The church was founded on April
24, 1894. Services were first held at the Masonic Lodge building (located
across the street from the current church). Land for a church building
was purchased from Luther and L.M. Page for $15 on October 24, 1901.
The first pastor was Rev. T.J. Martin. A picture of the new church
appeared on the cover of the 1903 Louisiana Annual Conference Journal.
On April 1, 1907, D.W. Stewart
sold the church a piece of land for $100. The first parsonage was
built on that site along Hwy. 154.
The early 1930s saw renovations
to the church. Nine classrooms were built onto the church: three
on the north side, three on the east side, and three on the south side
of the church. For years, the church bell hung on a scaffold on the
back of the church. The original handmade pews were replaced with
heavy oak pews purchased from another church. A kitchen was built
at the southeast corner.
The parsonage was sold for $5,000
on November 19, 1950. A new lot (#88) was purchased and a new home
was completed by 1951. The consecration service ws on April 1, 1951,
and the dedication service was held on December 8, 1957.
The church was torn down and
rebuilt in 1958 under the leadership of Rev. Roy Grant. Services
were held in the school auditorium during construction. The new red
brick church included classrooms and a kitchen. Though it was named
the Ringgold Memorial Methodist Church at that time, the “memorial” part
has never been used.
The church acquired additional
property next to the church in 1980. That same year, the membership
decided to change the church’s name from Ringgold United Methodist Church
to the First United Methodist Church of Ringgold on October 25. Stained
glass windows depicting the life of Christ were installed in May 1983.
A fellowship hall was built in 1984. A Day Care Center was established
in 1987.
The church takes pride in its
mission service … locally (through efforts such as “Cooking for Others,”
a food bank, and an Angel Tree) and beyond (VIM trips to Oklahoma). |
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