(MURFREESBORO) First United Methodist Church at 265 West Thompson Lane begins an 8-month journey celebrating its bicentennial year. The first event is at the church starting at 3:00 o'clock this Sunday afternoon (1/26/2019).

Rev. Dr. Drew Shelley explained how it all got started, "A group of worshipers met at a campground in the Windrow community and formed what is today First United Methodist Church."

The final event will be on September 26, 2020, honoring that first gathering back in 1820.

Most of First Methodist's life was spent on the corner of College and North Church Streets. That sanctuary was built in 1888, and the congregation moved to their beautiful new home on West Thompson Lane 115 years later in 2003.

The new campus across from the Tennessee Miller Coliseum includes many memories from the earlier location: (1) the cross that once stood on the downtown steeple is in their new memory garden and columbarium, a beautiful stained-glass window from the 1888 church is now located in the second floor of the narthax, original church bell that was dedicated in 1872 was reconsecrated on Palm Sunday 2019.

The First Methodist congregation recently went into the community to do acts of kindness with repair and clean-up projects. During this 200th anniversary celebration, Dr. Shelley plans to have 1,000 volunteers in the community and the world over to be doing good. He is calling them disciples in action.

Again, the first celebration of the bi-centennial for First United Methodist Church will be this Sunday at 3:00PM. The church is at 265 West Thompson Lane, and the community is invited to attend.