THE BANNER, Which Was Designed and Chosen by the Centennial Committee Taking Into Consideration

THE BANNER, which was designed and chosen by the Centennial Committee taking into consideration our motto for this year of celebration “Shining our Light in Belmont for Over 100 Years”, was the idea of Julia Armstrong and designed by Doug Moody.

Valerie Elrod spearheaded the project.

THE ALTAR FLOWER ARRANGEMENT is given to the Glory of God in honor and memory of the ministers, their spouses, and the staff persons who have served the First United Methodist Church over the past one hundred Years.

THE CHURCH STAFF Dr. Charles W. Baker, Jr. Minister Janice H. Pennington, Administrative Assistant Renee C. Painter, Director of Music Sally D. Lingle, Director of Discipleship Ministries Linda C. Smith, Director of Child Development Center Rev Shelton D. Davis, Pastoral Counselor

LUNCH will be served to all in the fellowship Hall at 12:00 PM. Please follow the Acolyte, Ministers, Choir, and Guests in the Reserved Section to the lunch tables in Carpenter Hall. Ministers and Guests seated in the Reserved Section will be served first.

THE 100 th ANNIVERSARY COMMITTEE Co-Chairpersons: Julia Armstrong and Doug Moody Ginger Feimster Mary Carpenter Valerie Elrod Harley B. Gaston, Jr. Marjorie Goins Laura Henkel Kathy Johnston Joe Maynard Betsy McKee Boyce O’Tuel Jack Page Judy Sherrill Sue Teeter Kurt Widenhouse HISTORY OF FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

“Main Street Methodist Church” came into being in the summer of 1911, during the preaching ministry of the Rev. J. A. Bowles. The congregation met in a tent until the winter months, when they moved to Belmont Central School. The first building was erected on the same site as the tent, in the 300 block of South Main Street. The first service in the new building was held on May 12, 1912.

Three years later, the church had become strong enough to be made a station charge, so it was removed from the Mount Holly Circuit, and the Rev. A. P. Rutledge was appointed it’s first full time pastor.

In 1949, the name of the church was changed from “Main Street” to “First Methodist”. An Educational Building was added in 1956; and in 1957, a new parsonage was erected at 700 South Main Street. During a church union, the name later became “First United Methodist”.

In 1967, the congregation purchased a new church site on South Point Road. An architect was employed in 1971, and the construction on the present Sanctuary building began in May 1974.

On September 7, 1975 the first service was held in the new sanctuary.

A service of dedication was held on November 2, 1980.

In 1997, Mr. Henry Stowe donated the money to build a Scout Hut on the property of the new church.

The ground breaking for the addition of an administration building and a fellowship hall was completed in 2002. The fellowship hall was named and dedicated to Lester Carpenter because of his generous donation to the building.

The new building was dedicated on March 6, 2011 at a note burning service and celebration. It took less than ten years to payoff this building. PASTORS OF FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Bowles, J. A. 1912-1913 Richardson, N. R. 1913-1915 Ratledge, A. P. 1915-1918 Thompson, J. E. 1918-1924 Hoyle, R. M. 1924-1926 Hinshaw, R. E. 1926-1927 Barber, J. M. 1927-1929 Sprinkle, H. C., Jr. 1929-1930 Smith, W. M. 1930-1934 Tuttle, R. G., Sr. 1934-1935 Tuttle, R. G., Jr. 1935 Bowles, C. P. 1935-1940 Townsend, Paul W. 1940-1941 McLarty, J. B. 1941-1944 Lanier, W. L. 1944-1948 Wilkinson, J. G. 1948-1951 Ross, Courtney B. 1951-1955 Bogle, Joseph R. 1955-1959 Lowman, E. H. 1959-1961 Payne, Don A. 1961-1964 Kennedy, A. C., Jr. 1964-1968 Hefner, Cecil G. 1968-1972 Young, C. Garland 1972-1977 Thumm, Milford V. 1977-1981 Brown, Jr., Coy Lee 1981-1985 Thompson, Dr. George W. 1985-1988 Barden, Larry 1988-1991 Routh, Don 1991-1998 Little, Bob 1998-2001 Andrews, Mark 2001-2011 Baker, Dr. Charles W. 2011- Members of First United Methodist Church with 82 years (May 4, 1930) to 35 years (May 22, 1977) of Membership

82 Years: Benjamin Marshall Stowe, Sr. (Ben) 75 Years: Mildred Wright Neagle (Mrs. Yates) 73 Years: Margaret Walter Thrower (Mrs. William) 72 Years: Helen Bell Rankin (Mrs. Henry) 66 Years: Betty Higgins Deitz (Mrs. Clyde), Clyde Jackson Deitz 64 Years: Amelia McKnight 61 Years: Joe Boyce Maynard 58 Years: Mary Ringelberg Mintich (Mrs. George) 57 Years: Marjorie Smith Goins, John Earl McKee, Dorothy Wright Simpson (Dot) 56 Years: Joanne Cline Elmore, Virginia Hand Feimster (Ginger) 55 Years: Mary Ramseur Carpenter (Mrs. Robert), Robert Carpenter, Joyce Pratt Henkel, Ellen Clary Painter (Mrs. John), Scott Sherrill 50 Years: Margaret Parker, Elizabeth Grier (Libby), Patricia Thrower Williamson (Trish) (Mrs John), Benjamin Marshall Stowe, Jr. (Marshall) 49 Years: Harry R. Melton 48 Years: Marie V. Widenhouse (Mrs Franklin), Sue O. Teeter (Mrs Herman), Herman Morris Teeter, Sr. 47 Years: Betty K. Pennington (Mrs. Samuel), Barbara Mintich Bundy 46 Years: William Earl Stowe, Sr. (Wes) 45 Years: Carolyn C. Grigg (Mrs. Larry), Agnes T. Horsley (Mrs. William) 44 Years: Beulah Mullinax (Mrs. Glen) 43 Years: Daniel Clyde Deitz (Dan), Harvey H. Elmore, Cynthia Irene Goins (Cindy), Michael W. Painter (Mike), Samuel Henry Pennington, Carol Goodrum Tomlinson (Mrs. Walter), Walter Tomlinson, Taylor Elmore Wilson (Teri) (Mrs Claude) 42 Years: Barbara B. Byrum (Mrs. Harold), Harold C. Byrum, Meriwether Lewis Maynard (Mrs. Joe) 41 Years: Joseph Hugh Henkel, Jr. (Hugh), Beth Parker Woodliff 40 Years: Freda M. Howie (Mrs. Jerry), Jerry Howie 39 Years: Carolyn Hunter Harper (Lyn) (Mrs Larry), Linda Perry Weatherford (Mrs. H D), H. D. Weatherford (Buck) 38 Years: Merle Costner 37 Years: Karen Bynum Northcott, Jane K. Washam (Mrs. James), James C. Washam (Jamie) 36 Years: Cynthia Handsel Groner (Cindy) (Mrs. James), Jane Rankin McLean (Mrs. William), William Paul McLean (Bill), Linda Coleman Smith, Claude G. Wilson, III 35 Years: Kathryn Love Johnston (Kathy), Thomas Pennington, Nancy Tomlinson Smith (Mrs. Russell) Families of Four or More Generations

Six Generations: Armstrong

Five Generations: Rankin-Stowe Four Generations: Beaty-Bowen Henkel Maynard McKee Mellon-Hand-Feimster Wilson-Hunter-Howe

Armstrong 1. James Matthew Armstrong (J. Math) and Clarissa Ford Armstrong Charter Members

2. John William Armstrong (J. W. or Will) and Emma Irene Hunter Armstrong Charter Members

3. John Blair Armstrong (m. Pauline Powell)

4. Richard Hunter Armstrong, Sr. (m. Julia Lee White)

5. A. Traci Lynn Armstrong Beaty (m. Brian Beaty)

B. Richard Hunter Armstrong, Jr. (m. Anneke Czerniawsky) 6. A-1 Emma Elaine Beaty

Rankin-Stowe 1. Whiten Robertus Rankin and Judith Elizabeth McKee Rankin

2. Zada Rankin Stowe (m. J. W. Stowe, Sr.*) Charter Member

3. A. James William Stowe, Jr. (m. Belva Jenkins Stowe, deceased) (m. Sally Smith Stowe)

B. Henry Gilbert Stowe (m. Bessie Bannister Pratt)

C. Benjamin Marshall Stowe, Sr. (m. Sara Transier Wright)

4. C-1 Sara “Sally” Stowe Bashant

C-2 Benjamin Marshall Stowe, Jr. C-3 William Earl Stowe, Sr. (m. Pamela Greene)

5. C-1 a David Morris Bashant

C-1a Catherine Griffin Bashant

C-3-a Frances Ashlee Stowe

C-3-b William Earl Stowe, Jr.

Beaty-Bowen 1. Fred Whitfield Beaty and Annie Elizabeth Maier Beaty

2. Mary Elizabeth Beaty Bowen (m. Charles Edwin Bowen, Sr.)

3. Charles Edwin Bowen, Jr (m. Meredith Sparrow)

4. Casey Elizabeth Bowen Smith (m. Matthew Smith), Kevin Charles Bowen

Henkel 1. John William Henkel and Lena Dellinger Henkel

2. Joseph Hubert Henkel (m. Joyce Pratt)

3. Joseph Hubert Henkel, Jr. (m. Laura Stowe)

4. William Christopher Henkel, Taylor Reece Henkel

Maynard 1. Ervin Drayton Maynard and Alice Stowe Maynard

Charter Members

2. Boyce Lee Maynard and Isobel Workman Maynard

Harry Phillip Maynard and Ethel Coleman Maynard

3. A-1 Joe Boyce Maynard (m. Meriwether Lewis) B-1 Harry Phillip Maynard, Jr. (m. Carol Kelly)

B-2 John David Maynard

4. A-1-a Meriwether Boyce Maynard O’Tuel (m. Everett Todd O’Tuel)

A-1-b Elizabeth Townes Maynard

McKee 1. George Leroy McKee and Addie Beaty McKee

2. A. Rader Elvin McKee (m. Evelyn White)

B. Frank Whitten McKee (m. Lucille McKee)

3. A-1 John Earl McKee (m. Betsy Teague)

4. A-1-a Natalie Dawn McKee Stewart (m. married Robert Stewart, Jr.*)

A-1-b Jonathan Elvin McKee

Mellon-Hand-Feimster 1. A. Margaret Smith Mellon Charter Member

B. William Harvey Hand and Julia Smith Hand

2. A-1 Bonnie Lorene Mellon

B-1 William Price Hand, Sr. (m. Evelyn Fortune Blanton)

B-2 Helen Hand Greenwood Grant (m. Charles Greenwood, deceased)

(m. Loyd Grant)

3. B-1-a William Price Hand, Jr.

B-1-b John Blanton Hand

B-1-c Virginia Carol Hand Feimster (m. Michael Lee Feimster) 3. B-1-c-a Michael Price Feimster (m. Marikka Kantner*)

B-1-c-b Emily Fortune Feimster

Wilson-Hunter-Howe 1. Arthur Bernard Wilson and Elizabeth Hughes Wilson

2. Nancy Carolyn Wilson Hunter (m. Ralph William Hunter)

3. A. Elizabeth Hart Hunter Howe (m. F Larry Howe*)

B. Carolyn Louise Hunter Harper (m. Larry Harper*)

4. A-1 Hunter Franklin Howe

A-2 Tyler Louis Howe

*non-member

Centennial Scripture Focus

This year we are celebrating the shining of Christ’s light in Belmont for one hundred years through First United Methodist Church. These words of Jesus bring our mission into focus: “You are the light of the world —like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father” (Matthew 5:14-16, NLT). JOHN WESLEY ON PERSONAL SALVATION “In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther’s preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change, which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.” (John Wesley, May 1738)