On Sunday, an area United Methodist Church will celebrate its 173-year anniversary.
The Wanda United Methodist Church, located on Highway O between Stark City and Stella, will host a homecoming. Everyone is invited to attend.
“We will have a service Sunday morning at 10 a.m. and our speaker will be Dr. Paul House (of Beeson Divinity School, Samford University, Birmingham, Ala.), special music and (then) lunch,” said Mary Patton, a church member. “The age of the church is very unique. It is just a small homey country church. It is a group of Christian people who like to serve the Lord.”
Classified as the “oldest Methodist Church west of Springfield, Mo.,” it originally was known as the Harmony Methodist Episcopal Church (South), established in 1837 at Wanda. Some of the families who settled this area were the Ellis family, three brothers, Farmer, Howell and William; the Weems family, two brothers, Jones Weems, who settled the land where the church is located and Rev. John Weems, who died en route from Tennessee, but whose widow and six children settled near Stella.
For many years, it has been the custom to hold, each year, a “homecoming,” with regular Sunday school morning and worship service, followed by a basket dinner. According to Patton, former members and friends journey many miles to attend these reunions, and look forward each year to meeting old friends, relatives, and to meet new people who have moved into the area.
“We have around 30 members and the average attendance is 20-30 people,” she said.
Special music by Ed Moss and others will be held during the Sunday service inside the church. The luncheon will be held in the schoolhouse, located next to the church.
Drinks, paper plates and tableware will be provided by the church. Everyone is asked to bring a covered dish.
The church has seen some changes over the years, including plumbing.
“Probably about six years ago, we put in indoor plumbing into the church,” Patton said. “It now has a bathroom and we also have central heat and air.”
The school ceased holding classes in 1952,” Patton added.
For more information, contact Mary Patton at 451-4693.
