Our History
In August of 1878, four residents of Havelock were baptized by Rev. John Jones (pastor of the Carteret Circuit) and took the vows to become members of the Methodist Church. A one-room church was built from donated timber that had to be hauled to Newport by oxen carts to be cut into lumber.
In 1949, the Sanctuary was enlarged, and again in 1953. In the ’50s, a Fellowship Hall and education building were added.
During the ’70s and ’80s, many renovations were undertaken in the Sanctuary, Fellowship Hall, and Education Building.
In 1994, the First Methodist Preschool opened in the Education Building as a Mother’s Morning Out program and has grown into a large half-day preschool program that is well regarded by our community.
Heritage Sunday of 2001 saw the groundbreaking of our current Fellowship Hall. And, in true Methodist form, the first activity held in March of 2003 was a dinner.
Throughout our history, church members have taken on the challenge of reaching outside the church walls to minister to others while providing Christian Education and good “Christian” fun inside the walls. They have participated in prison ministries and mission trips, visited nursing homes, helped build Habitat for Humanity Homes, held prayer vigils, provided food for homeless shelters, Sunday School, Bible School, and revivals, baptized new believers, and our ministries continue every day.
First Methodist Church can have no greater tribute than that given in a letter from a Marine who had attended worship here in 1954. He wrote, “To say I miss the fine brotherhood is a masterpiece of understatement. The front door should be labeled “Through These Portals Pass the World’s Finest Mortals.” I can do no more than pray for your continued success in giving hungry families the spiritual refreshment so generously given to me and mine.”
Ministry Teams and Groups
At First Methodist Church, we invite you to worship God with us. You will find many ministries designed to meet the spiritual needs of all ages and interests.
Methodist Women is a Christian women’s group that shares fellowship, missions, crafting, and much more. Other women’s opportunities include the Joy Circle and the Faithful Circle.
Methodist Men is a Christian men’s group that shares fellowship, missions, community work projects, and much more.
Music Ministries include our choir and praise team band. All musical talents are welcome.
Weekly Bible Study: Seasonal sessions are held on Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall.
Youth Fellowship: Any youth aged 12-17 is invited to join us on Sundays at 5:00 p.m. We meet August through April.phs can contain a lot of text, but 2-4 sentences is usually enough.
