Artifacts from prior churches sought for March 16 celebration

From Rev. Brandi Grant-Rigsby and Ada First UMC 10-Year Anniversary Planning Team 

Greetings,

“We are the church, you are the church. We are the church together!”

Can you believe it will soon be 10 years that we have been in our current church building? A decade of Sunday services, baptisms, weddings, memorial services, potlucks, meetings, missions, and Sunday school classes!

A little history—Methodism originated in Ada in 1852 with a few settlers who began a class meeting in an old school house on Main Street and Montfort Avenue. In 1861, the Methodists assisted the Presbyterians in building the old Presbyterian Church and they worshipped together!

Membership grew rapidly and the Methodists wanted their own home. In 1868, a wooden church was built on the corner of Gilbert Street and Highland Avenue. Only the first floor was finished as some were not happy with the location.

Finally, in 1899, the old stone church was built and it stood on Main Street until the fire on March 13, 2012. After the fire, two committees were formed, the Vision and Building Committees, to begin the work on the current church building. The first Sunday worship service was held on March 1, 2015.

Now to the present—How do we celebrate the past decade and look to the future?

A special celebration is being planned on March 16, 2025 at 10:00 a.m., followed by an old-fashioned Methodist potluck meal. There will be displays from the old church, a photo presentation, and special music.

If you have any artifacts from the old churches, would you please drop them off at the church office? Thanks so much!

Please plan on joining us for this special time of fellowship, thanksgiving, and looking forward to the extraordinary future God has planned for Ada First UMC! We are the church together!