Brief History of Macedonia UMC
We’ve been in the southeast corner of Cary NC for 175 years, growing and changing just like the present-day Cary community we call home. Records show the first Macedonia Methodist Church began in 1850 by a small group of families. Property on the corner of Mid Pines and Tryon Road was deeded to Macedonia Methodist Episcopal Church South (as it was then called) by a Mr. Charles Williams in 1855 for the sum of fifty cents and a small church was built. “Preaching” was held one Sunday a month, and Sunday School was held every Sunday. The church moved just north of the original location in 1903 to Tryon Road (where the Sheetz is now, directly across the street from our current location) and “preaching” was held every Sunday starting in 1954. The sanctuary (today’s Chapel) and upper educational wing at our current location at 2700 Jones Franklin Road was completed in 1962, and a fellowship hall was added in 1978. Our current sanctuary and adjoining educational wing was built in 2006. The large stained glass window in the sanctuary facing Tryon Road welcomes all. Today, we strive to fulfill our mission, “Working Together to Connect Isolated People with God’s Family,” not only within our walls, but in our community and in our world.
Our History in Pictures
Did You Know?
According to our records:
- The land for our current church was purchased from a Mr. Furr, who consented to trade 4 acres of land for the lot where the old church was (valued at $2,000), plus $6,000 (total cost $8,000).
- The mortgage and lot was paid off in 1960, and a mortgage burning took place at that year’s Homecoming. The church building was completed in 1962 and Open House was observed on April 5, 1962.
- First wedding recorded – May 1918 – Bess Westbrook Franklin and Hubert Earl Woodard
- First wedding at the current location (in the old Sanctuary) – June 24, 1962 – Tina Cooper Bagwell and Norman Freeman – Photo above in Gallery.
- Annual Conference was held in December until recent years (it’s now held in June)
- Many picnics were held at Raleigh’s Pullen Park as an outreach to “the Raleigh people.” Handwritten notes describe folks in horse drawn carriages coming out to attend services, ride the carousel, eat a bountiful array of food and drink gallons of iced tea and lemonade.
- First organ was purchased around 1910 for a cost of $40
- First Lay Delegates to NC Annual Conference were all women
- Around 1925, a Women’s Missionary Society was organized
- At a revival early in our history, it is noted that the pastor “preached such a stirring sermon that almost everyone in church was shouting.” A visiting preacher turned to the pastor and said, “My! My! I believe we have overdone it this time.”
- Dr. J. T. Gibbs was the presiding elder from 1898 through 1901. He came to church conferences wearing a beaver hat, kid gloves and cane, riding in a buggy hitched to two horses.
- June 30, 1946 – Memorial and Homecoming service held for those who served in the war in Africa, England, France, Italy, New Guinea, Philippines, Sicility, Japan and the Aleutian Islands
- A parsonage was built on what is now Campbell Road by members (men) who worked on Saturdays to cut logs, haul them to the mill, and construct the home. The female members raised money by selling ice cream, holding barbecues, and collecting money at Sunday School.
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