First Methodist Church of Winnsboro

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the First Methodist Church of Winnsboro, up in Wood County. Now settle in, because this congregation's story is the kind that keeps coming back around. It was organized in 1859, the very first religious group in Winnsboro.

The first. Before anybody else had gotten around to it, these folks had already gathered themselves into a congregation. And then, well, the Civil War came along and did what it did to so many things, and this congregation was disbanded.

Gone quiet. You might have thought that was the end of it. But it wasn't.

In 1869, the congregation was reactivated, and it came back with fifteen members. Fifteen people said, no, we're not finished here. In those early years, the congregation held its worship services in a community church, sharing space, making do, the way folks do when they've got more faith than they've got walls.

Then in 1880, a Methodist sanctuary was built at the corner of Elm and Church streets. A proper home. But that structure didn't get the last word either.

It was replaced by a brick building in 1904, and then that one, that solid brick building, was itself replaced by a new building in 1963. Three times this congregation built, and three times they moved forward. Through all of it, they kept serving, kept ministering to other area churches across the region, kept showing up for the community in ways that the marker says have been many and varied.

A congregation that got disbanded and came back. That's not just history. That's a congregation that decided it had more work to do.

What the marker says

Organized in 1859 as the first religious group in Winnsboro, this congregation was disbanded during the Civil War, but was reactivated in 1869 with fifteen members. Early worship services were held in a community church until a Methodist sanctuary was built at the corner of Elm and Church streets in 1880. It was replaced by a brick structure in 1904, which in turn was replaced by a new building in 1963. This congregation has served the community with a variety of programs and has been active in ministering to other area churches. (1991)