First Methodist Church
Union City, Tennessee

Union City M. E. Church South, 1888

The Methodist Episcopal Church South was organized in 1856 in the home of Isaac C. Foster and they first met in a small frame building on the west side of Union City and near the present courthouse. A small wooden building was erected in 1867 at the corner of Church Street (then Mary) and Second. In 1884 a brick building was constructed by Lee Bransford on Main Street, dedicated 20 Oct 1889 and replaced in 1914-15. In 1939 three branches of the Methodist Church unified and again in April of 1968 the Methodist Church united with the Evangelical United Brethren and became the First United Methodist Church.

Records only date back to 1868 when W. H. Frost was minister. Charter members are listed as: W. H. Frost, Martin Shackle, Rev. Hutchinson, Rev. Flack, Mrs. J. B. Harrison, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Curlin, Robert Curlin, Eliza Curlin, Rev. and Mrs. Foster, Miss Fannie Foster, Eli Bynum and Mr. and Mrs. G. Kimberlin.

Other ministers in consecutive order are: W. H. Frost, J. E. Beck, T. L. Beard, Rev. Rogers, W. H. Leigh, W. T. Bolling, J. D. Bush, N. Futrell, J. H. Roberts, G. T. Sullivan.

No date is given for the organization of the Sunday School but many other churches had no place to worship and others had not organized a Sunday School, so the attendance was exceptionally large. (I must research this. I think SS began in the late 1800’s, 1870 or so and had thought it was begun first by Baptists – do you know?) The first superintendent was D. D. Bryant, his assistant, R. T. Curlin. Teachers: W. B. Giddins, Lee Bransford, B. H. Bransford, Miss Fannie Foster, Mrs. G. Kimberlin, J. T. Walton, W. W. Hall, Green Kimberlin, Thomas Jenkins, H. M. Mullins, Mrs. Lukens, Mrs. Parrott, Mrs. Parfield and R. N. Payne.

Enrollment of 300 included: Isa Askins, Anna B. Nailling, ohn Beck, Nettie Beck, Dan Beckham, Sallie Beckham, Delia Brackin, Alice Bragg, Clara Bransford, Jennie Bryant, Annie Cathey, E. C. Curlin, Laura Curlin, Nannie Curlin, Wm. Gibbs, Geo. Hall, Kirk Hall, Bettie Hamilton, Ida Harrison, H. P. Hawkins, Bettie Jenkins, Mary Killough, Hattie Layne, J. E. Lynn, J. H. Lynn, Winnie Mae Moffett, Dr Massengill, Wm. Massengill, Sam McClure, J. A. McMurry, Ada Morgan, Dena Morgan, Jas. Morgan, Evy Moss, Fletcher Nailling, Thomas Nash, Dr. Neblett, W. L. Parrott, James Roberts, Robert Roberts, Florence Shoffner, A. L. Spradlin, Lila Stanbrough, Lilly Stanbrought, Henry Stanfield, W. H. Swiggard, W. P. Vance, Maggie Walker, Nora Williams.

Superintendants beginning with 1900: W. L. White, H. T. Robinson, Charles Dietzel. Organists included Anita Midyett and Rose Sullivan.

Early pastors: R. W. Norton, I. N. Strother, J. S. Corpening, Hargrove, W. M. Bruton, J. W. Gillion, Mathis, A. S. Hall, E. L. Watson, J. H. Wright, S. W. Kendick, D. S. Brinkley, H. H. Drake, A. R. McGehee, H. A. Todd, D. F. Marlin, J. W. Jenkins, J. G. Hughes, M. J. White and E. L. Carnett.

It appears the first building was on Division Street and a second building was erected at the corner of (?) Church and Ury Streets (date unknown).

SOURCES:

• Obion County History, Union City, Tennessee, Volume One, 1981, Pub. Obion County Historical Society, Taylor Publishing Company, Dallas, Texas.
• Obion County History, Union City, Tennessee, Volume Two, 1985, Pub. Obion County Historical Society, Taylor Publishing Company, Dallas, Texas.
• Marshall, E. H., History of Obion County, Reprinted, 1970, 1974, by H. A. Lanzer Co., Union City, Tennessee