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As you enter the quaint town of Port Republic you may notice a steeple stretching into the heavens. This massive white structure, with breath-taking stained glass windows is a testimonial to the history of Christianity in this small town. Methodism began here in 1796 after the local preaching of the first Methodist Bishop, Sir Francis Asbury. One young man named Nehemiah Blackman, of Scullville, converted to Methodism under Bishop Asbury. Later he married Miss Sarah Smith of Port Republic. In his will in 1806, her father, Captain Micajah Smith donated the land where the Methodist Society built the Smith Meeting House and Burial Ground. The 25 square foot building was unadorned, unheated and had tin candles for light. Its membership grew, and in the winter time services were held in the upper chamber in Nehemiah Blackman’s house, which was located near the dam on the east side of Mill Road. The old Methodist burial ground can be found near the present bathing beach in Port Republic. There the graves of Micajah Smith and his two wives can be found.

In 1837 several small hamlets decided to unite and build a church. These areas were Brotherton (Clarks Mills), Doughberry Hill, Chestnut Neck, Johnson town, Turner town, Wrangleboro, and Hewitt town. They bought an acre of land from Felix Adams and built a two story brick church facing on what is now Main Street. This building was located at the western end of the present Methodist Cemetery. The bricks for the building were made locally and the cornerstone of that church, Union Chapel, can be found in the vestibule of the present church. This modest building served the community until 1870 when the church we know as St. Paul's United Methodist Church was constructed.

The current church building was planned and its construction supervised by one of the ministers, Mr. H. F. Randolph. Many history books have titled our church "The Christmas Church" due to its picturesque ambience. The bell which is over 130 years old chimes every Sunday morning with a crisp clear tone of years past. If you sit in one of the original pews in the sanctuary on the second floor of the church, you might imagine a time when some of the leaders of the church would sit on either side facing the pulpit shouting their amen’s in agreement of a preacher’s message. Today a platform on the left side of the pulpit holds the members of St. Paul’s praise band and singers. They shout their amen’s in tune as they lead the congregation in contemporary praise songs and wonderful old hymns.

While resting in one of the pews you can gaze at the morning or evening light coming through those lovely stained glass windows. Here you will feel a sense of peace and rest knowing that this place of worship has been loved by generations of people who came here to sing and to cry, to pray and to listen, to laugh and to serve Jesus Christ.

Pastor Chet is currently our 56th pastor.

(some excerpts taken from a newspaper article, Port’s Beautiful Church is Steeped in History, written by Mrs. Harriet S. Sander, 1963)

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