Early Methodism

The term "Methodist" was first applied, often as a term of derision, to members of the Holy Club at Oxford University in the first half of the 18th century. This group, led by John Wesley and including his brother, Charles, and George Whitefield, had banded together in an attempt to live the Christian life through methodical study and devotion. It should be pointed out that there was no inclination to create a separate religious denomination, or to cause dissention within the Church of England. Indeed, the Wesleys sought to find ways in which to practice their beliefs within the structure of the Anglican Church, and neither John nor Charles Wesley withdrew from that denomination. They had no difficulty in accepting the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion and the Book of Common Prayer. Nevertheless, the Wesleys and their fellow preachers were denied use of Anglican pulpits and did their preaching in the open air.


Open air preaching was quite successful, but eventually "preaching houses," later called chapels, were built, and a system of licensing local preachers was developed. Gradually a system of itinerant ministers was introduced and ultimately a full-time ministry was developed. 

George Whitfield's visits to America resulted in the establishment of groups similar to Methodist societies as early as 1740, but Methodism was not truly established in this country until some twenty or thirty years later, and that without the knowledge of John Wesley. Robert Strawbridge and Philip Embury, both Methodist preachers, came from Ireland about 1760 and both began to preach, Strawbridge in Maryland and Embury in New York. When Wesley learned of this activity he responded by sending two English preachers to American in 1769 and two others, including Francis Asbury, in 1771. Two years later Wesley appointed Thomas Rankin to supervise the growing work in the colonies. Under Rankin's direction the first American Methodist conference convened in Philadelphia in June of that year. During the American Revolution the number of Methodists, and the number of Methodist preachers, increased rapidly, there being 14,988 members and 83 preachers in 1784. Eighty-nine percent of the membership was south of the Mason and Dixon line. 


The end of the war brought independence to the former British colonies, and a need to establish an American Methodist organization. To do this Wesley appointed and consecrated Thomas Coke, already in Anglican orders, and sent him to the new United States. Coke brought with him Wesley's instructions and carried the title of "Superintendent" which Wesley had bestowed upon him.


\Upon his arrival, Asbury informed Coke that all American preachers must be summoned to a conference to approve of all matters pertaining to the new church, because, since Independence, they were unwilling to accept the English Wesley's dictation regarding American Methodist affairs. Heeding the wishes of the American preachers, Coke called a conference.


This "Christmas Conference" convened in Baltimore, Maryland, on December 24, 1784. At this time the Methodist Episcopal Church was formally organized. Asbury and Coke were named joint superintendents (they later assumed the title of bishop); a discipline was adopted; a Sunday service adapted by Wesley from the Book of Common Prayer was adopted; and the Twenty-five Articles of Religion, abbreviated from the Thirty-nine Articles of the Church of England, was accepted.

Methodism spreads in the United States

The expansion of Methodism in the years following the Christmas Conference was the result of several advantages which Methodists had over other denominations. The itinerant system was admirably suited to spreading the gospel in frontier lands. The Methodist system was highly centralized, with the power of sending circuit riders to their circuits totally in the hands of the several superintendents. The Church also had the most effective location organization for dealing with frontier needs. In addition to local preachers there were class leaders and exhorters. The first unit in the formation of a local church was the class, made up of a small number of believers, and under the supervision of a class leader. The circuit rider met with the classes as he made his rounds through his gargantuan circuit, and at least once a quarter the leader was examined by the circuit rider as to how he looked after the spiritual life of the class members.


The very theology of Methodist preachers was appealing to the the typical frontiersman. This theology stressed personal responsibility and the equality of all men in the sight of God. There was equal opportunity for salvation; there was no class for whom salvation was pre-determined. It was a democratic gospel preached by men plain and simple in their tastes. "Even the bishops," William Warren Sweet has noted, "were humble men who traveled among the people, stayed in the crowded cabins and made their appearance at countless camp metings and other frontier gatherings."

Finally, the march of Methodism westward was aided by The Methodist Book Concern. No other denomination working on the frontier possessed a publishing arm. Methodist preachers in America followed the pattern established by Wesley and became prolific writers and editors. Itinerant preachers were agents of the publishing house, and presiding elders were charged with the responsibility of seeing to it that all local classes were provided with books. 


Not surprisingly, then, Methodists moved with the frontier across the Allegheny-Appalachian mountain chain. When James Haw was sent as the first missionary to Kentucky in 1786, he found a local preacher already there, and a Methodist class under way. 


It would be impossible to exaggerate the contributions made by these circuit riders and equally difficult to over-rate their courage and devotion in the face of danger and extreme hardship. By 1786 the Kentucky circuit had been established and three years later Kentucky was divided into three circuits. By 1800 there were more than seventeen hundred members in Kentucky. Bishop Asbury made several trips into Kentucky during the 1790s and his diary speaks eloquently of the dangers and hardships which he faced in carrying out his duties. He writes of seeing the graves of frontiersmen slain by Indians, "twenty-four in one camp," and tells of his gratefulness in finding supper and a bed after having traveled one hundred miles in two days and "having not slept in a bed for three nights."

Methodism Comes to Bowling Green

One of these Methodist missionaries, or Circuit Riders, was active in Warren County, Kentucky as early as 1809 and conducted the first Methodist service in Bowling Green at Vance's Tavern on the Public Square. It was not unusual that a religious service took place in a bar; indeed, it was a somewhat ordinary occurrence, for the saloon, or tavern, often was the main building and the center of community activities in small towns such as Bowling Green, which in 1809 had a population of 29 whites and 14 slaves, and no more than 154 residents in 1810.


The owner of the tavern, however, was not in sympathy with the religious activity, and rang a large bell during the service in hopes of breaking up the meeting. He was upset, according to contemporary sources, because his wife had asked the group to pray for her.


In 1819 the Reverend Mr. Andrew Monroe formed the first Methodist class in Bowling Green, consisting of the following members: Knight Curd, Mary Curd, James T. Briggs, Elizabeth Briggs, Hester Briggs, Elizabeth McCallister, Karon Donaldson and Nancy Ransdall. Bowling Green was in the Fountainhead Circuit, which embraced Southern Kentucky and a part of Tennessee. At that early date Bishop William McKendree, the first native American to become a bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, came to Bowling Green and baptized children who, in later years, were instrumental in building the second Methodist church in Bowling Green.

The first Methodist congregation is started

In March 1819, the Rev Mr. Monroe presided over the organization meeting which launched the first Methodist congregation in this area. For some time the original members met in a private home at 813 Center Street, which was known at that time as Green Street. Shortly after its organization the new church conducted a revival and was successful in adding several names to its membership list.

The church, actually only a society at the time, constructed its first building in 1820, selecting for the purpose a lot at 620 Green Street. The lot was purchased from Elijah M. Covington and his wife for the magnificent sum of twelve and one-half cents. The trustees were Knight Curd, L.G. Donaldson, Richard D. Neale, and Whorton Ransdall. The building was a small, unpretentious brick structure. The Reverend Mr. Benjamin Malone was the church's first regular pastor and Peter Cartwright, one of the most colorful characters in early Kentucky Methdism, was its Presiding Elder (now District Superintendent) in 1820 and 1821. Two giants in the history of the Methodist Church in the nineteenth century, Bishops William McKendree and Joshua Soule, preached in this building. Both the church and the town grew and prospered in the next two decades. The frontier now had passed to the West and Bowling Green was slowly developing into a stable town, the commercial center of a large and productive agricultural area. The church reflected this growth with a constantly growing membership. This must have been a time of almost constant change, however, for during the first twenty-two years in this first church there were no fewer than twenty-five ministers! Despite this lack of ministerial continuity, the congregation remained steadfast in its service and witness to the community. By the end of the 1840s it was obvious that the existing building was fast becoming inadquate to the needs of the congregation; it was decided to erect a larger building, one better suited to the needs of the growing congregation. 

The trustees determined that it would be wise to find a new location for the proposed church, and a site at 816 Nashville Street (now State Street) was chosen. The new building was completed in 1842 under the direction of its trustees: Frederick Cox, Pleasant Hines, John W. Coleman, Albert Mitchell and Daniel Pleasants. The new building fronted on a small grassy yard, fenced in by a white plank fence. Two gates opened on two narrow, paved walkways which led to two doors which gave entrance to the building. The windows were large and plain, and were placed high in the walls, much above the heads of the congregation. Perhaps the most singular feature of the interior was the pulpit, which was quite small, but which was placed upon an exceptionally high platform. This was done so that the preacher of small stature could "truly reach a lofty height" when he addressed the people. The sanctuary was lighted by wax candles rather than lamps, but the church often was flooded "with a light that seemed supernal.":


An outside door on the left side of the building gave entrance to a flight of steps which led to a gallery extending across the entire front wall of the structure. This gallery was built for the colored members of the congregation, "of whom there were a goodly number of faithful men and women." One member of the congregation, recalling the presence of Negro worshippers in the services, stated that "one of the most sacred pictures in the history of the church is that long file of colored brethren that marched reverently down the aisles, solemnly knelt at the chancel rail and partook of the Holy Sacrament in remembrance of Him who suffered and died for all men."



Overall, this second edifice erected by Bowling Green Methodists was a handsome and convenient meeting-house, and members took pardonable pride in its appearance. A towering cupola, reminiscent of those which adorn European churches, dominated the Bowling Green skyline, even as the tower of the present church is a commanding presence in today's skyline.

The Issue of Slavery Divides Northern and Southern Methodists

The year 1844 was a fateful one for Bowling Green Methodists, a tragic year for American Methodists. In that year the last Southern Conference presided over by a Northern Bishop was convened in the new building. Bishop Edmund S. James, newly consecrated a Bishop, presided over the annual meeting. It was significant, perhaps, that this last Conference in which Methodists from all parts of the Commonwealth participated, was held in Bowling Green, and it certainly was an honor for the small town, but perhaps an omen of the split which would divide the town and many of its families sixteen years in the future. 


A great revival swept over the entire town following that historic Conference, and "almost every sinner was converted, and all Christians were encouraged and rejoiced."


The year brought even greater emotional turmoil and suffering for the church as a whole. The General Conference met on May 1, 1844 at the Greene Street Methodist Episcopal Church in New York City. There were 180 delegates in attendance, and all sections and viewpoints were ably led. One of the leaders of the Southern delegates was Henry Bascom of Kentucky; Peter Cartwright, the great frontier preacher, represented Illinois and was a leader of the Northern moderate group.



The Episcopal Address, read by Bishop Soule, made no reference to slavery, but little else would be debated during the meeting. The issue was introduced by an appeal from Francis A. Harding on May 7th. Harding had been suspended from his Maryland Conference for refusing to free certain slaves which had come into his possession by marriage. Harding asked the General conference to rescind the action of the local conference. The debate of this issue consumed five days, and resulted in a conference vote of 117 to 56 in support of the Baltimore conference. The great significance of this vote was that it clearly revealed the clash "between the two irreconcilable views on slavery" represented in the Church.

The Civil War Divides Methodists

A much greater discussion, however, was occasioned by the report of the Committee on Episcopacy, which was given on May 21st. Bishop James O. Andrew, a "modest quiet man, who had never felt quite at home in his elevated position," had, by indirection, become a slave owner. An elderly lady of Augusta, Georgia, had left a slave girl to Andrew on condition that he should free her and send her to Liberia when the girl reached the required age. The girl refused to go to Liberia, and legally she remained the property of the Bishop. He also had inherited a young male slave from his first wife, and on his second marriage he married a lady who had inherited slaves from her first husband. Under the laws of the state of Georgia he was prohibited from setting free these slaves. When the good Bishop reached Baltimore on his way to the Conference, he learned that his affairs were the major subject of conversation among delegates and surely would be introduced and debated at the conference. This debate continued for eleven days and filled almost one hundred pages of the official record of the conference. Delegates were loath to take drastic action against Andrew, only "affectionately requesting" that he resign, or "desist from the exercise of this office so long as the impediment remains."


Positions taken by Southern and Northern delegates clearly indicate the divergent views of the two sections of the country. Southern delegates took the position that the episcopacy was a co-ordinate body with the General Conference, and therefore, the conference had no constitutional right to suspend a bishop. They argued that Bishop Andrew had violated no rule of the church, inasmuch as a resolution had been passed in 1840 legalizing slaveholding in all grades of the ministry. 


Northern delegates could not, of course, accept this argument. They held that a bishop was simply an officer of the General conference, and was amenable to it in every respect. The debates raged, the bishops tried mightily to effect a compromise, and it even was suggested that the issue be postponed to the next converence in 1848. Finally, however, on June 1st the question of virtual suspension of Bishop Andrew came to a vote and was carried by an affirmative vote of 111 to 66. The church with this vote, had come to a parting of the ways.


A committee of nine was appointed to devise an equitable method of dividing the church. On June 7th the committee issued its report, which came to be known as the "Plan of Separation." One June 8th, the Conference delegates, by an overwhelming majority of both Southern and Northern delegates, voted to adopt the Plan of Separation. Three days later the conference adjourned. 


On June 12th the Southern delegates met in New York City and approved a statement to the members of the Southern Conferences, explaning what actions had taken place at the General conference and suggesting that a convention be called to meet in Louisville, Kentucky on May 11 1845. The Southern Conferences, with almost total unanimity, agreed to the calling of a conference, and it convened at the appointed time. On May 15th the Committee on Organization made its report. This report included a declaration of independence of the southern portion of the church from the jurisdiction of the General Conference. The report stated that it was "right, expedient, and necessary to erect the Annual Conferences represented in this convention into a disctinct ecclestial connection." It also expressed the desire to maintain "Christian union and fraternal relations" with their Northern brethren, and invited Bishops Soule and Andrews to become their bishops. On June 17, 1845, the report was adopted by a vote of 95 to 2, and the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, became a reality. The conflicting sentiments which had resulted in the vision of the church at the General Conference was mirrored in the local church and in the town of Bowling Green itself. Those whose sympathies lay with the South formed the State Street Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Members loyal to the Northern viewpoint assumed the name First Methodist Church. The latter congregation later changed its name to Kerr Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church, the name having been slected to honor the Reverend Mr. Daniel F. Kerr.


This division left Bowling Green Methodism in two small and substantially weakened congregations and seriously retarded religious growth. The State Street church was hampered by a succession of thirteen ministers in as many years. Also, the growing friction between North and South, and the increasing fear of armed conflict, created an atmosphere which was not conducive to the progess of the congregation.


The spring of 1861 brought the outbreak of hostilities. The War presented a particularly difficult challenge for Methodists in Bowling Green. Sentiments were strong, and almost evenly divided between the warring factions. Church congregations, even families, were torn asunder, and deprivations which resulted from the war added physical hardships to the emotional suffering which the town's residents experienced. Bowling Green was strategically located almost midway between the larger cities of Louisville and Nashville, at the head of navigation of the Barren River, and on the main line of the newly completed Louisville and Nashville railroad. It was almost inevitable that Bowling Green would be invaded and occupied by either the Confederate or Union forces, and Confederate troops under the command of General Albert Sidney Johnston arrived in the town in the winter of 1862. The State Street church was converted into a hospital, and was so used during the entire period of occupation. With no church building in which to hold services, and with no minister to lead them, members of the congregation drifted apart, some worshipping with other denominations, many abandoning formal religious practices altogether. The situation did not improve when the military forces were withdrawn in the Spring of 1862. There was a scattered and dishearted membership, no minister, and a building scarcely fit to be used. 



The church was rescued in 1863 by the arrival of the Reverend Mr. E.W. Bottomley, the congregation's forty-second minister in forty-three years. Bottomley, a man of zeal and determination, immediately set to work rebuilding the congregation. Looking at the scarred shell of the building, he decided that first priority must go to physical reconstruction. Under his leadership the building was repaired and placed in fine order. The minister turned his efforts next to rebuilding the membership. Working unceasingly, Bottomley soon had returned almost all of the congregation to the fold. The members renewed their vows at the altar, reconsecrated themselves, and once more assumed the work of the Master. The result of Reverend Bottomley's efforts was a great revival which attracted almost the entire population of the town. 

Four years later, under the ministry of "Father" Thomas Bottomley, the congregation decided to remodel the building. The front wall and the gallery were pulled down and the building was extended toward the street, consuming the grassy area upon which the building had fronted. The lofty pulpit was replaced by one of more moderate height, and longer, beautiful stained glass windows were installed. These major changes, plus an addition a few years later, left the structure as it was to appear until the members moved into the third, and present, building. 



The congregation continued to grow during the next two decades, due in large measure to the leadership of the Reverend Mr. A.H. Redford. Redford, who later wrote the definitive history of the Methodist Church in Kentucky was Presiding Elder of the Bowling Green District in 1880 and in 1882 was appointed by the Annual Conference as pastor of the church.

By 1889 the membership had grown to 530 and the congregation rapidly was outgrowing its facilities. Under the ministries of J.A. Lewis and John W. Lewis, from 1888 to 1893, efforts were made to erect a new structure. These were years of economic difficulty for the entire nation, however, and all their efforts were frustrated by the great depression of 1893.


During its fifty-three years of service this second edifice served Bowling Green and Kentucky Methodists well. Several Annual Conferences were held in Bowling Green, undertakings made possible by the gracious cooperation of Baptists and Presbyterians, who so willingly opened their churches and their homes to accommodate the delegates. 



Many men great in the service of Methodism graced the pulpit of this sanctuary: Peter Cartwright, George F. Pierce, Enoch M. Marvin, D.S. Dogget, H.N. McTyeire, and H.H. Kavanaugh, "Kentucky's own Bishop," expounded the Gospel to enthralled audiences here. Indeed, Bishop Kavanaugh, at the age of eighty-two, preached his last sermon in this sanctuary.

The church builds again

The years of frustrated hopes began to come to an end with the appointment of the Reverend Mr. Walter K. Piner as the State Street minister in 1894. This handsome and dynamic man of God, ably assisted by a building committee composed of M.O. Hughes, Chairman, H.P. Potter, Treasurer, Alex Duvall, Secretary, T.J. Smith, and B.F. Cabell, undertook the construction of the sanctuary which we enjoy today.


One can imagine the soul-searching, the discussions, the prayers which accompanied this momentous decision. But if the congregation was to continue to grow, larger and more adequate facilities had to be provided. Finally, with what must have been a great deal of trepidation, the decision to construct a new sanctuary was reached. Bonds to cover construction costs were sold through Pleasant J. Potter's bank in Bowling Green in collaboration with the Louisville trust company. The contract for the new church was let on June 18, 1895, with completion scheduled for December 1, 1896. The projected cost of the building was $20,400.00. After reviewing plans and cost estimates submitted by several architects, the building committee selected Ruben H. Hunt as architect and construction supervisor. Hunt's fee was set at five per cent (5%) of the cost of the building, plus travel expenses from his office in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The contract stipulated that Hunt would furnish all materials and labor of every kind, and "complete on grounds situated on corner of State and Eleventh Streets..... a stone church building." The contract further provided for a penalty of $5.00 per day if the building was not complete by the stated time. 


This undertaking is somewhat surprising in a number of ways. First, although there was considerable recovery from the economic depression of 1893, the most severe the nation had yet experienced, money was still tight, and the contract price for the building was not inconsiderable. Second, the accepted design called for a building quite large in relation to the size of the congregation. Finally, one wonders how the building committee made contact with Hunt, and why he would consider what for him must have been a relatively small contract. Hunt was an architect of international reputation, considered one of the outstanding exponents of Romanesque Revival architecture. During his career he designed many churches in the Southeast, some buildings in South America, and the original campus of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. 

The entire building is constructed of locally quarried Warren County limestone, a durable and workable material widely used throughout the United States. There are 105 stained glass panels in the sanctuary, which were designed, made, and installed at a total cost of $1,000.00. These windows, beautiful examples of late nineteenth century stained glass art, are intimately associated with the history of the church. The center of the north rose window, for example, shows a tree, a reminder of the apple tree which was sacrificed for the new building. A window in the South transept contains a painting of the second church building, and in the Narthex a window bears the interesting legend, "To the traveling man, the Church is home." Inside, the structure was arranged in the then-popular "Akron" style, and found today in many Protestant churches built between the 1880s and the second decade of the twentieth century. In this configuration pews were arranged in a semi-circle centered upon the pulpit, and usually without a center aisle.

During the following five years the treasurer of the building committee was diligent in raising funds to retire the indebtedness. As is generally true, most pledges were in small amounts, as indicated by a letter written by Tom W. Carpenter, treasurer, to Mrs. Nellie Thomas, asking her to pay her $1.00 pledge toward "liquidating the entire indebtedness of the Methodist Church and Parsonage."



Finally, in 1901, the indebtedness was liquidated and the building could be dedicated. A week-long program of services was planned for June 2nd through June 9th. The dedicatory services began with an address by Bishop D.P. Fitzgerald on Sunday morning, and included services each evening, each featuring a different preacher. There was a Women's Prayer Meeting each afternoon at 3:00. Strangely, the Reverend Dr. Piner, whose leadership had been instrumental in this gigantic undertaking, did not figure prominently in the services. The "Order of Services" program merely stated that "children's meeting at 4 p.m." would be conducted by Piner.

The program built to a climax on Sunday, June 9, 1901. Bishop H.C. Morrison preached the sermon that morning, and the dedicatory service followed. There was a "General Love Feast," conducted by the Reverend J.F. Redford, at 3:00pm. 


The new building not only provided much needed space, but the efforts to secure it, and the revival like atmosphere generated by the week of dedication, stimulated and rejuvenated the congregation. The next two decades marred only by the outbreak of World War I and the devastating consequences which it almost surely had upon the congregation constituted a period of steady growth, both in numbers and in church programs. 


It would be difficult to imagine greater growth than that which the congregation experienced during the ministry of the Reverend Dr. J.A. Chandler, who was pastor from 1920 to 1924. During that four years, 452 persons were added to the church rolls, and twelve young people dedicated themselves to life services in home or foreign missionary fields. By the latter date total church membership reached 917.


Such growth over-taxed the Sunday School facilities at State Street and, to alleviate this acute, albeit pleasing condition, it was determined that another building program was necessary. Once again church leaders turned to Ruben H. Hunt for help, this time to plan the construction of the Sunday School addition to the sanctuary.


To provide space for the new building the congregation purchased the Gene Livery Stable from W.C. Morris for $3,900.00. This property was located immediately behind the church, on Eleventh Street. Mr. Morris, a member of the State Street congregation, generously donated an additional twenty feet of land to the church. The building was to be of brick, faced with stone to match the church building on Eleventh Street, where the entrance was to be located. Plans called for two stories of classrooms, an assembly hall, and a full basement which would contain a kitchen and a large dining room which would be suitable for a variety of purposes. It was estimated that the building would cost about $20,000.00.

Construction proceeded uneventfully, and elaborate plans were made for the opening on the structure on March 13th, 14th, and 18th, 1928. An Open House was held on Tuesday, the 13th, and between 1,500 and 2,000 persons inspected the new structure that evening. A gala banquet on Wednesday evening, to which representatives of all the churches in Bowling Green were invited, attracted between 450 and 500 persons.


The program, which followed a lavish turkey and dressing meal, opened with musical selections played by the Sunday School Orchestra, under the direction of Mr. Charles E. Banks. The Invocation was given by the Reverend Dr. Baxter W. Napier, J. Murray Hill was toastmaster, Dr. J.W. Blackburn and Mrs. Ward C. Sumpter gave brief addresses; and Mrs. H. Ray Pitt sang a solo, "When They Ring Those Golden Bells for You and Me." The featured speaker of the evening was Dr. J.W. Barton, vice president of Ward-Belmont College in Nashville, Tennessee, whose subject was "The Spirit of Christian Service." Sunday School assembled in the auditorium of the new building on Sunday, March 18, at 9:30 a.m. This assembly marked the begining of a "New Departmental Plan" which had been adopted, and new Departmental Superintendents were introduced. 


There now was adequate room for additional Sunday School classes, and also for expanded activities conducted by the Epworth League, the Sue Young Sewing Circle, and other organizations of the church.


Within five years, however, the congregation, in common with almost all Americans, was faced with the Great Depression. The church suffered as its members suffered, and programs and activities were seriously curtailed. Despite valiant work by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Congress of the United States, the economic hardships persisted until the outbreak of World War II in Europe in 1939. With the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941 the United States became embroiled in this great struggle to save democracy, and a call to arms rapidly depleted the ranks of young people in the church and in Bowling Green, as it did in churches, synagogues, and communities across the nation. The church and its members found many ways to aid the war effort and to support those persons called into service, and their families. The war years were not times for church expansion or even adequate maintenance of facilities. Consequently, the end of the war found State Street in an unacceptable condition. Once again, there was need for vision and strong leadership in order to move the church into the post-war era.

The Reverend Dr. John Burns Horton was appointed to State Street Church in September, 1950, and it was soon apparent that this was the man to meet the current challenge. Once referred to as a "dynamic disciple of God." Horton was surprised and dismayed at what he saw in his new church assignment. It was, as a contemporary newspaper columnist wrote, "a sanctuary which offered no beauty to the eye of the worshiper with its walls leak-streaked, its beautiful windows begrimed and bulging in spots, its lights so bare and glaring, and its arrangement of seats so inconvenient." "This," Horton must have thought, "will never do, not for a church as large and as well off financially as this one is, It's almost a disgrace." Horton almost immediately began a one-man campaign for a remodeling of the sanctuary. It seemed that he "breathed, ate, and talked" of nothing else.


Horton's untiring efforts were crowned with success in May, 1951, when remodeling got under way. Upon inspection of the building, however, it was found that the wooden beams which supported the roof had deteriorated to such an extent that they posed a real hazard to worshippers. The beams must be replaced with some thirteen tons of structural steel.


Plans called for a change in the interior arrangement from the once-popular "Akron Plan" to a more traditional modified Gothic arrangement. Seating capacity would be increased from approximately 500 to 750, and a partially detached small chapel, seating some 50 persons, would be constructed within the sanctuary area. A new electric heating system, and a new lighting system incorporating both bronze cathedral lanterns and recessed floodlights, were installed. Walnut paneling was to outline the choir loft and provide a screen behind the handsome pulpit chairs, which were made by students at the Western Trade School. The open porch was enclosed to form a narthex.


During the remodeling services were held in the former Westminster Presbyterian building at State and Twelfth Streets. 


The renovation plan was developed by W. Terrell Hall and Donald Southgate, architects, of Nashville, Tennessee, and the entire project was completed under the supervision of a building committee composed of H.F.Galloway, chairman, Joe Davenport, Harold H. Pearson, Dr. Ward Sumpter, Frank Colege, Weldon Peete, Dr. L.O. Johnson, and Charles H. Hildreth, chairman of the Board of Stewards. 


J.L. Thurber, the local contractor, listed in his application for a building permit an approximate cost of $42,000.00; the actual cost was $125,000.00.


Renovation was substantially complete (massive door handles had not yet arrived) by the first of the year, and rededication services were set for Sunday, January 27th, 1952. The ritual of the Methodist Church for the opening of a sanctuary was employed. The Call to Worship and the opening prayer were given by the Reverend Dr. Baxter W. Napier, a former pastor of the church then living in retirement in Bowling Green. The processional hymn was "The Church's One Foundation," the Reverend Dr. A.C. Johnson, district superintendent of the Bowling Green district, formally declared the sanctuary open; and Dr. Horton, the pastor, delivered the sermon. Appropriate anthems were presented by the choir under the direction of Robert Pearson. Mrs. Charles Banks was organist. 


With an attractive and commodious sanctuary and adequate facilities for Sunday School classes and other activities, State Street Church was able to direct its energies toward enhancing its existing programs and expanding its area of service. New classes were created, missionary support was increased, and a mission church was established in the Delafield neighborhood of the city. The organization of the Sunday School Department, for many years superintended by Dr. Finley C. Grise, was modernized, and the church staff was increased.


60s to the present

By the 1960s the Pilcher pipe organ, which had served the congregation for many years, was in poor condition and no longer adequate to the needs of the music program of the church. In 1969 the instrument was replaced by a splendid new instrument built by the Pels & van Leeuwen firm of Alkmaar, the Netherlands. The instrument, a good example of the organ building art, is particularly well suited to the performance of Baroque organ literature. The organ was dedicated to the glory of God and in honor of Mrs. Charles E. Banks, who faithfully served the church as organist for forty-four years. The organ was renovated and enlarged in 1991.


In the 1970s, under the leadership of the Reverend Dr. Ted Hightower, State Street was instrumental in the organization of Christ and St. James congregations, just as earlier it had sponsored the Broadway Methodist Church.


On October 8th, 1982, Dorothy Hinman Compton entered the Church Triumphant. Dorothy had been church secretary and for fourteen years served as church organist. A Bowling Green native, she had been a member of State Street almost all her life. Seeking a fitting memorial, the congregation decided to construct a small chapel in the Education Building. The chapel is a handsome and useful addition to the church's facilities. With walnut paneling and beautiful stained glass windows, it is used for small weddings, class meetings, and other functions. All the furnishings are memorial gifts. The Dorothy H. Compton Chapel was dedicated to the Glory of God on December 9th, 1984, by Dr. James G. Thurmond. 


By the 1980s the Education Building had been in service for more than fifty years without major renovations, and the years had taken their toll upon the structure. The building now was inadequate for its intended purpose, there was insufficient space for offices, and there were various safety hazards. Although structurally sound, there was much wasted space; reorganization of the interior would provide facilities for existing programs and future expansion. This project was undertaken by the congregation under the dynamic leadership of the Reverend Dr. Don Davis in 1989. Once again the congregation vacated the building and attended services in the recently vacated Sears store, half a block north on State Street. This was not a satisfactory situation, of course, and the congregation lost some members during this time. There was great rejoicing when the work was completed and all services could return to a bright, fresh, and attractive environment, one exhibiting both efficiency and beauty. 



In 1995, in the 100th anniversary year of the sanctuary, the congregation was strong in its commitment to be a vital force for good and a spiritual leader in the community. Proud of the past, we look forward to our future.

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