History of Ebenezer United Methodist Church

Ebenezer United Methodist Church - 1891 - 2006. Ebenezer has been a worshipping place since 1818. It was named after Ebenezer Hern who came from Tennessee to Alabama, he first established a worshipping place in a home where the Birmingham Courthouse now stands. He then went to Jones valley, Roper's Valley, and from there to the falls of the Cahaba, now known as Centreville, the county seat of Bibb County. There on Sunday he attended a love feast and sacramental service at the home of Abed Lovelady, near Wilson's Hill, the place now known as Montevallo. A society was organized and a quarterly meeting was held one mile south of Montevallo. They established a campground there and camp meetings were held for a number of years. Later this campground was abandoned. In 1818 they moved to a site five miles north of Montevallo, our present worshipping place, and named it Ebenezer after Ebenezer Hern. This was one of the first places where a society was organized and was held here for a number of years. In November, 1822, in the town of Cahaba, Ebenezer Hern married Miss Mary Walker. On this day he preached on the First Coming at the falls of Cahaba, since called Centreville. Reverend Joshua West is also entitled to much recognition. He was born in Rockingham, Virginia, in 1771. He was influential in helping to organize these societies. It is impossible to review all his works. He preached much and was most happy when preaching and administering the Lord's supper. He baptized many people. Perhaps no one man has done more for Methodism in Shelby County than Dr. Joshua West. He was a preacher 67 years, two months, and 21 days from the day he joined the church. There was never a charge against his character. He had a large family of eleven children five sons and six daughters. Two of his grandsons are preachers, Reverend Elbert West and Reverend Samuel P. West. He died at his home near Montevallo in 1860 and was buried in a cemetery somewhere around Montevallo. The building we now worship in was built in 1891. There was a period of time when not much work was done on the building except to paint it, but in 1936 or 1937 the Sunday School rooms were built. At first we had kerosene lamps, then carbide lights, and in 1946 electricity and a new roof were added. In 1952 the floors were Sanded and varnished. In 1953 and 1954 the Sunday School rooms were redone and painted, a kitchen decorated and equipped with an electric stove. This work was done by the entire Sunday School. We found that by working together much can be accomplished. For several weeks we enjoyed working together and closed each work meeting with refreshments. A great blessing was received by all. In 1978 a memorial steeple was given by Anna Frost in memory of her husband, Nathan Thomas Frost. This adds much to our church. In 1979 we had new carpet installed in our sanctuary. In 1980 we had the memorial stained glass windows installed in the sanctuary. In 1981 we all worked hard and accomplished several projects such as painting the sanctuary, painting the entire outside of the church, and insulating the sanctuary. Ceiling fans, along with the central heating and cooling system were also installed in the latter part of 1981. Everybody loves our padded pews. In 1988 the front porch was redone and bricked, and new steps and walk made. The men of the church did most of the work. Also, the two storage rooms were finished. New cabinets, dishwasher, and microwave were added in the kitchen. In 1990 a brass memorial cross was given by Ruth Edmondson in memory of her sister, Ruby Albright. It really adds to our church. The 100th Anniversary of Present Building was in 1991. We are honored to worship each Sunday in this historic place. The building has also been registered by the National Historic Society. In 1997 we were able to blacktop the parking area in front of the Church. The quarter mile drive leading from Highway 24 to the parking area was left unpaved and remains a beautiful rural drive. In 1998 we began taking a more active roll in the financial support of local missions. We hope to do more depending on our financial well being. In mid year we replaced our refrigerator with a new one equipped with an ice maker. In March of 1999 we replaced the old flooring in the Fellowship Hall with beautiful bright linoleum. Very little work was done on the building from 1999 to 2007. However, our support of local missions remained strong and our congregation remains dedicated to this mission. We are also visiting Knowllwood Assisted Living in Montevallo on a regular basis. We sing several songs followed by our Local Pastor giving a short sermon and serving communion. Most of those who attend have no other opportunity to attend a worship service. In 2007 some needed repairs were completed: A new metal roof was installed. A rotten 6x12 under the sanctuary was replaced. The exterior was scrapped and repainted. We hope in the future to do more. We have several new members and we appreciate them. The Lord has been real good to us in every way. Reflections Of A Former Pastor by William C. Davis