The Saline Reporter
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Church to mark 175 years in the community
PUBLISHED: February 7, 2008
Less than a year after Saline was founded as a village in 1832, Anne Ford, the wife of Ansyl Ford, implored the area's Methodist circuit rider to include the new village on his route. The circuit rider came to Saline Feb. 13, 1833, and the First United Methodist Church of Saline was formed.
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On Saturday, the church will celebrate its 175th anniversary at its 9 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. services by bringing back "that old time religion" through music and message.
"We're going to bring in a circuit rider to revive the early days, horse and all," said Richard Merrill, chairman of the 175th anniversary committee. "With help from the choirs, we are going to turn back the clock and with some cake to add to the festivities, we are going to celebrate like it has been 175 years."
During its existence, Saline First United Methodist has had 72 pastors, the earliest of which were "circuit riders," who served as many as 30 or more churches at one time, miles apart.
One early Methodist circuit rider, Peter Cartwright (1785-1872), described the life in writing.
"Circuit riders went through storms of wind, hail, snow and rain; climbed hills and mountains, traversed valleys, plunged through swamps, swollen streams, lay out all night, wet, weary, and hungry, held his horse by the bridle all night, or tied him to a limb, slept with his saddle blanket for a bed, his saddle-bags for a pillow," he wrote. "Often he slept in dirty cabins, ate roasting ears for bread, drank butter-milk for coffee, took deer or bear meat, or wild turkey, for breakfast, dinner and supper. This was old-fashioned Methodist preacher fare and fortune."
Many of the circuit rider preachers died before the age of 30 and others became too worn out for travel.
Today, the church would like to think its current pastor has it a little easier. The Rev. Jim Tuttle has been with the church eight years and yet feels that its mission is much the same as in the beginning — "to share the message of God's love to people everywhere, continually expanding God's kingdom on Earth."
From the humble beginnings of a few community members to a church family of more than 950 members and 1,000 constituents, the First United Methodist Church always has had a small, family-based feel, Merrill said.
"We work hard to be a strong community member locally, nationally and internationally, with the love of Jesus being our center focus," Merrill said. "It hasn't always been easy. This church, like so many in the area, has a long and storied history."
The original church was a simple log structure built for approximately $500. In 1836, the church was struck by lightning during a worship service. Two members lost their lives trying to rescue things from the building.
The congregation recovered and in 1848 built a new brick structure. The bricks for this building, however, were incorrectly cured and the church walls started to dissolve. It's referred to as the "mud church" because within nine years it basically became mud, Merrill said.
A more standard building made of white-painted wood was built and, in 1899, the downtown brick-and-stone church at the corner of South Ann Arbor and Henry streets was finished. The building housed the church for almost a century until a new church was built at 1200 North Ann Arbor St.
Throughout the church's history, missions have been an essential part of its purpose. The Women's Foreign Mission Society was started in 1876 and is known today as the United Methodist Women. The church, through both a mission committee and United Methodist Women, contributes to more than 50 local, national and international mission efforts.
The First United Methodist Church's "sister church" in Liberia, Africa, uses the pulpit from the old church at the corner of Henry Street, and worships in a new cement block building because of just such an effort. Mission trips have been taken by church members to Mexico, the Czech Republic, Panama, Grenada, Nicaragua and, most recently, to Mississippi, to help Hurricane Katrina survivors.
The congregation has expanded its educational programs from the simple prayer meetings of the past to an average of seven to nine adult studies going on at any one time. Like the past, these studies are Bible based, but have grown to include such books as "A Purpose Driven Life" to build on today's experiences.
There are 140 children in the Sunday school program. The junior and senior high youth program includes 60 young people.
In addition to the two celebratory services on Sunday, an outdoor picnic is planned for June in conjunction with a choir cantata called Legacy of Faith.
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