FieldsUMC_History

Nestled in the little town of Shenandoah, Virginia, sits a church full of rich Methodist history intertwined with the town and its people.

A company of men from Pennsylvania bought Forrer's Iron Works in 1865. One of the men, Mr. John Fields, and a group of miners, coordinated the first Methodist worship in Shenandoah. William Milnes, Jr., was a local Methodist preacher.

In the spring of 1865, Rev. A. P. Boude was sent to organize a Methodist church. Although the records show $600 a year was paid to the pastor, the fact is they paid their pastor about $1,400 a year for four years, besides paying most liberally to all the enterprises of the church. One year Mr. Milnes, himself, paid $1,600 to missions alone. In 1870, Mr. Milnes, who was the company manager, was elected to congress. At this time John Fields took over the Company's business and moved to Shenandoah. He was an active Methodist, and a great church builder. He planned the church which stood on the river bank, and asked Rev. Boude to take charge of laying the ground work for the church, cemetery, and a parsonage. Mr. Fields asked him to oversee the work, secure materials and present him with a bill each Sunday morning. This was one of the most substantial frame buildings in all the county. The principal joints were bonded and bolted with iron. When the church was nearly completed, and the painters were putting on the last touches of fresco on the ceiling, heavy rains came and resulted in a flood.

The store building, being used at the time for the church, was washed away. Along with the store building, the belfry and church bell washed away. The populace was stunned by the moanful tolling of this church bell as the building rocked and swayed on its slow journey down the river.

Rev. Boude, having lost his house and belongings in the flood, began building a new parsonage in 1871. During this time he dug a cellar, walled the foundation, and purchased all the lumber needed. Then winter came and the work stopped. The next spring, after serving four years in Shenandoah, he was sent to another charge. Seven years later he returned to find Mr. Milnes had used his lumber to build the forge which was also lost in the flood. In its place he had built a completely new parsonage. The Methodist people found themselves the owners of the most valuable church property in the county without the cost of a single dollar. Just about everyone in this new town was Methodist and the congregation soon outgrew the church.

The Quarterly Conference from February 18, 1918, reported the advisability of building a new church at Shenandoah. On March 1, 1919, they reported at last, on the corner of Third Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, a lot had been purchased at the cost of $1,000.00. The lot was well located and would be a suitable place for the proposed new church.

At the Quarterly Conference in September, it was reported that the building committee had been busy; the church, they estimated, would cost from $15,000 to $18,000. The floor plans had been sketched and adopted. The old church on the river had been put up for sale for $10,000. On May 19, 1924, the new Fields Methodist Church was ready and Rev. L. Hammond had this to say:

“We are occupying our new building, which is beautiful to us. The spring services held by Dr. R. H. Bennett and Rev. G. D. Richardson have been inspiring and the offering has been generous. The work of completing the church has been a pleasure and the cooperation of all has been a blessing. At the present our plans are only the regular routine work of the church, praying that the Great Head of the Church will grant us great success in all church work.”

Chronological Events in the History of Fields United Methodist Church

1866 – Worship Services held upstairs of company store. William Milnes, Jr., preached and the group was recognized as part of East Rockingham Circuit.

1868 – Rev. A. Poe Boude was sent to organize a Methodist church at Shenandoah Iron Works. There were 17 members.

1870 – New church built by John W. Fields
Named – Shenandoah Iron Works – Fields.

1884 - Name of town changed to Milnes and town was incorporated.
Church was known as Milnes Fields.

1890 - Name of town changed from Milnes to Shenandoah.

1893 - Fields was placed on a charge with Jollett and Furnace No. 2 churches.
Shenandoah Charge– Rockingham District – Baltimore Conference

1909 - Shenandoah was placed on a charge with Marksville and Stanley. Furnace
No. 2 and Jollett made into a separate charge.

1911 - Jollett and Furnace No. 2 transferred back, making a total of five churches on the charge.

1914 - There was a change in the circuit. Shenandoah, Stanley, and Marksville (Graves Chapel) remained on charge. Furnace No. 2 and Jollett transferred with loss of 109 members.

1919 – The charge was divided and Shenandoah became a station.

1921 - Shenandoah was converted from a station to charge with Stanley and
Marksville.

1924 - Shenandoah was converted back to a station when the congregation moved into the present building. The church remained a station for approximately 42 years.

1966 - Shenandoah and Stanley were combined to make a charge.

1970 - Following the merger of the Methodist church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church in 1968 to form the United Methodist Church, Fields and Christ Churches were placed on the Shenandoah Charge.