West Market Street United Methodist Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids West Market St. United Methodist Church |
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West Market Street Street United Methodist Church, September 2019
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | United Methodist Church |
| District | Northern Piedmont District of the Western North Carolina Annual Conference |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Episcopal polity |
| Leadership | Bishop Kenneth H. Carter, Jr. |
| Location | |
| Location | Greensboro, North Carolina, United States |
| Designated as NHL | National Register of Historic Places |
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West Market Street Methodist Episcopal Church, South
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 Location in North Carolina
Location in the United States
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| Location | 302 W. Market St., Greensboro, North Carolina |
| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1893 |
| Architect | Foulk, S.W. |
| Architectural style | Romanesque, Richardsonian Romanesque |
| NRHP reference No. | 85003198 |
| Added to NRHP | December 19, 1985 |
The West Market Street United Methodist Church (WMSUMC) is one of the oldest churches in Greensboro, North Carolina. It is over 190 years old and sits right in downtown Greensboro, across from the courthouse. This church is quite large, with about 1700 members.
The main church building, called the sanctuary, was built between 1893 and 1898. It was the third church building for this group of people. Today, the church has grown even more. It has a big education building next to the sanctuary and other properties, like an Early Childhood Center nearby. The Senior Pastor is Reverend Beth Crissman, and the Associate Pastor is Reverend Jeremy Benton.
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Church History
The story of West Market Street United Methodist Church began in the 1820s. A group of Methodists in Greensboro held their services at the Greensboro Male Academy. This was just 12 years after Greensboro was founded!
In 1830, Reverend Peter Doub encouraged this group to build their own church. The first stone for the building was laid on August 14, 1830. By 1831, the church was finished. It was first known as the Greensboro Methodist Episcopal Church. This was the very first church building in the small town of Greensboro. At that time, the church had 64 members.
Growing the Church
As the church grew, they needed a bigger space. In 1849, the Greensboro Methodist Episcopal Church decided to build a new sanctuary. They bought land on West Market Street. This new church was finished in 1851. By then, the church had almost 200 members.
In 1866, the names of all the church's Black members were no longer on the official list. Many of these former members likely joined St. Matthews. This was the first Methodist church created for African Americans in Greensboro.
The church continued to grow and started new churches in other areas.
- In 1884, they started a church in southeast Greensboro, which became Centenary.
- In 1897, they started one in the Proximity mill village.
- In 1899, another church began near the new state college for women, becoming College Place.
Three more churches followed in the 1900s: Bethel (1911), Park Place (1920), and Christ (1956). The church also started new programs. In 1879, a Woman's Foreign Missionary Society was created. In 1880, the first children's missionary group, called "Busy Bees," was organized.
New Buildings and Mergers
In 1892, the church decided to build its third sanctuary. This is the main building you see today. It was finished in 1898 and officially opened in 1901, once all the building costs were paid. An extra building for Sunday school was added in 1920.
By 1930, the church had 1,922 members. To celebrate its 100th birthday, the church published a short history and held special services. In 1932, another church, Park Place Methodist Episcopal Church, South, joined with West Market Street. This happened because of money problems during the Great Depression.
Over the years, different Methodist churches merged.
- In 1939, the Methodist Episcopal Church, the Methodist Protestant Church, and the Methodist Episcopal Church, South joined to form The Methodist Church.
- Then, in 1968, The Methodist Church and The Evangelical United Brethren Church merged. This created The United Methodist Church. Because of this, the church's official name changed to West Market Street United Methodist Church.
Church Services
For many years, the church had three Sunday services. Now, they hold two services on Sundays.
- A traditional service takes place in the Sanctuary at 11:00 am.
- A modern service is held in the Fellowship Hall at 9:00 am.
The church also hosts special services throughout the year. These include services for Advent and Christmas, and for Lent and Easter.
Music Programs
Music is a big part of the church's worship.
- For the traditional service, music often features the large Dobson-Rosales pipe organ. A grand piano, harpsichord, and other instruments are also used. The choir is quite large, with about 20 regular singers.
- The modern service features contemporary Christian music. A band of church members and professional musicians performs. They use instruments like drums, guitars, bass, and electric piano.
The children's choir is also an important part of the music program. They perform during both traditional and modern services. The church also hosts regular concerts, playing everything from jazz to classical music.
Helping Others (Outreach)
West Market Street Church helps people both locally and around the world.
- Local help: They support Greensboro Urban Ministries, participate in Agents of Grace, and help build houses for Habitat for Humanity. They also provide services to Washington Street Montessori School. This local help has grown a lot over the years.
- Global help: Teams from the church travel to other countries to help. They have worked in places like Bulgaria, Costa Rica, Mexico, Africa, and Guatemala.
Youth Activities
The Youth Ministry at West Market is for young people in grades 6 through 12. They usually have a group for high schoolers and a group for middle schoolers.
- They have Sunday school classes.
- They have youth groups for fun and learning.
- They organize mission teams. Recently, youth mission teams worked in West Virginia, Wilmington, North Carolina, and Nassau, Bahamas.
Keeping the Church Strong
Between 1998 and 2001, the church did a lot of renovation work. They wanted to make the sanctuary more flexible and all areas of the church easier to access. They also built a new building for the Early Childhood Center. A special area for ashes (columbarium) was added under the sanctuary, and the chapel was redesigned.
In 2014, they created a recreation area on the roof of the Education Building. This was similar to one they had in the 1950s and 1960s. In 2019, the Fellowship Hall was updated to better fit the modern worship service.
The church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (since 1985). This means it's an important historical building. To help keep it in good shape, the church started the Legacy Fund Program. This fund helps pay for big building projects. So far, almost $3 million has been promised to this fund!
During the COVID pandemic, in-person church services stopped in March 2020. But the church staff quickly offered online worship and educational options. Today, Sunday services are held at West Market Street at 9 am and 11 am, with Sunday school at 10 am. Both services are still offered online too.
This church, which started in 1830, is excited to celebrate its 200th birthday in 2030!
