The Good Hope Methodist Church

Established in 1852 in the Currie Community

The History of The Good Hope Methodist Church

In the year 1852 a group of Methodist people bought Mt. Carmel Church, which was located on the site of the present cemetery, from the Cumberland Presbyterians, and the Good Hope Church was organized.

We find no records of the early organization and no record of who served the church as its first pastor.  In fact, we have no record of the church's pastors between 1852 and 1874, but it is believed the church had several pastors during this period.

First known pastor of the church, according to records, was Rev. M.M. Taylor who served in 1874 and 1875.  Since that time the church has been served by forty-two other pastors.  A list of these is found below.

The building purchased from the Mt. Carmel people served the Methodist congregation until 1881.  On August 12, that year, J.W. Overall gave the congregation a deed in one acre of land and a new church was erected on it.  The building committee was composed of T.H. Fisher, Robert Dickson, John Page, George Timmons and Repps Knox.   Mr. Knox was the longest survivor of this group.

Feb. 28, 1888, J.J. Clay, of Georgia, gave the church a large Holy Bible.

At the Methodist Conference in 1898, the church was put on the Dyer Circuit.

In 1922, the 41-year-old church was badly in need of repair.   The congregation decided to repair it and turn the building, which faced the West, around, since the old road that ran along the west side had been discontinued and a new road ran east of the church.

The building committee selected for the job included J.T. Hall, Marvin Fisher, J.P. Robinson, J.R. Fisher, J.G. Nee, Mrs. Sallie Fisher, Mrs. Emma Young and Mrs. M.A. Pitt.  First service was held in the remodeled church on the morning of June 11, 1922 by the pastor, Rev. J.M. Kendall, assisted by A.B. Davidson and Marvin Emerson.  Rev. Kendall chose as his text, "It is Finished".  Dinner was spread on the ground and in the afternoon Rev. O.C. Wrather preached.

The first funeral service held in the newly remodeled church was that of the late Frank Judy on July 4, 1922.

The first revival was held Sept 6-17, 1922, by Rev. Kendall and Rev. O.J. Smith, then of Ridgely.  There were 60 conversions and 72 people joined the church.

The church was dedicated May 29, 1927 and Rev. Kendall preached the dedication sermon.

In 1944 the church was redecorated and two new Sunday School rooms were added upstairs.

This church burned Feb. 2, 1946.  Services were held in the Union Academy School Building while plans were made and a new church erected.

The church was built under the supervision of Jim Green, Jesse Garner and Jesse Nee.  The first service was held in the new church on Dec. 7, 1947.   First funeral service was that of Leonard Robinson.

In July, 1949, chairs were installed in the choir and a new piano was bought for the church.  The pews and the present heating system were installed in 1951.

The new church was dedicated August 26, 1951.  Speakers for the dedication were Bishop W.T. Watkins, District Superintendent M.H. Stroud and Rev. R.E. Street, pastor.

In April 1952, the Sunday School rooms were finished in the basement and the church was screened in June of that year.

The following have served the church as pastor:

Rev. M.M. Taylor.......................1874-75            Rev.J.T. Simmons...................1909-09

Rev. Winstead............................1876-77            Rev. T.S. Stratton........................1910

Rev. Sullivan...................................1878            Rev. T.C. Davis.................1911-12-13

Rev. W.H. Evins.............................1879             Rev. A.W. Lassiter......1914-15-16-17

Rev. B.F. Peeples.............1880-81-82-83             Rev. T.M. Wilkes.............1918-19-20

Rev. O.P. Parker............................1884               Rev. W.A. Banks......................1921

Rev. Winstead................................1885             Rev. J.M. Kendall........1922-23-24-25

Rev. S.F. Chambers........................1886            Rev. O.J. Smith......................1926-27

Rev. Cook.......................................1887            Rev. E.E. Spears.........................1928

Rev. J.C. Mauldin.......................... 1888           Rev. W.A. Baker................1929-30-31

Rev. Medlin (1/2 term)................ 1889            Rev. J.C. Cason...........................1932

Rev. Johnson(1/2 term).................1889            Rev. O.H. Latterty.......1933-34-35-36

Rev. Graham..................................1890            Rev. W.T. Garner.................1937-38

Rev. Fields......................................1891            Rev. M.S. McCaslin...................1939

Rev. Ward.................................1892-93             Rev. J.C. Gilbert..............1940-41-42

Rev. Naylor.....................1894-95-96-97             Rev. H.D. Weaver................1943-44

Rev. A.S. Taylor............................1898             Rev. Boykins..............................1945

Rev. Maldon.........................1899-1900             Rev. C.O. Frey......................1946-47

Rev. T.J. Simmons.........................1901             Rev. W.M. Vaughn...............1948-49

Rev. W.A. Donohue.............    1902-03             Rev. Chester Baker...............1950-51

Rev. J.T. Carl............................1904-05             Rev. R.E. Street..........................1951

Rev. Fowler..............................1906-07            

The church operated up until 1998 at which time it no longer had enough people to keep it in operation.     The building was then leased to the Mennonite people.


Click on the thumbnail to see a wedding invitation  from 1892 for a Miss Ball and Mr. Flowers, the wedding to be held at Good Hope Methodist.


The church building as it appears today.