| The
Newberry Methodist Church
had its beginnings in September 1883, just two years after
the Marquette-Mackinaw Rail Road was completed.
At the Detroit Annual Conference
on September 18, 1883, a new district was created, the Sault
Ste. Marie District, and our first Methodist minister, Gary
M. Bigelow, was appointed. Included was one hundred dollars
in missionary money to start a church for the Newberry-Dollarville
charge. These are two small communities about one mile apart
located in the Eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan near
the Tahquamenon River. The first church, built within one
year, was on Newberry Avenue. The original building has
been The Newberry News headquarters since a new church was
completed and dedicated on October 5, 1890 at 110 West Harrie
Street, just one block West of Newberry Avenue.
The first parsonage was built on
the east end of the church lot on West Harrie Street in
approximately 1885 and later moved to make room for the
new church building mentioned above. A new parsonage was
completed in 1908 at 201 West McMillan Avenue and remained
in use until the present parsonage, located right next door
to the church, was donated by Mr. Phillip Hamilton in loving
memory of his wife in 1981.
Many changes occurred in the years
to follow. The dedication of our Christian Education Building
took place in 1962. This was a very welcome addition as
our Sunday school grew to 200 students with the “baby-boomers”
following WWII and space was needed for social functions
as well. Following that was the replacement of our church
with the current building in 1980. Shortly to come was the
office addition and then the bell tower in 1982.
Along with the erection of our current
church building in 1980 another historical event took place.
We joined with six other Methodist churches in a surrounding
radius of 55 miles to form God’s County Cooperative Parish.
One of the founders is Rev. Audrey Dunlap who is a continuing
member of our congregation. Rev. Dunlap has just completed
a historical book on the first 25 years of G.C.C.P.
For over sixty years the congregation
has been making and selling our well known pasties which
have a unique history all their own in the Upper Peninsula.
Also in 1982 began the Ecumenical Marketplace Bible School
which proved to be very successful and popular and continued
through 2003.
We look forward to a long and continued
history of the Newberry United Methodist Church and invite
all to join us in the spiritually growing experience.
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