Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church

OCTOBER 11, 2009 

Church History

Furnished by Alvis Turrentine (Slide Show to follow shortly)

The Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church had it principal roots in two Southern Methodist Churches located in Bedford County, Tennessee, namely, Moore's Chapel and Knight's Camp Ground. Methodism is believed to have been introduced into Bedford County as early as 1808 with campground meetings first at Salem near Bell Buckle, and later at Steele's, Horse Mountain, Knight's, and Holt's. Knight's later became Knight's Camp Ground Episcopal Church, South, getting its name from a family named Knight that gave the land. Moore's Chapel was located in Blue Stocking Hollow, which area got its name from the old Blue Stocking Presbyterian Church located on this road, thought to have been established about 1811. The Moore's Chapel building is no longer standing. A cemetery known as Moore's Chapel Cemetery is now a well kept cemetery where many of the early members are buried. Knight's Camp Ground Church was located on what is now Knight's Camp Ground Road near the intersection with  Dixon Road. There was a third church of this vicinity known as Solomon's Chapel that closed about the mid 1920's. This church was located on the Pleasant Grove Road near Thompson's Shop. All three of these churches were part of the same Methodist Circuit, and a part of the Tennessee Conference now known as Rich Valley Charge. In later years there were two other Methodist churches that discontinued services which were a part of the Rich Valley Charge, namely, Bethlehem which closed in 1953, and Center which dosed in 1970. Pleasant Grove received members from these churches also, so we can say that we are now a church claiming roots in at least five former Methodist congregations.

Rev. J. E. Trotter was the minister in charge of Moore's Chapel and Knight's Camp Ground Churches beginning in 1927 and in the summer of 1928 a tent revival was held in Pleasant Grove at the location of the Cottage Grove Cumberland Presbyterian Church which discontinued services in the mid 1920's. It is thought that this revival led to the consolidation of the Moore's Chapel and Knight's Camp Ground churches and purchase of the Cottage Grove Church. The Presbyterian's acquired the property as a gift from John W. Wiggins in 1860 who was the grandfather of Finis Neely who became a member of the consolidated church. The church was purchased on Oct. 2, 1929 for $400 from the Elk Presbytery. This included a tract where the building sat and also a tract across Sandusky Road. In addition, Dr. A. J. Kimmons gave about one-half acre to the church in 1932 whose trustees were J. H. Davidson, Finis Neely, S. J. Pickle, Will Milton, and John Harrison. Rev. Trotter continued to serve the church until 1931. The church continued to grow in the following years.

With Rev. H. L. Smith as minister and Mr. Will Winford, Church School Superintendent, the church was being urged to get a new building as the congregation had outgrown the one room building. On Oct. 10, 1949 ground was broken for the new church. J. H. Davidson was made supervisor of the work, Frank Daughtrey was made treasurer of the building fund and Katie Pickle went over the community soliciting and collecting moneys for the new building. First the old building was torn down so that the useable lumber, mostly poplar, could be salvaged for the new building. The construction crew included some experienced builders but mostly volunteers from the church who gave many hours and days to complete the task. Opening services were held on the second Sunday in January, 1950, with Rev. Smith preaching the sermon. Dedication services took place on Sunday, June 8,1952 with the Rev. Grady L. Wall, Superintendent of the Murfreesboro District conducting the services. New pews were added in 1962 at a cost of $57.50 per pew. Since that time, numerous additions were made to the church including stained glass windows. Many of these additions were made in memory of loved ones.

A Dream Becomes a Reality

Emogene Brandon

What is a Dream? We all have dreams when we are sleeping. We know what they are. But Mr. Webster says there is also another definition of a dream - a vision of the future. When we were young, we dreamed about growing up; when we became teenagers, we dreamed about getting our drivers license or our first car or what we would do when we graduated from high school; when we got married and had children, we had dreams for them; and, when we became grandparents, we had dreams for our grandchildren. We all have dreams. I believe this church had a dream for a new Fellowship Hall.

This church was constructed in the year 1950. It was built with classrooms for the children and young adults. The basement area was also used for social events such as bridal showers, wedding receptions, meetings, parties and fellowship meals. As the church grew over the years, it became evident we needed a larger area for these events and we began to explore the idea of building a Fellowship Hall. I perused the minutes of the Board meetings for the past 15 years and they revealed that this subject was discussed at more than half of those meetings, but it seems that was all we did - we just talked about it. Years passed - more talk, no decision.

Then at the Board Meeting on November 12, 2000, after a lengthy discussion, it was decided that the Trustees should visit other churches and look at their Fellowship Halls in an effort to get ideas as to the size and layout and report their findings at subsequent Board Meetings. This was done.

Still more talk - no decision.

Fast forward to the Board Meeting of March 17, 2002. The Trustees appointed a committee composed of Paul Gambill, Brent Davidson, and Tim Parker, to obtain plans, drawings, and estimates of cost to be presented to the Board for review.

There were several areas of concern that needed to be addressed. The entire building must be built according to Code, i.e., handicap accessibility. This would include, but not be limited to, the building of a ramp to the Fellowship Hall and the enclosed access hallway from the Fellowship Hall to the sanctuary. With both of the features, the sanctuary would then become handicap accessible.

At the board meeting on July 21, 2002, the Committee presented the plans and drawings as designed by Carl Gleghorn of Fayetteville. The drawings, revealed that the building would be of brick masonry; it would be 36' x 50' in size; and, would be completely handicap accessible in all respects which included the ramp and the access hallway from the Fellowship Hall to the sanctuary. The plans for the proposed construction showed that the building would be completed in four phases:

Phase 1 would consist of the foundation, framing, roof, porch, windows, doors and ramp. Lincoln Utility Contractors would be responsible for the foundation and site work, with the remaining portion of this phase to be completed by contractor Frank Eslick of Fayetteville.

Phase 2 would encompass all of the plumbing and electrical work, fixtures, and a 5 ton central unit. This phase would be done by Tim Parker.

Phase 3 would consist of the installation of the ceiling, floor covering, insulation, and walls, all of which would be done by various companies. Also included in this phase was the painting to be done by church members.

Phase 4 consisted of the kitchen cabinets, double wall ovens and cooktop, all of which would be donated by our pastor, Bro. Jim Sorrells. This phase also included the installation of the cabinets with countertops. The refurbishing of the cabinets and installation with countertops would be done by Gary Bills. Other appliances as needed would also be included in this phase.

The estimated cost for the first three phases was $65,500, with the cost of Phase 4 being undetermined at that time.

There were questions and more discussion after the presentation until finally a person present at that meeting spoke up and said, "Let's either build it or quit talking about it." That person was Judy Gambill. The Chairman of the Board asked her if she would like to put that in the form of a motion and she said yes. Her motion was to accept the proposals as presented by the Committee and proceed with the construction of the Fellowship Hall. I placed a second to that motion. A vote was taken and all present as that meeting on July 21, 2002, voted in the affirmative. The minutes of that meeting also reflect that we all left the meeting that night wondering what we were going to talk about for the next 20 years now that a decision had finally been made to build a Fellowship Hall.

A ground breaking ceremony was held and doing the honors was Mr. William Turrentine, the oldest member of our congregation and who for many years had wanted to build a Fellowship Hall.

Construction was begun on July 31, 2002 and all phases proceeded in a timely manner. The building was completed in November of 2003 with the total actual cost being $86,936.08 which was totally paid for by funds in our church treasury. Our first event in the Fellowship Hall was the Thanksgiving meal on November 23, 2003. Subsequent to the completion of the building, a sound system was installed in memory of Marie Barton Pickle. This was funded by memorial funds given in her memory by her family. We again want to commend and thank the committee of Paul Gambill, Brent Davidson and Tim Parker who, in addition to the management of their own businesses, accepted the responsibility of overseeing every aspect of the construction of our Fellowship Hall. Also we need to remember all of the volunteers who tirelessly gave of their time and expertise to help in the completion of our building.

My only regret is that Mr. Turrentine did not live to see the completion of our Fellowship Hall. But if he had been here, I believe he would have conveyed his feeling to us by using the words of our Lord as found in Matthew 25:21 which says in part "Well done my good and faithful servants."

So, after all of the years of "more talk and do decision" we finally made the decision to build a Fellowship Hall and we are here today to dedicate our building to the service of the Lord.

Our dream has become a reality!

THE CHURCH STORY CONTINUES

After completion of the Fellowship Hall in late 2003 we have focused on further upgrades to our church property by way of other additions and/or improvements.

In 2004, amidst great governmental negativity and controversy by the anti-religious group, ACLU, concerning the banning of the placement of The Ten Commandments on public property or in public buildings, a monument displaying The Ten Commandments was placed in our churchyard for all to see and read. Yes, there are still some people who have neither seen nor read The Ten Commandments. To date, the monument has not been vandalized. Divine intervention? Maybe.

A lighted sign has been erected adjacent to the parking area and proverbs along with clever or whimsical sayings are placed on it on a weekly basis. There is even one school bus driver who stops so the children on the bus can read the sign.

With monies from our Memorial Fund, pictures and wall hangings have been hung in the Fellowship Hall, Bibles and additional hymnals placed in the sanctuary, and new furniture purchased for the classrooms. Also, the Vacation Bible School held in 2009 was funded by the Memorial Fund.

Our Church received a monetary bequest from the Last Will and Testament of Wayne Lentz. The proceeds have been invested in a Certificate of Deposit and the interest derived therefrom has been designated as the Wayne Lentz Scholarship Fund. This scholarship fund has been utilized by deserving students in Bedford County for the past two years.

New improvements to our church building include new light fixtures, cove lighting, insulation of walls and ceiling, and upgrading the sound system. A Baby Grand piano has also been purchased for use in the sanctuary. New carpeting has been placed in the vestibule, stairway and sanctuary along with new choir chairs.

In the basement area floor-to-ceiling cabinets have been added for storage. Ceramic floor tile has been installed in the kitchen and playroom area of the basement and new carpet placed in the classrooms. Volunteers in the church have spent endless hours painting, decorating classrooms and refinishing furniture and floors. A new television with VCR and DVD has been added to the classrooms. New playground equipment is also in place for the children.

The lot across from the church has been developed into a new parking area with a security light. The sign, churchyard, landscaping and parking area are maintained by volunteers in the church.

For liability purposes, the church is in the process of being incorporated. The documents have been reviewed by the District Superintendent and after small changes ore made, the documentation will be filed with the state which will then limit the liability to the assets of the church and therefore any liability cannot be passed to church officials and members.

In January 2008, the Martin College Choir performed at our church and a message was given by Dr. Ted Brown, President of Martin College. During the visit, he explained that Martin College had a goal of staying very close to the churches of the Tennessee Conference to meet their needs. One way of maintaining that closeness was for the local church and Martin to become partners. Included in the Partner Plan, the local church would provide an endowment of at least $10,000 and then $1,000 would be available each year for a student from the church as a scholarship. Martin Methodist College would in turn provide services to the church including an annual visit to Pleasant Grove from faculty and choir. In the fall of 2008, Pleasant Grove United Methodist church became a Martin Methodist College Partner by providing $10,000 for a permanent endowment.

Plans are now in the works to expand the Fellowship Hall by adding additional classrooms and enlarging the eating area for special occasions as our attendance is slowly but steadily increasing.

Our church building was erected in 1950, the Fellowship Hall in 2003, and hopefully the new addition to the Fellowship Hall will be completed in the near future. What will the next fifty years bring? We don't have a crystal ball; however, we are confident that future generations will persevere, continuing our quest to improve our church and in so doing, glorify God.

Rich Valley United Methodist Women

The Rich Valley UMW was organized in 1999 with current membership of 25 from Pleasant Grove and Flat Creek United Methodist Churches. The UMW meet on the fourth Sunday evening each month. We participate in mission studies and ministry focused on women and children in this community as well as nationally and worldwide. The UMW weekend retreat at Beersheba Springs is always a very meaningful time for fellowship and mission study. An annual fund raiser for the UMW ladies is our Super Sub Sunday held on Super Bowl Sunday.

Prayer Shawl Ministry

The United Methodist Women Organization started the Prayer Shawl Ministry on November 25, 2007 and to date have made and given 92 shawls/afghans. The shawls are prayed over and dedicated in our church by Brother Sorrells. The call for these shawls/afghans revealed an abundance of love and healing to individuals young and old in our own community and as far reaching as an infant in Germany as well as a service person from our church who served overseas.

Biscuit Club

The church men from Pleasant Grove meet on the fourth Sunday morning for breakfast and fellowship. The Biscuit Club's ministry is local missions to those in need. Fund raising events include a pancake breakfast attended by many in our community.

Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church Choir

The Choir at Pleasant Grove has been in place for many years with the most recent Director being Betsy Craig accompanied by pianist, Lynn Wilhelm. Each Christmas the Flat Creek members join the Pleasant Grove Choir members to prepare for a beautiful and meaningful Christmas Cantata.

Performances of the Christmas Cantata are held at both churches as well as several other churches during the Christmas Season. Special music by the Choir is enjoyed on special occasions all year and during the weekly worship services.

Family Night

The new Fellowship Hall made it possible to begin our "Family Nights" on one Saturday evening of each month during the fall, winter and spring. The food and fellowship are shared by all. The games, programs and "old fashion fun" are always a hit. The Halloween party with costume judging for all ages is one of our favorite "Family Nights".

Vacation Bible School

Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church hosted an all day Vacation Bible School in June 2009 with over 50 in attendance. Flat Creek and Pleasant Grove United Methodist Churches have rotated hosting Vacation Bible School for the past three years. We are thankful that children and youth of all ages as well as adults enjoy the Bible skits, crafts, food, fun and fellowship.