The members of the Paris First United Methodist Church are preparing to celebrate 200 years of service and mission work 10 a.m. Sunday, May 21. Friends and families are invited to join the congregation for a special service followed by a potluck luncheon.  

Part of the event includes a display of memorabilia depicting the church’s long history. 

The Methodist Church began with a small number of people wanting to promote the spiritual life needed to create a good environment for their families and neighbors.  With only five families, minister John Curtis and a log cabin, Methodism started in what later became Edgar County. These settlers laid the spiritual corner stone for the roots of the Methodist Church in Paris.

The village of Paris in 1823 was small with only eight log cabins. Seven men gathered in the log cabin belonging to Smith Shaw and formally organized the first Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1837, after meeting for 14 years in the homes of church members, the congregation decided to erect the first Methodist church building on East Wood Street. The small brick church served the community well and provided revivals bringing new members to the church.

When membership outgrew the original building, a beautiful new church, Elliott Chapel, was constructed northeast of the square in 1855. For 45 years this church held numerous revivals, and congregants learned to arrive early to get a seat. 

The journey of the Methodist Church in Paris continued and by 1901 Elliott Chapel was no longer adequate for the expanding membership. A corner at Alexander and Court was selected to create a new church home.  Members shucked a wagon load of corn, held fundraisers and offered donations in honor of members and for memorials to help pay for the building, windows, and furniture. 

Gloria Redmon, a 79-year member of the Methodist church, recalls a special gift given in memory of her great-great-grandmother, Mariah Jane Buckler Redmon. Mariah Redmon passed away in 1902 leaving her husband, Joseph Redmon and seven adult children.  The family chose to honor her by donating the funds for a beautiful stained-glass window in the Methodist church then under construction. 

A Rose Window depicting Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane was the masterpiece placed on the north side of the building above the balcony in Redmon’s memory. It remains the most intricate and valuable window of the church.

 Gloria Redmon Mitchell continued the faithful service of her family having served as a director of youth and a Sunday School teacher for many years.

Virginia Wright, a member of the church for 86 years, remembers gathering in the church sanctuary as an eighth grader for the graduation ceremony honoring all graduating eighth grade students from one-room schoolhouses throughout the county.  In later years, she and husband, Cash Wright, were married in the church sanctuary with the Rev. Lewis D. Hopper officiating. Throughout the years, many weddings have been held in the beautiful sanctuary as well as the baccalaureate services of Paris High School graduating classes.

Gene Barkley grew up in the Paris Methodist Church and served as a Methodist minister in other locations before returning home to raise his family in the church and Paris Community. He remembers belonging to the Methodist Youth Fellowship as a positive influence during his teenage years.

The spirit and dedication of the people throughout the 200-year history of the Paris First United Methodist Church remains alive and well as current members are committed to support church families, community and mission work throughout the world. Open doors, open minds, and open hearts are the guideposts on the path congregation members walk for the spiritual future of their children, the church and country.