Elevating our praise of God and love of others
Exploring new expressions of Methodism
LaFollette Methodist Church is a congregation with 183 years of ministry in the community. In 2023, we joined The Global Methodist Church.
We are committed to historical Christian worship in the Wesleyan spirit, sound orthodox teaching and preaching. Our worship is liturgical in nature, with traditional hymns and relevant sermons. All are welcome!
LaFollette Methodist Church
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We are a congregation made up of ordinary folks with a love for the Lord. We are families, couples, widows, and singles. 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 our Church 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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Soules Chapel
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.
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M.E. Church South
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.
First Methodist Episcopal Church
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.
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 tower facing the corner, and stained glass windows. The congregation continued to grow for several decades.
In August 2023 we joined with the Global Methodist Church
