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When members of Fairview United Methodist Church meet togetherSunday, they will be celebrating 100 years of history that beganwhen a small group decided to get together on their own to studythe word of God. The Centennial and Homecoming will begin with a combined worshipservice at 10 a.m. and then a catered lunch under a big tent in theparking lot. Speaking will be the Rev. Janine Howard, districtsuperintendent for the Danville District of the United MethodistChurch. "We"ve been planning this centennial for more than ayear," said Mary Connor, the church"s historian."There will be a lot of music. Our praise and worship team,which is contemporary music, and the choir, which is traditionalmusic, will sing." More than 100 years ago, the founding members of the congregationmet during the summer months at the original Coates School, most ofthem members of Mount Olivet Methodist Church eight miles away, aconsiderable distance back in the horse and buggy days. During the summer they gathered in the yard and during inclementweather in the building. Local preachers soon became interested and began conducting worshipservices in the afternoons as their time permitted. During the year of 1912, the Rev. J.W. Carroll conducted a revivalin a brush arbor near where the present Fairview Church stands onWestover Drive. As a result of the revival, Fairview Church wasformed and placed on the Danville Circuit with the Rev. W.L. Burksas the first pastor. Dan River Mills donated the present church lot to the congregation,and committees, mostly of the women of the church, began raisingbuilding funds. The first church building was completed, the debtretired and the building dedicated in 1914. Becoming Fairview The church was almost named "Martin Memorial" afterJ.J. Martin, a member of the congregation who agreed to beresponsible for the wages of the carpenters. A humble man, however,he refused the honor but agreed to name the church. He chose"Fairview" because of the distances that could be seenin all directions. From the original sanctuary and two rooms on either side, thechurch grew until in 1933, a new sanctuary was built and the oldsanctuary remodeled into Sunday School rooms. Then in 1958, thewhite wood church was dismantled and a new brick church built inits place. In what Mary Connor calls a "God thing," the wood fromthe church was recently discovered in a shed in the Westover area.The congregation is considering what to do with material thatincludes wood, windows and doors. The present and future The church is currently undergoing even more renovations. Phase Oneof the building plans includes a new parking lot, entrance,elevator and children"s wing. Final plans for Phase Two are still not finalized. The church maintains an active program of service throughout theworld, United States and community. Programs include the following: » A Closet of Blessings that provides clothing for fosterchildren who often leave their homes with few or no clothes. » A knitting group that knits prayer shawls and caps forchemotherapy patients, shut-ins and nursing home residents. » A children"s and a youth program with their owndirectors. » Mission teams that travel to the Honduras and throughoutthe United States. » Boy Scout and Girl Scout programs » Becky"s Kiddie Kollege, a pre-school and childcareprogram. » Sunday School programs for adults, youth and children. The church also provides meeting space for community organizations,such as the Dan River Retirees, the Commonwealth Home Nursing andHospice group and the Town and Country Garden Club. "Fairview has made itself available for the needs of thecommunity," said the Rev. Kathleen Monge, who has been thechurch"s pastor for the past two years and the first femalepastor. "It"s not about our church, but about a groupof people needing a nice, quiet place to meet." Previous pastors and those from the congregation who have becomepastors have been invited to the celebration, which is also open tothe public, Connor said. I am an expert from irdrupal.org, while we provides the quality product, such as China Wooden Display Stands , Cardboard Countertop Displays Manufacturer, Cardboard Counter Displays,and more.
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