About Center Church

From our beginnings in 1894, God has blessed us with spiritual as well as physical growth. We've come a long way since those humble beginnings. The first building was a 30-by-40 structure built on the site of the present Center Church graveyard. It was the result of a meeting in the spring of 1892 of a small group of rural farmers who gathered together to discuss the need for a place to worship. They met each Sunday morning in a small bush arbor near what is now the church graveyard. (A painting of that original structure can be seen in the vestry today. The bell from the first church is still hanging in our belfry, and the first pulpit, built for $5, remains in use in the Goodwill class.)

In 1926 the Church grew after the turn of the 20th century, and by the early 1920's, it was decided that a bigger church was needed. Later that year, land was purchased and a new brick structure was built where the sanctuary stands today.

In 1959 the church had again outgrown its structure, and plans were made in 1957 to expand and remodel the sanctuary. During construction, worship services were held in Welcome School. In 1959, a beautiful new church was complete.

Updates over the years included a multi-purpose fellowship hall (1980), new youth and children's classrooms (2002), a new fellowship hall completed in 2008, and a mortgage burning ceremony in 2013. Recent updates include a renovated Fellowship Hall, a columbarium, security and fire alarm systems, and live streaming capabilities. In May 2023, Center United Methodist Church disaffiliated and is now known as Center Church of Welcome.