About us
The history of Flag Springs Church began one hundred and seventy-five years ago, as a pioneer preacher of the Methodist Protestant Church chose to stop in our community and preach to a group of fox hunters. The story of this historic moment has been handed down from generation to generation, and today there are some variations of the table of the beginnings of our church. However, all of them agree that one man was fundamental in the founding of Flag Springs. That man was Reverend Alson Grey.
Reverend Grey was a prominent minister of the time, serving as President of the Conference in the mid-eighteen hundreds. It is said that he was passing through our community one day and stopped to rest. Since there was no one to listen, he preached to the trees and went on his way.
On a Sunday, one month later, he came though this area again. This time he met some fox hunters. He talked with them awhile and then asked them to come up on the hill to hear him preach. The men were so inspired that they asked him to come back to that same place one year from that day.
Flag Springs Methodist Church was organized in 1839. It got its name from the great quantity of wild blue flags (wild iris') which grew around a nearby spring. The meeting took place at the appointed time, and a service was held in a nearby log school house at Flower Hill, which has of 1989 was Artemus Garner's place. Later, the meetings were moved to a frame church. A frame arbor was used for revival services. The frame structure was torn down after the completion of the new building in 1898. Work on this building had begun in 1895.
In 1947, Flag Springs began to solicit funds for a new church. The new structure was completed in 1954. Through much hard work and devotion on the part of its members, the church became free of debt in February, 1956.
As our church continued to grow, additional education facilities were needed. It was during the pastorate of Reverend Roy L. Eubanks that plans for a 7,200 square foot building were first approved, and a fund raising campaign began.
During the ministry of Reverend Fred Macon, a second financial crusade was held. In the fall of 1964, under the leadership of Reverend David L. Baxter, a building committee was formed and working plans were finalized. Construction on the education building began in March, 1965, and the building was first occupied on October 31, 1965.
The latest change in 1989 to our physical building was remodeling the sanctuary, which was built in 1954, into a more modern structure. Plans for the remodeling were begun during the pastorate of Reverend Charles Byrd, and was completed under the leadership and hard work of Reverend Bryan Fox. The remodeling not only brought out sanctuary more in line with the architecture of our educational building, but also provided us with a beautiful place to worship.
Groundbreaking service for our new sanctuary was held on April 20, 1976. The construction and renovation program took approximately six months to complete. The following additions were made: a 2,550 square foot extension of the sanctuary to include a chancel area, choir room with storage area, and a pastor's study; a 40-foot bell tower, rising over a baptismal font, an extension of the sanctuary; the renovation of existing chancel area into a narthex and coat room; the carpeting of the complete sanctuary and narthex; air conditioning and supplementary heating of the sanctuary, narthex, and classrooms in the old building' patching and painting of the walls, and installation of new ceiling and lighting in existing sanctuary; new sanctuary furniture, including baptismal font, pulpit, lecturn, communion table, communion rail, flower table, and chancel chairs; exterior work including sidewalks, planters, ramp, painting, new gutters and downspouts, and landscaping; and also new pews.
In May of 1987, Flag Springs and New Hope became a two-point charge, during the pastorate of Reverend Michael K. Swofford.
During the pastorate of Reverend Doctor Billy Jarrett, we began plans on building a Christian Life Center in 2004..
In 2015 we celebrated one hundred and seventy-five years under the pastorate of Reverend Barry Queen.
In 2016 the CLC was paid off! GLORY to God!!
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In November 2016 we welcomed our new pastor; Reverend Carol Hunter!
Thank you for your prayers and support you have given to Flag Springs UMC and we encourage you to join us in ‘Celebrating the Past’ 175 Years and ‘Committing to the Future’ life in mission and ministry together.
