During the early 1900's the people of this community worshiped at Queens 
Creek Methodist Church and Bear Creek Baptist Church. Around 1910, Methodist 
worship services and Sunday school classes were held in the Bear Creek 
schoolhouse. These services led to the chartering of the church.

In 1926 an unfinished, wooden, four-room building was purchased from the 
Unitarians on the site where the church is today. The land was deeded to 
trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church South by Cora Sanders and heirs of 
the late D. J. Sanders. The land for the church cemetery was given by Carrie 
Freshwater Farnell. The church was officially named Oak Grove Methodist 
Church.

A Ladies Aide Society was organized with most of the members having to walk 
to the meetings. The women sometimes brought eggs and other farm products to 
sell to raise money for the church or some special project.

As membership grew, more room was needed. An addition of two Sunday school 
rooms and a hall was added on the acquired building.

At that time Oak Grove was part of a five point charge, consisting of the 
following churches: Swansboro, Midway, Bethlehem, Queens Creek, and Oak Grove.
One pastor had to serve all five churches.

In 1956 a committee was appointed to start an education building to provide 
Sunday school classrooms, a kitchen, and a fellowship hall. On Easter Sunday 
1959 this building was dedicated and named "The Edna Mullen Education Building," 
after the chairperson of the committee.

With attendance increasing, the need for a larger sanctuary became apparent, 
and a building committee was appointed. The wooden church building was given 
to a Baptist mission (Centerview) in Jacksonville, NC. Ground breaking services 
were held March 10, 1969. The consecration service was held in the new church 
July 27, 1969. Most of the furnishings were donated as memorials. The building
was dedicated May 4, 1975.

In June of 1984 Queens Creek United Methodist Church went "station". Oak 
Grove is now a part-station church, which means our minister is part-time. 
During 1993 a new pastor's office was added to the church building. Also in 
1993 Mattocks and Zeta Sanders donated land on Bear Creek Road for a 
parsonage. The land was cleared and a ground breaking service was held 
October 31, 1993

Early in 1994 construction began on the parsonage. The brick home was 
completed and furnished by June 1994. That same month we were assigned Rev. 
Timothy S Taylor. He and his wife, Kimberly, resided in the parsonage. The 
mortgage was paid in full in 11 months.

adapted & updated from the church history by Christine Matthews





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