Our Church History
The “Oxford Methodist Society” was organized on September 15, 1835. After several years of holding services in the center schoolhouse, several private homes, and later in the Universalist Church building, members built their first church home in 1841. The original building known as the “Methodist Chapel” had later been enlarged, but after about twenty-five years it was too small, so members prepared to build a larger church home. In 1865 construction of the “new” Methodist Church [located at the point of the triangle between Charlton and Barton Streets] began.
After suffering extensive damage from the hurricane of 1938, (and other growing pains) members “out-grew” this building after almost a hundred years. At a special meeting of the Quarterly Conference in 1956, members unanimously voted that the Methodist Church be relocated to a new site. Mr.& Mrs. Leslie J. Chaffee generously gave the land for our third church home (site of the former Butler’s Tavern). Groundbreaking ceremonies were held on April 19, 1961, the cornerstone was laid October 22, 1961, and worship was first celebrated in the new sanctuary on Palm Sunday April 15 1962.
The outside of the nave of the new church building is of brick veneer construction and is said to be one of the most beautiful of the newer churches in our Conference. The inside of the serrated side walls are decorated with twelve symbols from the Christian faith and above the altar a ten-foot gold cross is mounted on the altar screen, years after the joining of the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church in 1968, a red “flame” of fire was placed beside the cross symbolizing the “tongues of fire” at Pentecost and suggesting the symbol of the United Methodist Church. The flame is a reminder of Pentecost when witnesses were unified by the power of the Holy Spirit and saw "tongues, as of fire" [Acts 2:3].
From 1835 to 2005 our church has been blessed to have been served by sixty-two pastors, in July 2005 we welcomed our sixty-third pastor the Reverend Paula J. Fletcher. Our fathers and our mothers have built wisely and well. We are proud of the history of our church, proud of its accomplishments over these past 170 years of extending the Kingdom of God on earth. To these builders, through the years - pastors, members, and friends - we are deeply grateful for the rich heritage, which is ours to continue - the result of their sacrificial gifts of money, time, and service. We today follow in their footsteps, and pledge to build on their accomplishments` for the Glory of Jesus Christ.
