The church began on April 4,
1874 when the trustees met with Willie Carruth to buy an acre of land on
which to build a church. Mr. Carruth’s son (Rev. Ancil Carruth, Sr.)
later gave the church an acre of land (to the left of the church)
for a cemetery.
The first congregation,
named “Bethel,” was led by Rev. Marshall Smith. Services were held
under a brush arbor until the first church was built in 1891.
When the church was rebuilt
in 1891, it was renamed Wesley Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church.
The pastor at that time was Rev. P.W. Clark.
The church was rebuilt
in 1946 under the leadership of Rev. Blackman M. Hall, who also served
as the contractor. When Lawrence Chapel United Methodist Church closed
in 1974, their membership merged with Wesley.
In 1976, the church relocated,
and the present sanctuary was built. The pastor who led the church
at that time, Rev. James A. Smith, would serve the congregation for 25
years.
He was followed by Rev.
Joseph E. Moore in 1984. During Rev. Moore’s ten year stay, the church
paved the parking lot, painted the exterior, and added lights, a new organ,
and new pulpit furniture to the sanctuary.
The church received a
new roof and carpeting under the leadership of Rev. Willie Laws.
The church’s first female pastor, Rev. Demetric L. Slaughter, led the church
in improvements … such as new signs, painting, furnishings, and the Wesley
Fellowship Hall. |
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