First United Methodist Church
Perry, Florida
Prior to the appointment of the Rev. Robert Howren Barnett in 1869 to serve the Lafayette-Taylor Mission, worship was held in homes and community meeting places. When Rev. Barnett arrived in late 1869, he discovered his circuit was 95 miles long with 17 established preaching places. Another appointee, Rev. A. H. Gibbons, served the Mosley Hall and Perry area in 1886. He served an average of five churches. Services were once held in a little community northwest of Perry known as Pisgah. Early services were also conducted in a schoolhouse in Perry, located on North Center Street and in the courthouse. In 1907 Perry became a station with Rev. H. C. Hoffman as pastor. Perry First Church had a membership of 93 at the end of 1908.
Rev. L. B. Bridges an Evangelist from Atlanta, Georgia moved to north Florida to recuperate from a nervous breakdown he had suffered when his wife and three children had burned to death in their home. The Bishop asked if he would serve the Perry Church and he accepted. One day while out horseback riding, a song came to him, He rode to the old wooden church and here wrote the song, words and music, on the fly leaf of a hymnal. This song was “He Keeps Me Singing”.
Several ministers after Rev. Bridges served in the old wooden church that was the first Methodist Church for worship in Perry. It was built in 1899 on two lots of land purchased from T. J. Faulkner. The lots were located on North Orange Street. Later in 1916 the site of the present church was purchased from the estate of T. J. Blair. Rev. R. Ira Barnett was serving as pastor at the time.
The wooden church is no longer a sanctuary. The building became a private residence when the present sanctuary was built. The congregation has bought back the wooden structure and it is now called “Heritage House”. It is a center for outreach services to the community.
The present church site was bought from the estate of T.J. Blair in 1916. The church was built within the next two years.
The present educational addition was built in 1956. In 1977, the church built Memorial Hall and adjoining educational wing with a beautiful kitchen. The parts of the existing educational building were renovated. A patio garden was built within the encircling quadrangle of the buildings.
In 1971-1972 a new site at 603 East Main Street was purchased and a beautiful parsonage was built.
A consecration in March of 1996 was held celebrating the restoration of the church. Although there were many structural flaws and the congregation considered starting from scratch, they voted to preserve the history of their church.
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