In 1848, Capt. Jesse Smith and
others organized a Methodist Church near Sparta. The first services
were held in private homes. Services were also held at the Mt. Lebanon
Female Academy and the Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church. In 1862, Dr. Jasper
Biggs gave the church a lot on the north side of the old parallelogram
at Mt. Lebanon. Capt. Smith had led the fundraising effort
for a new church building for a number of years.
The first pastor assigned to
the Mt. Lebanon-Sparta-Castor-Holder circuit was Rev. Thomas J. Upton.
He led the congregation in building a church, which was completed in 1868.
Hand-hewn timbers were used for the frame. The walls were boarded,
and the cracks were covered with strips of wood. The pews were made
of heavy planks with straight backs. The middle section of the pews
was twice the width of the side pews. A partition as high as the
pew backs went down the middle of the church. The carpentry was provided
by the pastor and church members. They wanted to dedicate the church
with a message by Bishop Marvin (who was in the area) but still owed $400.
Mrs. Jesse Smith advanced them the money so that the service could be held.
Since the population in the
area was scarce, the congregation decided to move to Gibsland to reach
more people. In late spring 1885, Mrs. Elizabeth Blaylock bought
a lot on Gibbs Street for $25 and gave it to the church. The church
at Mt. Lebanon was dismantled and brought to the new location. Mrs.
Blaylock later bought a parsonage for the church. Rev. Parvin was
the first pastor at the new location.
In 1923, Rev. C.E. McLean started
the congregation thinking about a new church. On September 7, 1926,
the old church was torn down and sold for lumber. While construction
took place, the members met at the schoolhouse. The new church was
completed in August 1927. The church was dedicated by Bishop Hoyt
Dobbs on August 30, 1936. A pipe organ was added in the 1950s.
In 1940, Rev. E.W. Day led the
church in the construction of a new parsonage. Additional improvements
have been made through the years. |
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