Elevating our praise of God and love of others
ABOUTUS
We are a congregation made up of ordinary folks with a love for the Lord. We are traditional in our faith - professing the orthodox teachings of Christianity that have been faithfully passed down to us from generations past, and firmly grounded in Scripture.
If you are searching for a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ, then we invite you to join us as we grow in our faith.
In 2020, we celebrated over 180 years of ministry in Campbell County! We feel so blessed to have such a wonderful heritage of Christian ministry. If you enjoy history, then you will want to continue reading...our story begins in 1840.
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In 2023, we disaffiliated from the United Methodist Church, and joined The Global Methodist Church - as LaFollette Methodist.
Soule's Chapel
Mid-1800s
Methodism experienced astonishing growth in the 1800's. The growth has been attributed to the hard work of the laity and circuit riding preachers. Their goal was to bring the gospel message to new people and communities. By 1850, the Methodist claimed one-third of all Christians in America. LaFollette is a great example of that growth.
The early Methodists out grew the school house, and built their first church sometime in the 1840's. It was given the name Soule's Chapel; named after the well-known Methodist Bishop, Rev. Joshua Soule. The church was located on Labon Sharp's farm - which is downtown LaFollette today.
Methodist Episcopal Church, South
1902
Early churches were simple in design, and often called meeting houses or chapels. However, at the turn of the century many communities with established congregations began their first major building project. These new designs featured steeples, stained glass windows, a graded floor, and even a bell tower.
At the close of the 1890's the Methodist were sharing worship space with the Baptists in Douglas Chapel, on West Beech Street. In 1902 they built their second worship space. The M.E. Church, South was built on Nevada Avenue, and dedicated to Dr. Frank Richardson and Dr. David Sullins. The congregation worshiped there until a fire in 1913 completely destroyed the building. This shows the parsonage next door which is still standing today.
Methodist Episcopal Church, South
1913
Immediately following the fire in 1913, members of the M.E. Church, South bought property on the corner of Central and First, and built a new church. Their new building was a beautiful red brick church with a bell town facing the corner, and stained glass windows. The congregation continued to grow for several decades.
First Methodist Episcopal Church
1903
In 1901, Rev. Hazen Oaks was appointed to LaFollette by the Methodist Episcopal Church, part of Holston Conference, to establish a church. Two years later, in 1903 a stately brick and stone structure was built on the corner of Indiana and Central Avenue. Church records show that the LaFollette family were members of this church.
Denominational Unification and Church Merger
1930s and 1940s
In the first decade of the 20th century, representatives of the M.E. Church and M.E. Church, South began meeting to discuss unification. Three decades later, in 1939, denominational unification occurred, and the result was The Methodist Church. Seven years later, the two churches in LaFollette (1946).
In 1955, Rev. E.C. Berwanger and the church leadership decided to begin a building fund for a new church. In the spring of 1960, a fundraising campaign was launched, under the leadership of Rev. Kyle Kregger. Within four days of the launch of the building campaign the congregation had raised over $125,000.
