HISTORY OF FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
GIRARD, OHIO
In 1843 a group of Christian men and women established the first Methodist Church in Girard, Ohio. They met first in a small log school house erected in 1800, having a thatched roof, planked seats, and parchment covered windows. In a few years they moved to a storefront on the west side of State Street between Wilson Avenue and Liberty Street, and later were to meet in the new school house on Market Street.
In October 1852 the first Methodist Episcopal Church of Girard was built at a cost of $680, paid in full by December 8th of that same year. This building, which stood at the northwest corner of West Main and High Streets, was used for 27 years.
In 1880 the second church was built on our present location and used for the next forty-seven years.
Additional ground was purchased adjacent to the church during the pastorate of the Reverend C. B. Hess. Under Dr. A. L. Nixon subscriptions were taken to prepare for building the third, our present Church. The second church was torn down and work was begun on the present sanctuary which was to cost $ 125,000. It was dedicated on October 21, 1928 by Bishop Theodore Henderson, with Rev. A. G. Rupert, pastor, assisting.
After a long depression and much hard work to pay off this huge debt, the mortgage was finally burned at a ceremony on May 12, 1946 during the pastorate of Rev. Arthur S. Maly.
In 1949 Mr. Lyman G. Lease, in his will, gave to the Church property in the northeast section of the city. In time, when this property was sold, money from the sale was used to remodel and re-wire the basement into the present Fellowship Hall, and also to leave a balance for future building.
During the pastorates of L. R. Dittman, John L. Clark, and Lawrence Crawford, plans were drawn and approved, and the building of Wesley Hall, connected to the sanctuary, was completed. This addition, to be used as an educational building, was first used on September 28, 1958. The mortgage for this building, which had cost $132,000, was paid off in April of 1962, and dedicated on September 16, 1962.
Through the years, many gifts have been placed in the church. Among these are the original pipe organ - a gift from Mr. & Mrs. P. J. King. The organ cost $8,500 and was dedicated March 30, 1930 to the glory of “their loving Savior”. Another example of a gift to the church is the hand-carved cross which hangs at the front nave of the church. The cross was made in 1932 by Jack Powers and given in memory of “Grandpa” David Hammek.
More recently, there have been many improvements through memorial gifts and congregational projects. In 1968 a new parsonage was purchased; new pews and front doors were installed in 1970; a new pulpit and altar furniture were dedicated in 1972; the kitchen was modernized in 1974; and a new organ console was installed in 1981. The front of the church was completely re-landscaped, including the removal of the two large Maple trees. Two new Red Maple trees were planted in the summer of 1982. A comprehensive program of building renewal titled “Operation Restoration” was carried out from 1981 to 1984. Over $90,000 was raised to restore our church, repair and replace parts of our roof, relead our stained glass windows, repair some of our damaged plaster, repoint brick work, and repair the driveway. In 1985 the congregation embarked on Cornerstone Committment, a program to renovate our beautiful sanctuary. The chancel was remodeled to provide greater access and more seating for the choir loft. New carpet was installed after the sanctuary was completely painted. A new public address system was installed with the capability of recording the service for church shut-ins. An elevator to the sanctuary and Fellowship Hall was installed and dedicated in 1985. All new kitchen cabinetry was installed in 1998. In 1999, the Sanctuary ceiling was cleaned and resealed to revive the beauty of the 72 year old wood. Also in 1999, new windows were installed in the Educational Wing. All of this has been achieved while increasing our giving to the benevolence programs of our area and conference. God has surely blessed us.
In recent years we have celebrated many joyous events. One such event was the 50th Anniversary of the building of our beautiful sanctuary on October 21, 1978. The church was full that day as we worshipped together and celebrated afterwards with a congregational dinner. A second event was the 1981 celebration of the 200th anniversary of the founding of the Sunday School Movement. Many members dressed in colonial outfits and historical messages from former pastors were read. Rev. James D. Longsworth preached that day in his 18th century circuit rider costume. On October 10, 1993 our members observed Sesquicentennial Sunday, a celebration of one hundred fifty years as an active Methodist Church. It was the culmination of a year-long effort beginning with a historical slide show attended by over 150 persons on a cold January night. A Sesquicentennial Mission Fund was established which raised $10,000 to benefit five local Missions. In the weeks before the special service on that October Sunday, members voted for their favorite hymns which were sung at the service. They were: “Victory in Jesus” (5), “The Old Rugged Cross” (4), “Hymn of Promise”(3). “Amazing Grace” (2), and “How Great Thou Art”, the No. 1 all time favorite. Our Pastor, Rev. Stuart Stephens was joined by two former pastors, Rev. Reuben Rader and Rev. James Longsworth. Three former pastors sent letters to the congregation. Mrs. Arthur Maly, whose husband was our pastor during the years just prior to, during and after World War II, was also present and offered some treasured memories. Both Youth and Senior Choirs sang for the service, and after there was a splendid Sesquicentennial Dinner in Fellowship Hall.
During all of the “bricks and mortar” activity, attendance in the church school and morning worship showed significant gains. Youth Club, an after-school program, was started in 1983 and continues to serve the needs of over 75 children every Wednesday evening. Great Beginnings Pre-School, also begun in 1983, serves the church and community as a wonderful place to begin the schooling of our young children. Every summer our church hosts a Vacation Bible School, attended by about 100 children from the community, providing crafts, games, music and Christian Education to all who come. Our Church also has an active Sunday School Program with a strong emphasis on Youth education. Each Sunday during worship there is a Children’s Sermon given on the same theme as the traditional Sermon, after which the youth attend Junior Church in the Educational Wing. In addition to our youth program, our Church has fulfilled missional committments with work trips to Appalachia, Haiti, various Habitat for Humanity Work Projects, and local mission at Youngstown Rescue Mission, Emanual Care Center, and Coats for Kids, along with our connectional mission work through the East Ohio Methodist Conference. Girard First United Methodist Church also actively participates in Girard community worship services including the Thanksgiving Community Worship Service and the Easter Sunrise Worship Service.
Sometimes we like to think back to the small group of Christian men and women who first worshipped in the little log school house 157 years ago. We hope that they would approve of what our church and the community of Girard has become today.