. Dr. John R. Lambuth, but Rev. Lambuth's tenure did not last long, for the mission was transferred to the South Carolina Methodist Conference in 1826. It was during the service of the next pastor, Rev. Dr. Charles Hardy, that the South Carolina conference approved funds for construction of a permanent home for the church.
The first permanent home
In 1827, a lot on the northeast corner of Tarragona and Intendencia Streets was purchased, and a permanent home for the church was built, with the first services held on June 2, 1828. Several months prior, on February 14, 1828, Rev. Isaac Boring had been appointed to take over the church from Rev. Hardy; Rev. Boring arrived in Pensacola on March 12 and sold his horse to Rev. Hardy for $100, so that Rev. Hardy would have transportation to his next destination.
Rev. Adam Wyrick took over in 1829; he wrote of Pensacola: "... a most terribly ... wicked place. Can see little evidence of good being accomplished." His successor, Rev. Dr. John W. Talley, was the last pastor sent by the South Carolina conference; the Pensacola-Escambia mission was again transferred in 1831, this time to the Georgia conference, who sent as pastor Rev. P. C. Shelman.
This first church building suffered two fires and in 1881 the property was sold and the church constructed a new facility on the northwest corner of Palafox and Garden Streets.
Second building
Construction began on the new church building, a three-story Romanesque Revival structure, in 1884. Services were held there throughout construction, and the building was completed in 1890.[1]
In 1906, that lot was sold to make way for the San Carlos Hotel, and the church purchased its current site on Wright Street.
Current facilities
The sanctuary
Stephen Fagin Fulghum was chosen to build the new sanctuary; the cornerstone was laid on October 14, 1908. Services were held at Hannah Hall on Romana Street until the current building was completed in 1910. Services were first held there on 30 October 1910.
Between 1997-99, the sanctuary was renovated; its roof was replaced, its sandstone walls were cleaned with acid, and restoration work was carried out on its stained glass windows. Due to damage from Hurricane Ivan in 2004, the sanctuary roof was once again replaced in 2005.
In 2002, a new pipe organ was dedicated; the organ is "the largest and most comprehensive pipe organ in [the] area with 73 ranks of pipes and weighing some 50,000 pounds. This organ consists of a four-manual and pedal ebony console, a solid white oak case plus 4,153 pipes."
Other facilities
In 1951, an Education Building was constructed. In 1959, the Chapel of the Good Shepherd was built in memory of W. C. Mackey and E. R. Malone. "The Ark", a youth activity center, opened in 1980, followed by The Wright Place in 1983. A new administrative building was constructed between 1988-89, linking the sanctuary to The Wright Place. In the early 1990s, the church acquired property on Wright Street from a bankrupt car dealership and transformed it into a seventy-car parking lot for its members.
In 2000, the Church purchased two buildings across Wright Street, which became their Youth Ministry Center and Outreach Ministry Center. In 2004 as a result of the Church's "Build on the Dream" capital project, a new three-story lobby building was completed. The lobby has connections to the sanctuary, library, Henry Roberts Activity Center, Wright Place, and the Education Building.
In 2007, the Church purchased the adjacent Scottish Rite Masonic Center.
Missions
Several other area Methodist churches began as missions of First Methodist, including Cokesbury United Methodist Church and St. Andrew United Methodist Church.
Church leaders
- Rev. Dr. Alexander Talley
- Rev. Ashley Hewett
- Rev. Dr. Henry P. Cook (1824-1825)
- Rev. Dr. John R. Lambuth (1825-1826)
- Rev. Dr. Charles Hardy (1826-1828)
- Rev. Isaac Boring (March 1828)
- Rev. Adam Wyrick (1829)
- Rev. Dr. John W. Talley (1830)
- Rev. P. C. Shelman (1831)
- Rev. C. B. DuBose (d. 1882)
- Rev. C. W. Gavin
- Rev. Dr. Henry Earle Roberts (retired June 2006)
References
- About First United Methodist Church
- King, M. Luther. "Church History of Santa Rosa County: Some Sketches of Methodism." Friends of Pace Library. Retrieved on 2008-12-19.
- ↑ Escambia County. Florida Historical Markers Progam. Retrieved 2008-12-19.