April 11, 2024
First United Methodist in North Attleboro closes doors
North Attleboro’s First United Methodist Church will be having a final worship service on Sunday, May 19. The date chosen is Pentecost Sunday on the church calendar, a time to commemorate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ.
“It would be wonderful to fill the pews with friendly faces who were a part of our church in the past,” said Joan Hutson, one of the church’s longest-tenured members, about the upcoming service.
A series of meetings between the New England Church Conference and First United Methodist Church representation came to the conclusion after much prayer and discussion that declining membership numbers and a lack of financial capacity led to the decision to close. After the final service, building keys will be turned over to the United Methodist conference office in June.
“The membership has dwindled, and we knew that we weren't really being as faithful as we needed to be by being selfish and keeping the doors open for just the few people that were attending,” said Lynne Silver, the church’s treasurer. “But it was heart wrenching. It's been pretty emotional.”
Originally founded as the Free Evangelical Church, members met in Barden’s Hall until 1870 when a building was dedicated at the southeast corner of North Washington and East Streets. That building would serve the congregation throughout the switch to the Methodist Conference in 1907 and through 18 pastors. The building there included visits from Massachusetts Governor Frank G. Allen and housed an organ donated to the congregation by Andrew J. Carnegie. The category five Hurricane of New England in 1938 weakened the church steeple and it had to be removed. The bell of the steeple was removed and stored – the same bell that currently resides in the garden on the left side of the front entrance at today’s location.
The congregation of 225 members, under pastor Rev. Ray I. Martin, spearheaded the design and construction of the current Sanctuary at 20 Hoppin Hill between 1961 and 1963. Two sister owners of the Arns apple orchard on the hill sold the land to the congregation because they felt their “father would like a church on top of the hill.” The laying of the cornerstone of the original structure took place on April 28, 1963 while the choir sang “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.”
In 1986, Rev. Dr. John E. N. Knight became the 22nd minister to the congregation, and under his direction, an educational wing, extended sanctuary and fellowship hall, later named for him, were dedicated on December 3, 1989. The congregation of 329 members and non-members pledged $160,000 toward building the $500,000 addition. However, much of those funds would never come to fruition. By 1990, the New England economy was struggling and the first budget deficit for First UMC was presented at the annual Church Conference. The congregation had fallen to 54 pledging tithers, and Dr. Knight and his wife Hazel decided to retire from the area. As Rev. John L. Camp began his pastorate on the hill, one of his first motions was to erect a large sign at the front of the church grounds.
The church in recent decades underwent several mortgage refinances, before finally making its final payment on the property in February of 2022. A mortgage-burning ceremony was held on the front lawn that April.
Many projects have been undertaken by the congregation in recent years, including opening its doors and parking lot to various recovery groups in the community for the last five years, a vibrant Pumpkin Patch held on the front lawn during each of the last 16 Octobers, and most recently, a little free-standing food pantry on the Route 120 side.
“Our little pantry was something we wanted to do to complement Lenore’s Pantry,” Silver said. “Although the church attempts to keep it stocked with shelf-stable items, it really relies on the generosity of anyone willing to donate. It’s our ‘take what you need, leave what you can’ ministry that really defines how this church saw itself as a helpful and central partner in the fabric of this community.”
What happens with the pantry, the recovery groups, the pumpkin patch, and the church bell will likely depend on what happens with the church building. The United Methodist conference will decide the fate of the building, whether it will be sold or torn down.
“Some really important life events for many people in the town of North Attleboro and surrounding areas have happened here,” said Lauren Caisse, chair of the church staff-parish relations committee. “It is important to recognize the church services, baptisms, weddings, funerals, and all the other celebrations that took place here.
“Even if we say that a church is not a building, it’s a people – there are still a lot of memories wrapped up in that,” she added.
Hutson encourages others to share their memories of the church during the final service. Everyone is welcome, she said, including current and former members or those who had family members who were a part of the church.
“We would like to have them come and if they have pictures of events that happened at the church, they can bring them for the day to share. We know that there's a lot of history in the church and a lot of people with family ties. If they would like a chance to say goodbye, this will be it.”
The final worship service will be held at 10:40 a.m. District Superintendent Rev. Megan Stowe will preside over the service.
The doors will then close for the final time.
“It's going to be a little emotional, but it's also going to be like we did God's work and it's just time to move on, time to go do God’s work in another Church, and for the rest of our lives,” Hutson said.
Contact: Beth James ([email protected])
First United Methodist in North Attleboro closes doors
North Attleboro’s First United Methodist Church will be having a final worship service on Sunday, May 19. The date chosen is Pentecost Sunday on the church calendar, a time to commemorate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ.
“It would be wonderful to fill the pews with friendly faces who were a part of our church in the past,” said Joan Hutson, one of the church’s longest-tenured members, about the upcoming service.
A series of meetings between the New England Church Conference and First United Methodist Church representation came to the conclusion after much prayer and discussion that declining membership numbers and a lack of financial capacity led to the decision to close. After the final service, building keys will be turned over to the United Methodist conference office in June.
“The membership has dwindled, and we knew that we weren't really being as faithful as we needed to be by being selfish and keeping the doors open for just the few people that were attending,” said Lynne Silver, the church’s treasurer. “But it was heart wrenching. It's been pretty emotional.”
Originally founded as the Free Evangelical Church, members met in Barden’s Hall until 1870 when a building was dedicated at the southeast corner of North Washington and East Streets. That building would serve the congregation throughout the switch to the Methodist Conference in 1907 and through 18 pastors. The building there included visits from Massachusetts Governor Frank G. Allen and housed an organ donated to the congregation by Andrew J. Carnegie. The category five Hurricane of New England in 1938 weakened the church steeple and it had to be removed. The bell of the steeple was removed and stored – the same bell that currently resides in the garden on the left side of the front entrance at today’s location.
The congregation of 225 members, under pastor Rev. Ray I. Martin, spearheaded the design and construction of the current Sanctuary at 20 Hoppin Hill between 1961 and 1963. Two sister owners of the Arns apple orchard on the hill sold the land to the congregation because they felt their “father would like a church on top of the hill.” The laying of the cornerstone of the original structure took place on April 28, 1963 while the choir sang “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.”
In 1986, Rev. Dr. John E. N. Knight became the 22nd minister to the congregation, and under his direction, an educational wing, extended sanctuary and fellowship hall, later named for him, were dedicated on December 3, 1989. The congregation of 329 members and non-members pledged $160,000 toward building the $500,000 addition. However, much of those funds would never come to fruition. By 1990, the New England economy was struggling and the first budget deficit for First UMC was presented at the annual Church Conference. The congregation had fallen to 54 pledging tithers, and Dr. Knight and his wife Hazel decided to retire from the area. As Rev. John L. Camp began his pastorate on the hill, one of his first motions was to erect a large sign at the front of the church grounds.
The church in recent decades underwent several mortgage refinances, before finally making its final payment on the property in February of 2022. A mortgage-burning ceremony was held on the front lawn that April.
Many projects have been undertaken by the congregation in recent years, including opening its doors and parking lot to various recovery groups in the community for the last five years, a vibrant Pumpkin Patch held on the front lawn during each of the last 16 Octobers, and most recently, a little free-standing food pantry on the Route 120 side.
“Our little pantry was something we wanted to do to complement Lenore’s Pantry,” Silver said. “Although the church attempts to keep it stocked with shelf-stable items, it really relies on the generosity of anyone willing to donate. It’s our ‘take what you need, leave what you can’ ministry that really defines how this church saw itself as a helpful and central partner in the fabric of this community.”
What happens with the pantry, the recovery groups, the pumpkin patch, and the church bell will likely depend on what happens with the church building. The United Methodist conference will decide the fate of the building, whether it will be sold or torn down.
“Some really important life events for many people in the town of North Attleboro and surrounding areas have happened here,” said Lauren Caisse, chair of the church staff-parish relations committee. “It is important to recognize the church services, baptisms, weddings, funerals, and all the other celebrations that took place here.
“Even if we say that a church is not a building, it’s a people – there are still a lot of memories wrapped up in that,” she added.
Hutson encourages others to share their memories of the church during the final service. Everyone is welcome, she said, including current and former members or those who had family members who were a part of the church.
“We would like to have them come and if they have pictures of events that happened at the church, they can bring them for the day to share. We know that there's a lot of history in the church and a lot of people with family ties. If they would like a chance to say goodbye, this will be it.”
The final worship service will be held at 10:40 a.m. District Superintendent Rev. Megan Stowe will preside over the service.
The doors will then close for the final time.
“It's going to be a little emotional, but it's also going to be like we did God's work and it's just time to move on, time to go do God’s work in another Church, and for the rest of our lives,” Hutson said.
Contact: Beth James ([email protected])
Thank you for a successful pumpkin patch!
THANKFUL, GRATEFUL, BLESSED ... This year’s 16th annual Pumpkin Patch has come to a close, and for the third year in a row, our gross sales hit a record-setting number. With the profit from Pumpkin Patch Fundraisers and the addition of many generous donations from patrons and the mums we sold, it was an endeavor well worth undertaking! These numbers will allow us to continue our ministries from beyond 20 Hoppin Hill out into the greater community, which includes opening our doors to house a myriad of support groups and other community events, assisting local collection drives, and ongoing monetary and staple food donations to Lenore’s Pantry. There are so many of you to thank, and we are enormously grateful for all the prayers and presence we felt in the patch this year. This outreach could not happen without the tireless work and servant hearts of our Church family. As we turn our attention to this season of giving thanks, and then to the birth of our Savior, may our thanksgiving for each other help guide us into the hope our first Advent candle brings. We burned our mortgage!
Thank you to all who joined us in person and in spirit at our mortgage burning ceremony on the front lawn, where we burned a copy of the mortgage. After many long years of paying toward the building, and the addition of Knight Hall and classrooms, our property at 20 Hoppin Hill is, as of February 2022, mortgage-free! We celebrated with stories, roasting marshmallows, and singing songs. Thank you for your faithful gifts and stewardship over the years to get us to this point. We have much to celebrate, and now hope to have more and new ways to push our gifts out into the communities we serve! |
Upcoming Events
Sundays, 10:40 a.m.: Worship First Monday of each month, 7 p.m.: Church Council meeting Email [email protected] for more information. Our Ministry Team
Craig Brown Richmond Flowers District Superintendent: Rev. Megan Stowe |