In England, in 1729, a small group of Oxford University students were ridiculed as "Methodists," because they spent so much time in methodical prayer, outreach, and Bible study. Led by John Wesley, the students ignored jeering crowds and preached, prayed, and worked with people considered lower classes of English society.

Methodists emigrated to North America, formed societies of believers, and worshiped in the Charlotte area as early as 1783. In 1784, the Methodist Church became the first denomination in the United States established after the American Revolution, and our first bishop, Francis Asbury, greeted George Washington at his inauguration. Until the middle of the 20th century, Methodists were the largest denomination in the United States. The United Methodist Church is the result of a merger in 1968 of several similar churches.

St. Stephen United Methodist Church began on June 10, 1968, when the Bishop of the Western North Carolina Conference appointed the Rev. Jim Armstrong to establish a church in the southeast part of Charlotte. The parsonage for the church was selected in Lansdowne and the pastor and his family moved in on June 19, 1968. The District Mission Society purchased the parsonage for $33,700.00.

The first organizational meeting was held at the Charlotte Athletic Club in June 1968. A month later, a meeting was held at the parsonage where a vote for the church name was unanimous for St. Stephen. The first worship service was held on September 8, 1968 at Lansdowne Elementary School. Sixty-nine members joined on that Sunday night. After this service, Rev. Armstrong met with people who were interested in starting a church school. Enough people volunteered to have three classes: one for elementary children, one for youth, and an adult class. The first classes met in the school cafeteria and in the hallways.

The United Methodist Youth Fellowship held their first meeting on September 22, 1968. The meeting was held at the parsonage, and was for both Junior and Senior High youth.

On October 8, 1968, the St. Stephen women met at Mary Gray's home to organize a Women's Society of Christian Service for the church. The men met on October 13 at the Barclay Cafeteria in Amity Gardens Shopping Center. This was an organizational meeting of the Methodist Men's Club.

Deborah Lee Griffith, daughter of Lee and Carol Griffith, was the first baby to receive the sacrament of baptism at the October 13 service.

For six months the congregation met in Lansdowne School; then we were invited to move into Sardis Presbyterian's old church sanctuary.

The first two offices filled were the Church Historian and Secretary and Treasurer. The first checking account for the church was opened with a deposit of $350.00 in August 1968.

In December 1968, the Charlotte District Mission Society purchased eight acres of land at the corner of Sardis Road and Lutomma Circle for $60,000.00 for the future church site. The members of St. Stephen purchased three acres adjoining the eight acres for $7,500.00.

On St. Stephen's first anniversary in September 1969, membership had tripled from 69 to 229 members.

In January 1969, a committee was formed to study and recommend the needs for our new church and educational building. The Charge Conference voted in July 1970 to sell $300,000.00 worth of bonds to raise money to build a new church and educational building.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held Sunday, April 25, 1971 on the site for the new church building. As part of the ceremony, lucite-like colored stones were buried in a box and were uncovered with the first shovelful of the groundbreaking earth. These stones were symbolic of the stoning of St. Stephen (the first Christian martyr) for whom the church was named. Each member of the church was given a stone to commemorate the event.

As construction got underway, it became necessary to cut some of the construction costs. Many men spent a year working on Saturdays to build altar parts and cabinets. The walnut used for the railings was donated by Rev. Armstrong's grandfather. The women of the church also spent time getting the church ready for use.

After nearly three years of worshiping in a vacated Presbyterian church building and with a growth up to almost 400 members, St. Stephen was ready to occupy and consecrate its new church building on March 5, 1972.

The church offered its facilities to Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts in 1972, and within a year nearly eighty youth and adults were involved in this important ministry. The new facilities made it possible to establish a recreation program, as well as to expand the church's music program with choirs for primary, elementary children and junior and senior high youth. A kindergarten ministry was established in 1973 and had an enrollment of thirty-five children the first year. The school now has 200 children.

From an estimated proposed budget of $31,719.00 in June of 1969, the church budget had grown to $64,786.00 in 1972. Today, the financial budget of St. Stephen is almost $1,000,000.00, of which 12% goes to missions. The church has now completed its 8th Habitat for Humanity house.

The church has had a total of three building campaigns in its history: First, for the sanctuary and education wing from the sanctuary to the current preschool office; in 1985, the gym and education wing from the sanctuary to the gym; and in 1993, the education wing from the preschool office to the fireside room.



©2001 St. Stephen UMC, Charlotte, NC
This page is maintained by Kelly Keesling.
Last updated April 9, 2001