Navigation

History

For a while, meetings were held in private homes, but it quickly became evident that a permanent place of worship was needed. The year was 1860 groundwork was laid for the purchase of the old Holly Springs Academy located on the hill bordering the present Holly Springs Cemetery. The first minister to serve this new congregation was the Reverend B. B. Culbreth, who at that time, was pastor of the Cokesbury Charge. In 1869 a steeple, a narthex, and subsequently two classrooms were added to the church.

In 1872, the North Carolina Methodist Conference assumed the responsibility of pastor assignment on a circuit charge.

Prior to World War I, it became evident a more centrally located building was needed. In 1917, Colonel and Mrs. G. B. Alford donated the land and bricks for the present structure. The men of the church provided much labor and leadership in this project. Upon completion of the building, a cornerstone was set commemorating the new structure and Mr. Alfred M. Johnson who oversaw the construction of the new building.

The women of the congregation realizing that help  

The women of the congregation realizing that help would be needed to finance the undertaking. Consequently, they met at the home of Mrs. T. B. Holt and organized an aid society.

The first project undertaken was the purchase of new pews. To help finance this, the aid society decided to donate money from the sale of all eggs laid on Sunday. These were called "Sunday Eggs". This idea along with a few ice cream suppers, cotton pickings, etc. paid the majority of the bill for the new pews.

In the latter part of 1917 the new church was completed. The pews were installed, the chancel and the old organ from the original church were moved and the congregation moved into their new church building.

The "Circle" was renamed "Women's Society of Christian Service" and then became an official organization of the Methodist Church.

The original church was sold to another congregation. The new congregation moved the building a few hundreds yards west of its original location. It is still in use, in good repair, and is known as Douglas Chapel.

The Holly Springs Methodist church purchased the old garage that was directly in front of the church. The garage was torn down and materials sold to help pay the bills. Grading was done and the lawn fixed with the walk paved from Avent Ferry Road to the church.

In 1959, the Methodist Conference appointed a student minister to the Holly Spring Methodist Church. It became necessary to build a parsonage. Mr. and Mrs. E. Mims donated land for the parsonage. The parsonage was constructed. The same year the Reverend Allen Long and family moved into their new home from their rented apartment.

The dedication ceremony for the parsonage was help Sunday May 15, 1966 at 3:30 p.m. The Reverend Nicholas Grant, District Superintendent officiated; Reverend John Reskovas was pastor. An open house immediately followed the service dedication.

Memorial money given in memory of Mr. T. B. Johnson by friends was given to the parsonage fund to make payments to reduce the debt on the parsonage loan.

We have help build two parsonages in addition to one of our own, for which we are very grateful.

Over the Years, the Holly Springs Church has served with many churches on a charge--Cary, Fuquay, Cokesbury, Buckhorn, Kipling, Apex and Macedonia.

In 1949 and 1950, the Holly Springs Methodist, Apex Methodist and Holly Spring Baptist churches joined to gather at Sunset Lake for a combined Easter Sunrise service. The choirs of all three churches combined enhance this moving moment in time.

On November 26^th, 1959, the first joint Thanksgiving service was held between Holly Springs Methodist and Holly Springs Baptist churches. Later we were joined in this annual event by the Collins Grove Baptist church.

1967 saw the first Community wide Easter Sunrise Service hosted on the front lawn of the Holly Springs Methodist church.

In 1968, the name of the church was changed to Holly Springs United Methodist, due to a national church merger.

On November 8^th, 1970 the Holly Springs Methodist Church observed its Centennial anniversary with a homecoming service attended by more than 200 people.

Sunday, April 22,1984, saw the Community Easter Sunrise Service hosted by the Douglas Chapel Church (the original site of the Holly Spring Methodist Church). Over the years, most of the churches in Holly Springs have joined in the joint community Easter and Thanksgiving services. After the Easter Sunrise Service, the community is invited to participate in a Breakfast served by the participating churches at the B.C.K. building. Each church and their clergy has the opportunity to host these services each year.

In the fall of 1989, the Hammond Organ which was dedicated in 1950 failed. A committee was assembled and the search began to find a replacement for the failed organ. The committee traveled to several locations to hear different organs. On December 12^th, 1989 the organ committee recommended the Glanti Palladium II Organ from Almond Music in Sanford, NC as it’s unanimous choice. The approval to purchase the new Organ was obtained and on February 16^th, 4:00pm, 1990, a dedication service was held. In attendance were David Almond of Almond Music and Jere Jones of Durham Music. Refreshments were served after the dedication ceremony and concert.

At the beginning of 1990 we began to see large changes in our community. Growth in the surrounding area became much greater than anyone had ever expected. Discussions began about the future of our ministry. A special "Future Building Fund" was established to begin setting money aside for our future. In 1994 it became more than evident that we were quickly outgrowing our facilities. In 1995, a building committee was appointed to survey the options open to our faithful congregation. After many long meetings, the building committee arranged a number of meetings with the congregation to get their feedback. This began the process for the Holly Springs United Methodist Church’s "Christian Life Center" which will add a number of new class rooms to promote a better Christian learning experience and add a Fellowship Hall to serve multiple purposes.

A ground breaking ceremony was held November 29^th, 1998, 4:00 p.m. for the Holly Springs United Methodist Church’s Christian life Center. In attendance were Dr. Kermit Braswell, Raleigh District Superintendent of the United Methodist Church, and representatives from the architectural and contractors firms. Reverend Horace Ferguson Pastor. 

1999 saw a number of new opportunities for the church to grow. The purchase of the adjoining property to the south of the existing structure gives the church additional options for future growth. Construction on the Christian Life Center began. As we pause to reflect on our past, we look toward the future. 1999 ends the current century but offers new opportunities for growth spiritually and physically.

March 5th, 2000 was an exciting time for our congregation. A service of worship celebrating the consecration of our Christian Life Center was held. Attending this celebration included present and former members of our congregation, representatives from Sparrow Construction our contractor, Tise-Kiester Architects, The Fidelity Bank, and Dr. Kermit Braswell District Superintendent. After the formal Consecration service and ribbon cutting the first Fellowship meal was served in our new Christian Life Center. Approximately 250 people were served and help celebrate this special mile stone in our worship ministry. After the meal, everyone was invited to tour our facilities.

2000 begins a New Year and a New Century. We look forward to dedicating our Christian Life Center and for the first time, a full time Pastoral appointment. Great things are happening. We invite you to be part of God’s Glory and a long heritage of faith and service.