1885 First Methodist Episcopal Church of Fairgrove
1885 First Methodist Episcopal Church of Fairgrove
HISTORY OF THE FAIRGROVE GLOBAL METHODIST CHURCH
The people of the Methodist Episcopal Church were an important part of the history of Tuscola County. In 1839 a Rev. Whitman, a brick layer and local preacher, preached the first sermon ever preached in Tuscola County in the home of Dennis Harrison of Tuscola. The first Methodist class was organized at Tuscola on March 8, 1849. The class was connected with the Saginaw Circuit, Grand River District, with Andrew Bell the preacher in charge. As the population of the county grew, more preachers were needed and new appointments were made in the northern part of the county.
The Tuscola circuit was formed in September 1853. In 1859 the circuit became known as the Tuscola and Watrousville Circuit. It embraced all of the inhabitants on the north side of the Cass River, that part of the town of Tuscola that was on the south side of the river, the western part of Millington and nearly all of Abela. Among the appointments in the Fairgrove area were:
Fair Grove Center – which met in the old Center Log Schoolhouse
Southwest Fair Grove – which met in the Hinson Schoolhouse
Southeast Fair Grove – which met at the Moreland Schoolhouse.
John Orlando Bancroft was appointed preacher in charge. At this time ministers had to do much traveling on horseback, and they had many experiences fording streams and passing through swamps. During 1859 and 1860 there were many revivals held in the county.
Between 1861 and 1875 there were two small classes of the Methodist Episcopal church organized by Elder John O. Bancroft that held services in Fair Grove school houses: one in the Honsinger School House, a mile west of Fair Grove and a second at the Center Log School House a mile east of town. Local laymen served the congregation. A little later on the Honsinger group secured Rev. Bancroft, of Vassar, as their pastor and paid him $100 a year. A Rev. Foster followed Bancroft. A formal organization for incorporation was made at the 4th quarterly conference of the Watrousville circuit, June 12, 1875, when the corporate name of “First Methodist Episcopal Church of Fairgrove” was adopted, and the following trustees elected:
Wm H. Rose Edmund McCreedy
S.N. Aldrich Charles Partlo E.W. Johnson
Later the two Methodist congregations that were meeting east and west of town decided to unite for services. They met in a large hall in a hotel building south of the tracks on the east side of Main Street. About 1878-79 Rev. R.L. Cope, who lived at Watrousville, became the pastor.
Brother Cope was followed by Rev. William Bailey. Under his leadership plans were begun for the building of a new church building. Funds were raised locally and Rev. Bailey secured a loan, which helped tremendously. Mr. E.W. Johnson donated the land. Another change of ministers took place with Rev. Fred A. Smart, an energetic young man, taking up the work. He continued to raise funds for the new church and in 1884 the building was started, under the direction of a building committee including Phillip Honsinger, Edmund McCreedy, Peter Maxwell, and John McCreedy. Gravel came from near the Moreland School House; timbers from the Edmund McCreedy, Smalling, Harris, Gardner, Stoddard and C. Phillips farms.
By donations, subscriptions, faith and hard work of the people, the Methodist Episcopal Church in Fairgrove was dedicated to the work of our Lord on June 10, 1885. The first officers were:
Trustees:
S.N. Aldrich
William Gardner
F.W. Harris
P.H. Honsinger
E.W. Johnson
R.C. Burroughs
Edmund McCreedy
Secretary:
Frank W. Harris
Treasurer:
S.N. Aldrich
Chorister:
George Biles
Music:
Mrs. D.D. Campbell
Ladies Aid President:
Mrs. E.W. Johnson
Sometime during the pastorate of Fay F. Wolfe (1902-04), he became the first resident pastor and the first parsonage was built during Frederic B. Johnston’s pastorate (1904-09). A basement was built under the church building during the pastorate of W. Mayland Jones 1916-18. During the time from 1926-1935, the minister of the Fairgrove congregation lived in Akron but now also served Akron and Bethel. In 1935 the charge changed and the minister of Fairgrove lived in Fairgrove but now also served Watrousville, rather than Akron and Bethel. In 1940, the Methodist Episcopal, Methodist Protestant and the Methodist Church South reunited to form the Methodist Church. The Fairgrove/Watrousville charge continued through 1952 and then from 1952-1959 the minister served only Fairgrove. Rev. Paul Plueddemann began serving Fairgrove in 1952 but suffered a heart attack while shoveling snow in March 1956 and did not survive. Rev. Fred C. Bircham came out of retirement to serve as pastor for the next three years.
Fairgrove once again became part of a joint charge in 1959. In 1959 Rev. John F. Greer was assigned to both Fairgrove & Unionville churches. The 75th anniversary of the Fairgrove Methodist Church was celebrated on Sept 11, 1960 with Rev. John F. Greer, Bishop Marshall R. Reed and District Superintendent Rev. Herbert C. Brubaker. In 1965 Rev. David L. Saucier came to Fairgrove and he continued to serve both Fairgrove and Unionville churches until 1969. In 1969 the Methodist and the Evangelical United Brethren churches united becoming the United Methodist Church and the Gilford church was placed on the charge with Fairgrove in place of the Unionville church. Rev. Saucier continued serving as pastor of Fairgrove and Gilford until 1972. Before he resigned as pastor in the summer of 1972 the new parsonage was built. The 90th anniversary of the Fairgrove United Methodist Church was celebrated on Nov 2, 1975 with District Superintendent
Dr. Ralph Janka and Rev. Don Haskell. During the pastorate of Otto Flachsmann (1984-92) the church steeple was replaced and the 100th anniversary of the Fairgrove United Methodist Church was celebrated on June 16, 1985 with Bishop Judith Craig and District Superintendent Rev. James W. Thompson.
Sadly in 2006 the Gilford United Methodist Church closed its doors and Dan Gonder, pastor at the time, continued to serve as a part-time pastor to Fairgrove until 2010 when once again Fairgrove & Watrousville became a charge. On September 26, 2010, the Fairgrove United Methodist Church celebrated its 125th anniversary with a brunch following morning worship and a program “Music & Memories through the Years”.
During Dr.William Sanders’ pastorate in 2014 Fairgrove & Watrousville became separate appointments. William Sanders remained pastor at Watrousville and a new part-time pastor, Penny Parkin was appointed to Fairgrove. In 2017 Fairgrove once more became part of a dual charge. This time with Sutton Sunshine United Methodist Church.
On December 31, 2023 the Fairgrove United Methodist Church disaffiliated from the United Methodist Church and on January 1, 2024 became a part of the Global Methodist Church, with the new name Fairgrove Global Methodist Church. Sutton Sunshine United Methodist Church also disaffiliated to become part of the Global Methodist Church and Pastor Jim Butler is continuing to serve as pastor to both churches.