The roots of the Methodist Church started with "traveling preachers" or Circuit Riders in 1870. These traveling preachers would preach at several communities and organize "Sunday schools" to keep the faith active in the months they traveled to other churches. The quarterly worship services and weekly Sunday school would meet in the Dunklin County Court house. In 1877, the Methodists in Kennett had enough membership to ask for a "permanent pastor" for a town that was beginning to grow.

The first pastors assigned to the new church in Kennett were still part-time, traveling to other communities to help start churches, but would be home on weekends for worship. The church was officially chartered in 1878. In 1880, the worship services and Sunday school moved to the schoolhouse and organized Sunday school for other denominations there as well.

In 1887, First UMC built their first building at the corner of Clarkton and Main (approximately where the Dunklin County Library stands today). That year they received their first full-time preacher, Rev. John L. Batten, and a budget of $515, including the pastor salary of $410. 

In the spring of 1917, First United Methodist dedicated the sanctuary that is still used today at the corner of College and Washington. However, on August 13, 1957, during a heavy rain, First UMC was struck by lightning and most of the interior of the church was burned and destroyed. For the next eight months, the church met in the Presbyterian Church or the high school while the church was being remodeled and restored to what we have today. 

With a church growing quickly throughout the 1950s, more space was needed. On April 26, 1959, the Education Building was dedicated with 11 new classrooms, a meeting room for the youth, a chapel and a kitchen. With continued growth, the Christian Life Center was dedicated on June 3, 2002 with new nurseries, a youth center, new offices for the staff and a large Fellowship Hall or gymnasium. 

The present campus of First United Methodist is used to serve not only as the home of this congregation, but as a meeting place for many other groups. The doors are open so that the love of Christ may touch the hearts of our community. Our prayer is that all of us continue to share the gospel of Christ, each may realize the need to put Christ first in our lives...every day!