The History of Marion United Methodist Church
The Marion United Methodist Church was established in 1835 and is the second oldest Methodist Church in Arkansas. It was served by Methodist Circuit Rider preachers until 1843 when the first resident pastor, Alexander Avery, was appointed.
The first church building was a log structure located on the west shore of Marion Lake. The log structure was destroyed in a storm in 1873. The women of the church raised $800 to replace the church building and a new frame structure was completed in 1876. The church was later relocated to the corner of Military Road and Currie Street in 1918 and that Sanctuary building (originally containing a sanctuary, six Sunday School rooms, and a pastor’s study) served the congregation for 87 years.
The parsonage was built in 1912 at the corner of Currie and Pine. In 1949 a new parsonage was built on the church property just south of the Sanctuary building. In 1981 the parsonage was moved to the property at 135 Turner Avenue. It was completely remodeled at that time, with a master bedroom and garage added.
The Sanctuary building had an educational unit added in 1942. The addition was a two story brick attachment to the south end of the building. It had a fellowship hall, a kitchen, two restrooms, an assembly room, and five class rooms. The sanctuary was remodeled in 1952. In 1957 the educational building was remodeled. The current Family Life Center was built in 1981 on the site south of the Sanctuary building where the parsonage had formerly been located.
The church celebrated its 150th anniversary in 1984. In 1994 the church purchased a building, which had functioned as a grocery store for many years, just to the east of the Sanctuary. The Building was remodeled into the youth building and named the Matt Sample Youth Building in 1995. In 2004 the church purchased additional property attached to the east and south of the church property. Following that purchase, plans were presented to a Charge Conference by the Building Committee, and the church voted unanimously to move into a building program which would add a gymnasium to the current Family Life Center, and build both a new sanctuary and educational building. A ground breaking service for these additions took place on October 3, 2004. The new gymnasium was completed in 2005, and hosts multiple recreational activities as well as church dinners and the famous Hullabaloo. The sanctuary and education wing were completed in 2008, providing an inspirational atmosphere for worship and Christian education for many years to come.
Marion United Methodist Church has a strong tradition of involvement in the community, making a difference for Christ, and linking our past with the future.