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Mt. Zion United Methodist Church History
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Archives ~ Currituck Charge ~ Vision Prayer ~ Personal Accounts |
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Record Book Archived at Duke University Library
Scanned and Posted by Marty Holland in 2005 on
NC
Genealogy Website |
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A History of the Currituck Charge Many relatives/descendants of early Mt. Zion UMC families helped to start other area churches by serving on their respective Board of Trustees including: Wesley (1834); Ebenezer (1841); Asbury (1846); Perkins (1850); Hebron (1854); Baxter's Grove (1860); and Sharon (1905).From archived records at Duke University of individual churches beginning in 1926, Mt. Zion has been a part of the Currituck Charge. That year the sister churches included Mt. Zion, Asbury, Ebenezer, and Hebron. In 1932 the Currituck Charge included Mt. Zion, Kitty Hawk-Boaz, Colington, Ebenezer, Grace, Hebron, and Sharon. In 1939, the charge included Mt. Zion, Ebenezer, Hebron, and Sharon. Ebenezer UMC later burned down and many from that congregation began attending Sharon. In 1956, the Currituck Charge included Mt. Zion, Hebron, and Sharon. Sharon UMC later went station. Today, Mt. Zion UMC and Hebron UMC remain in the Currituck United Methodist Charge.
Picture of Hebron UMC located
7411 Caratoke Highway in
Jarvisburg five miles south of Mt. Zion UMC. If you have more history on the Currituck Charge please contact the webmaster. Thank you.
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Prayer shared by Pastor David Blackman at Mt. Zion's Homecoming, 2006 Eternal and loving God, today we give thanks to You for your goodness through all the years of worship and witness in this place. For your grace in calling us to be your people, for your love revealed to us in Christ Your Son, for your gift of the Spirit and the joy of salvation, we give You thanks, O God. For those who established this congregation, for their faith and vision, for their gifts and abilities, we give You thanks, O God. For all who have been members of this congregation, for those who have given freely of their time and money, for those whose wisdom guided our congregation, we give You thanks, O God. For all who have preached and taught here; for all who have confessed here that Jesus is Lord; for all who today lead in worship, witness, and service, we give You thanks, O God. Give us the assurance that we too belong to that great company, and that we too may find peace that passes understanding; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
Personal Reflections Related to the History of Mt. Zion UMC
MY MEMORIES During the 235th Homecoming Week at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church, I was asked to share some of my memories of the church and the people who had made up the congregation. Here are some of my memories. General Douglas McArthur’s great grandfather was the minister in 1745 and Governor Jarvis, from Jarvisburg, was a member of the church in the 1870s. Even earlier than that, Mt. Zion and Hebron have been on the same circuit since 1854. There were no records of when the church that burned was first built. However, it was rebuilt in 1880, but I don’t know when the North and South wings were built. In 1937 it was wired for electricity and in 1945 it was renovated, at which time the vestibule and steeple were added, along with the bell that came from the Mager Woodhouse plantation. He was in the legislature in Raleigh and was known as the “Hell Raiser” from Currituck. He was great grandfather to Becky Howard, Sheila Grandy, and me. New pews and carpeting were put in the church sometime after 1945. In 1975 Tommy Grandy and I climbed up to the steeple to see if we could get the bell working. When we came back down to the vestibule and pulled the rope, the bell jumped out of the cradle it was in and couldn't ring. Then when the church burned to the ground on the evening of Ash Wednesday, 3 March 1976, the bell fell to the ground. I took it home and put it under my shelter until 1978 when it was returned to the bell tower. The bell rang, but not very well and didn't make much of a sound. It still doesn't ring after all these years, but Wes Liverman has taken it down to Kitty Hawk so that it can be repaired - and try again to get it ringing. Maybe 2007 will be the magic year. Going back to about 1908, it should be mentioned that James Brown and Joe Owens built the original pulpit with the rail and kneeling bench. It probably should be mentioned that Joe was seven feet tall and the railing and kneeling pad were so high that no one could use it - except maybe Joe. Anyway, they had to redo it. CONTINUED: Click HERE for Bernard's entire story
The Church Fire, Ash Wednesday, 1976 Recollections by Tommy & Sheila Grandy, 2005 It was around 9:00 PM when Judy, wife of Rev. Denny Wise, called to frantically tell us that our beloved Mt. Zion was on fire. Immediately we drove out to see the building in flames surrounded by fire trucks and firefighters. Initially the blaze was under the church, coming through the ventilators. But within an hour, the structure was consumed. I remember holding frightened, young Patrick Wise in my arms, staring at the destruction while his parents tried to determine if they should move their personal belongings from the parsonage. Tommy tried to assist the firefighters. Our charge parsonage [where the Rev. Wise family dwelled] was new with a carport just added, separated only by a driveway from the church building. After the church was considered a loss, the fire fighters concentrated on saving the parsonage and were able to do so. By the next morning there remained only sections of the railing on the red brick steps* and crumbled ashes of what had been. The same steps where rested, on previous Sunday mornings, Orville Woodhouse’s and Bernard Evans, Jr.s’ tobacco pipes. The little church where my grandmother, Lovie S. Woodhouse, had encouraged all her grandchildren to go on Sunday mornings was nothing but a memory. The rooms where we held Sunday School classes, the beautiful altar where Tommy & I were married, the piano where Ms. Margaret played hymns by ear, the organ, back room kitchen… all gone. The following Sunday we all met at the old Grandy Fire Station [now Radio Shack]. Other members we remember there were: Inez Grandy; Alethia Baum; Margaret Dowdy; Gladys Simpson; Ralph, Norma, & Randy Barco; Wendall & Elizabeth Barco; Bernard & Marvaneen Evans, Jr.; Chris & Alline Aydlett; Orville, Ola, & Becky Woodhouse; and Eldon, Phyllis & Buddy Grandy along with others who gathered to pray and determine our next steps. We were invited by local churches to worship with them and most of our church family initially attended Sharon UMC or Hebron UMC. Eventually we decided to rebuild Mt. Zion with the help of many including Duke Endowment; the Ten Dollar Club; the generous giving of members and friends; community support with fund raisers; and God’s amazing grace. The first Board of Trustees for building the new church were: Ralph Barco, Orville Woodhouse, Bernard Evans, Jr., Bob Turner, Eldon Grandy, and Tommy Grandy. Besides the more contemporary architectural design, our altar area would now be east of the congregation, towards the rising sun, and graced by a beautiful thick stain glass of Jesus Christ. The building hosted three separate Sunday School rooms, a foyer, restrooms, and kitchen area within the wing. A fellowship hall was directly behind the sanctuary where two partitioned rooms with accordion doors could be collapsed to enlarge the area. [The former partitioned area is now part of our present day sanctuary.] In April of 1978, under our new minister at that time, the Rev. Clarence O'Briant, the congregation gratefully began worship services through the open doors of Mt. Zion UMC. * Forty days after the fire an Easter Sunrise Service, led by Rev. Denny Wise, was held on the steps near the ashes of Mt. Zion. Tommy and I borrowed homing pigeons from a pigeon racer in Elizabeth City, Mr. Holland Webster, releasing the flock for flight during the service. From the ashes later came beauty. sg/'05
Ministers Serving Mt. Zion l Summer Interns Serving Mt. Zion
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