Grace Indian United Methodist Church

Grace Indian UMC Celebrates 30 years

 

Close to 100 persons came to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Grace Indian UMC, Saturday, August 29, 2010. Charter members, former members, clergy and special guests gathered for a morning service and a special service in the afternoon at the church, located near Hartshorne, Oklahoma.

 

Conference Superintendent, Rev. David Wilson, was the guest preacher for the morning service which included a roll call of all of the members that were present that day. Charter members such as Rosie Ludlow, Agnes Ward and Mary Jane Sockey were present for the services. They are among the oldest charter members of Grace. Rev. David Warden, pastor of Grace and Talihina helped to organize the special service, which included music from St. Paul Talihina.

 

People from all over Oklahoma, Tulsa, OKC, Durant, Idabel, Broken Bow, Talihina, even a minister from the Central Texas Conference came up to celebrate with us, Rev. Bong Koo attended the service, along with his wife. The ages of those in attendance ranged from 3 months to 90 years old.

 

The church history states that after Rev. Edgar Tims retired in 1977 and moved to Hartshorne, Bishop Milhouse asked him to start a church in the McAlester area. On Sunday August the 6th, 1978 Leo and Elizabeth McKenzie opened their home in McAlester for Sunday services. Services were also held in the home of Rufus and Ramona Eyachabbe in McAlester until a residence in Alderson just 4 miles east of McAlester was rented for churchservices. Rev. Tims served as the pastor for one year from 1978-1979. Regular Sunday services were held including Sunday school classes for all ages.

 

Later this new congregation now called the McAlester Mission continued its move east when it moved 8 miles east of Hartshorne on Highway 270 in Latimer County and began using the old Higgins School house as a meeting place. The congregation received a new pastoral appointee Rev. Osborne Roberts, who served as the pastor for one year from 1979-1980. During this time the congregation began looking for a permanent place to build their own church and acquiring funds for such a building. A week long revival was held and at the end of the week a fish fry was thrown to celebrate the success.

 

In 1980, five acres were purchased in Pittsburg County ½ mile west of Jones Academy and 4 miles north of Hartshorne. This would be the last move the congregation would make. The new church would begin as a white frame building with a sanctuary, 3 class rooms, a pastor’s study, a utility room, foyer and bathrooms. The church began with meager furnishings. A handmade pulpit, and old movie theater seats and folding chairs were some of the first furnishings. On the evening of Sunday August 10, 1980 at 7 O’clock this building was dedicated as Grace Indian United Methodist Church. This building was built by a mission group from the Louisiana Conference