A History of First United Methodist Church
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1858-1869
On March 31, 1858, a meeting was called to discuss the possible organization of a Free Evangelical Church at Barden’s Hall, located at Park and North Washington Streets in North Attleboro. Rev. George W. Burnham of Salem, Massachusetts provided the leadership. On April 30, the Free Evangelical Church of North Attleboro was organized with 24 members present. It was agreed to share the doctrines of Evangelical denominations. Between May 1, 1858 and March 29, 1859, the Church was served by 12 different ministers, since there was no officially installed pastor, but on March 30, 1859, Rev. Cyrus Cunningham, Jr. was installed as the first pastor. On June 12, 1865 a vote was taken to incorporate the Free Evangelical Church at the home of Mrs. Hannah A. French. Organizational and legal committees were established. In 1866, the Rev. John A. Heagg was installed as the second pastor. Worship continued at Barden’s Hall, but under Heagg’s leadership, construction began on a new building, financed by building certificates and subscriptions. By 1869, North Attleboro selectmen laid out the location at the southeast corner of North Washington and East Streets, taking 9 and ½ feet from the Church lot, and 5 and ½ feet from the other side. A strip of land was sold on the south side to David Capron. 1870 - 1904 On February 24, 1870, the new building was completed and dedicated. Rev. George H. Child served as pastor from 1870 until 1872, when he was succeeded by Rev. Hector Canfield. In 1876, the bell of the Church was placed in the steeple; an evangelist was going to donate it, but history is unclear on what happened, and the membership paid for it. Rev. John A. Wood became the pastor in 1883, and in February of that year, a committee was appointed to consider the building of a parsonage. Bennett and French Co. of Wrentham, Massachusetts was awarded the contract. The committee approved that any money received from lectures made by the pastor would be used for fitting the parsonage, while money from the rent of the pews would be used to pay local bills. At some point between 1885 and 1889, Rev. Ballentine would become the sixth pastor of the congregation, followed by the Rev. Burton Minard in 1900. Minard would stay until 1903, and under his ministry, two revival meetings were held. During the early part of 1903, a movement was made to join the Methodist Conference, but the decision was made to wait one year. That fall, Rev. John Norberry succeeded Minard. Norberry’s ministry was considered so radical that the Church was in danger of a split. Some members did leave and Mr. Norberry was asked to resign in the spring of 1904. He was given a month’s pay in advance. 1905 - 1929 In the spring of 1905, Rev. A.J. Coultas gave the right hand of fellowship to most of the Free Evangelical Church members. Some of them did not join until they found out from the state whether they could join the Methodist Church and still be a member of the Free Evangelical Corporate Society. It was determined that this could be done and other members were taken into the Church by Rev. John Wesley Annas, the first pastor of the First Methodist Church. Mr. Annas served from 1906 to 1907. It was voted to let the property of the Corporate Society to the First Methodist Church for three years at $5 a year. The First Methodist Church members were to pay the interest as it became due, to keep the property insured and pay for all repairs that had to be made. In 1907, the Church was let on the same terms for another 20 years. The money was donated back to the Church. Rev. Eben Tirrell would serve as pastor from 1907 to 1909 and Rev. Edward R. Phreaner from 1910 to 1911. In 1912, the Corporate Society voted to sell its old organ. A committee met with an agent of Andrew J. Carnegie about a new organ. It was agreed the Church would raise a certain amount and then Mr. Carnegie would match it. During Rev. William H. Allen’s pastorate from 1912 to 1918, Sunday School was strong, including a Men’s Goodfellowship Club with 100 members. Rev. Charles H. VanNatter, Rev. John McVay and Rev. Amos Bruce served as pastors between 1919 and 1925. In 1927, while Rev. Elwyn Tingley was pastor, popular radio commentator Dr. Charles Cadman came to lecture, and filled the Church to capacity. In 1928, the Scottish gospel singer Edward MacHugh also performed, again to a capacity crowd. In 1929, Rev. John Wesley Annas returned for his second stint as pastor of the Church. 1930-1960 In January of 1930, the First Methodist Church celebrated its 25th year anniversary, including an anniversary banquet with Massachusetts Governor Frank G. Allen serving as speaker. Rev. Howard Tower was selected to serve as the 10th pastor of the First Methodist Church. The steam heat furnace was replaced by an oil burning furnace with Elmer and Marcus Ralston helping with the conversion. On May 20, 1936, in a unanimous vote, the Free Evangelical Corporate Society was liquidated and the transfer of all property and buildings was made to the First Methodist Church. An endowment fund was begun with seven members giving a total of $2,500. The category 5 Hurricane of New England in 1938 weakened the church steeple and it had to be removed. The bell was removed and stored. This is the same bell that currently resides in the garden on the left side of the front entrance. The Revs. Paul O. Brooks, Frederick A. Dyckman, James Ainslie and Charles W. Graham would serve between 1940 and 1952, as donations and a series of bean suppers helped to supplement the redecorating of the Sanctuary. During Graham’s pastorate, 116 new members joined, baptizing 17 adults and 81 babies. On March 14-21, 1954, the Church celebrated its 50th anniversary under the direction of Rev. Dr. Frederick T. Bertram which included a musical program presented by the choir. Rev. George Emery and Rev. Leon Hatch would become the 16th and 17th pastors of the congregation, respectively. 1961 - 1987 The congregation of 225 members faced a major crisis on May 12, 1961 when the building on East and North Washington Streets was closed by the State Department of Public Safety due to severe structural damage caused by carpenter ants. The pastor at the time, Rev. Ray I. Martin, picked the site at the Corner of Route 1 and 1A, and the sisters, whose father had recently passed, who owned the Arns apple orchard at 20 Hoppin Hill thought about it and said, “We think that our father would like a church on top of the hill.” In response, the congregation undertook a financial crusade resulting in a total of more than $60,000 pledged for a three-year period (1961-1964) and the old Church was put up for sale. For almost two years, the congregation worshipped in the Masonic Temple on South Washington Street before the laying of the cornerstone took place on April 28, 1963 while the choir sang “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.” A parsonage for the Pastor and family was also built, and the new First Methodist Church building was consecrated in October of that year. In the spring of 1965, American eyes focused on an obscure town in Selma, Alabama. Martin decided to lend more than moral support to the cause, and along with other “freedom riders” assembled at Boston University and rode a bus to Alabama. On March 18, Martin and others were arrested while picketing the home of Selma’s mayor. The 36 agitators were herded into the Dallas County Courthouse, where Martin spent the night on a bench in the corridor. He came back unharmed a few days later and gave a first-hand account of his experience to all of North Attleboro. Rev. Walter Wnek served as pastor from 1967-1972, during which time at the uniting conference in Dallas, Texas, the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church merged to form The United Methodist Church. This would officially change the name to First United Methodist Church. Rev. Darrell Walton served from 1972 to 1977 and Rev. Ward Coleman was the 21st pastor, serving from 1977 to 1986. In 1983, the 125th anniversary of the Church was celebrated. |
1988 - 2007
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 out of 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. Camp would serve four years on the Hill, but not without some contentious moments. A report at the 1994 Church Conference from the lay leader states that the year will go down as a time of trial with the departure of many active, pledging members, as well as Camp. Rev. C.V. Thomas would succeed Camp and lead with healing and love for the following four years, with the congregation averaging 69 persons during this time. In 1998, Rev. Linda Grenfell became the congregation’s first female minister, and also its first part-time minister. Attendance grew under her first years to average 88 persons. Sunday School enrolled 46 people, aged 3-adult. In 2002, a Safe Sanctuaries Task Force was established to protect the children and other vulnerable populations, as well as the volunteers who work with them. Rev. Grenfell would leave the congregation in 2006, and Rev. Peter Parent, who had just completed serving one year at the Plainville United Methodist Church, would also take on the First UMC congregation. Parent served both churches ½ time, effectively yoking the two churches together for the next 11 years. 2008-2020 In 2008, the congregation celebrated its 150th anniversary. It was also under Rev. Parent’s direction in 2008 that the pumpkin patch was begun, and would become the largest fundraiser of the Church. In 2011, Rev. James A. Blair was appointed to continue the two-point charge that existed between Plainville and First UMC. A golden jubilee was hosted on Oct. 13, 2013 to mark 50 years on the Hill. In June of 2017, Faith Fellowship United Methodist, formerly of Mansfield, Massachusetts, joined First UMC in sharing the building located at 20 Hoppin Hill Avenue. The vision from the District Superintendent was to create a new model of the 21st century church. Each church would retain its own name, identity and pastor, while combining ministries, mission and outreach, sharing cost and responsibility of the facility. Pastor Thom Demers, a local minister who had worked with Faith Fellowship’s pastor David Arruda in the past, was brought in to lead First through this period of acclimation. In 2020, First UMC made more history when Dan Genannt, Johnna Kosnoff, Susan Ulicnik and Tom Sernerchia combined to form the first Ministry Team that would serve a congregation in the Commonwealth West District of the New England Conference. Ministers
George W. Burnham (1858, founding evangelist) 12 supply pastors (1858-1859) Cyrus Cunningham, Jr. (1859-1866) John A. Heagg (1867-1870) George H. Child (1870-1872) Hector Canfield (1872-1878) John A. Wood (1879-1883?) ? Balletine (1883?-1900?) Burton Minard (1900-1903) John Norberry (1903-1904) A.J. Coultas (1905-1906) John Wesley Annas (1906-1907) Eben Tirrell (1907-1909) Edward R. Phreaner (1910-1911) William H. Allen (1912-1918) Charles H. VanNatter (1919-1920) John McVay (1921) Amos M. Bruce (1922-1925) A. Elwyn Tingley (1926-1928) John Wesley Annas (1929-1933) Howard Tower (1934-1939) Paul O. Brooks (1940-1941) Frederick A. Dyckman (1942-1943) James Ainslie (1944-1946) Charles W. Graham (1947-1952) Frederick T. Bertram (1952-1956) George Emery (1956-1958) Leon Hatch (1958-1960) Ray I. Martin (1960-1967) Walter Wnek (1967-1972) Darrell Walton (1972-1977) Ward Coleman (1977-1986) John E.N. Knight (1986-1991) John L. Camp (1991-1994) C.V. Thomas (1994-1998) Linda L. Grenfell (1998-2006) Peter A. Parent (2006-2011) James A. Blair (2011-2017) Thom Demers (2017-2020) Ministry Team: Dan Genannt, Johnna Kosnoff, Tom Senerchia, Susan Ulicnik (2020-2021) Ministry Team: Craig Brown, Tom Senerchia, Susan Ulicnik (2021-2022) |
First United Methodist Church, North Attleboro is grateful for the archival work and support of former members Evelyn Seward, Cliff Greene, Ruth Closson and Margaret Cornell.
