The First United Methodist Church, in Carroll, was begun in 1868, soon after the city of Carroll was platted, making it the oldest congregation in the community. There have been three different buildings over the years (shown below), the present one being built in 1956

First Church from 1874

Beulah Church

Second Church – 1901

M.E. Church

Third Church – 1956

Some windows from the old church were relocated into the present building. Forty-five pastors have served this congregation. The membership was almost 300 in 1901 and has grown to over 600 at the present time. In 1918 members of the Buelah Church (located SW of Carroll) joined the church in Carroll. The first pipe organ was installed in 1938. In 1943, the pulpit from the original church was made into our present baptismal font. The parsonage was built in 1962. It is located at 1717 N. Main St., just north of our church parking lot.

New Pella windows and new furnaces were placed in the church in 1987 and 1988 to help cut the cost of heating the building. In more recent years the new carpeting and pew pads have been installed and new choir robes purchased.

On August 30, 1998, the congregation voted to move forward on a building addition and renovation plan. The purpose of the additions is to install an elevator, add accessible restrooms, add classrooms, relocate offices, and create a welcoming entrance on the east side of the building. 1998 marks the 130th anniversary of this congregation.

Carroll’s Ministers:

1869-70  (Supplied)

1872-73  E. P. Vail

1874-75  E. W. Brady

1875-78  J. C. Eckles

1878-79  J. A. Smith

1879-80  W. A. Chambers

1880-83  S. Jones

1883-85  E. M. Holmes

1885-86  James Lisle

1886-87  W. M. Welsh

1887-89  Cyrus Smith

1889-90  J. W. McCoy

1890-92  George Winterbourne

1892-97  W. B. Thompson

1897-98  W. E. Howe

1898-01  C. E. Bentley

1901-03  W. J. Stratton

1903-05  J. W. Able

1905-06  H. H. Barton

1906-10  J. W. Taylor

1910-13  H. P. Dudley

1913-16  S. Grant Lewis

1916-18  R. Burton Sheppard

1918-19  T. E. Thuresson

1919-20  R. Burton Sheppard

1920-21  Charles R. Blair

1921-22  S. H. Baumgartner

1922-25  Elias Handy

1925-30  A. M. Eastman

1930-32  W. M. Brooks

1932-38  Claude R. Cook

1938-43  W. Frank Clayburg

1943-50  Robert M. Peters

1950-57  C. Hugo Orf

1957-63  Ivan C. Bys

1963-66  Paul M. Dietterich

1966-69  D. Merle Hill

1969-72  Ernest Martin

1972-73  Francis Brockman

1974-83  Ernest Larson

1983-89  Marvin Arnpriester

1989-95  Lanny Tuttle

1995-96  Ron Blix

1996-01  David Clark

2001-02  Mark Heath

2002-       Ken Ferguson