If on your first few visits to First United Methodist of Carrollton you get a sense that FUMCC is a little different from other churches you have visited, your hunch is correct. With more than 100 years of a rich, diverse history, there is a depth and commitment that has left an unmistakable imprint on our faith, our worship, our evangelistic focus, our missions activities and our commitment to Christian Education.  

It all began in 1901, when 15 Methodists, after meeting under a brush arbor near the corner of Walnut and Jackson St., decided to move their membership to Carrollton, forming what would become First United Methodist Church. Reverend. John D. Major, the founding pastor, preached only once a month, since Carrollton was the fifth church on his circuit. Sunday school was started in the attic of W.H. Stephens’ store on the northeast corner of the square in downtown Carrollton.

By 1902, the membership had grown to 54 and Rev. Major used $25 of his own money to purchase 4 lots at the corner of Beltline Rd. & Jackson St. In 1903, the first building – 30 by 50 feet, “with an extra tall steeple” and rounded ceiling – was completed at a cost of $500 under the leadership of Rev. J.D. Simmons of Denton, the new pastor. He came once a month and then “only in good weather,” yielding some 6-7 sermons a year. Because of this, the Sunday school superintendent held a primary role in the life of the church. Among the early superintendents were W.T. Squibb & Arthur Gravley, father of our own Wilton & Milburn Gravley.

By the mid-1950’s, realizing that the church did not have enough room to grow and that the red-brick building was deteriorating, church trustees secured a 5 acre site in the 1800 block on Walnut. Nearly 1/5 of these acres were a gift from Mrs. Pearl Gravley from the Gravley Family Farm.

In 1967, Kenneth Carter was appointed to First Church. His appointment had a significant impact on the church. He helped us to deepen our faith and enriched our evangelism commitments.  As the Evangelism Explosion Program mushroomed, hundreds of people were reached for Christ, and the Church grew rapidly. The youth ministry caught fire and began to produce new workers for the mission field.

In October 1983, Dr. Paul Morell was appointed as the new pastor. Because of his interest in missions, our involvement expanded and members were offered opportunities to participate in oversees missions. The first trips began to Costa Rica, Mexico, Brazil, Paraguay, Guatemala, & Russia. In addition to an emphasis on evangelism, mission teams provided dental and medical services as well. Since that time, literally hundreds from our church, youth & adults alike, have served the Lord in a multitude of ways around the world. Our church has now sent teams to East Asia, Africa, Peru, Mongolia, Germany, and throughout the U.S.

Sonshine Preschool expanded into what would become Carrollton Christian Academy, FUMCC’s largest local ministry. CCA includes preschool through 12th grade, with enrollment of 850. Not only did the school expand, but also the Child Care Center. Initially established in 1988 to meet after-school needs for Sonshine Preschool and CCA, in 1989 it began offering full daycare for toddlers, ages 18 mos. to 3 years, and later, infants from 6 weeks old.

The city of Carrollton continued to grow north.  In 1994, Rev. Jerry Simmons, who was appointed to First Church, led us to see the potential for growth as we followed God’s new plan for us.

In our 100th year as a church, God began providing for us to move to a new location.  It has been an incredible faith journey.  God provided 38 acres of land that was not for sale at a fraction of its market value at a time when there were no suitable sites available on the market.  Our school, Carrollton Christian Academy (CCA), moved first; we occupied this two-story, 71,000 square foot facility in 2002.  The school building is used for many church activities including athletics, small groups, Sunday school classes and large dinners.  The Carrollton Christian Academy building was Phase I of our new campus.

We recently completed Phase II, which provides space to house many ministries:  worship, education and fellowship.  Highlights of our new addition include:  a wonderful state-of-the art Worship Center with extensive staging, production and audiovisual capabilities.  The Worship Center is adorned with the stained glass windows from the former building and also serves as a performance hall and chapel for the school.  Our new Nursery, Mother’s Day Out and pre-school facilities include building security that involves the latest technology.  The Youth Group has its own awesome 1600 square foot youth center.  There are large classrooms and a Choir Room, a full-sized kitchen, a Bride’s Room, Parlor, Children’s Ministry Center, Library, Prayer Room and Administrative Offices.

We just completed Phase IIB – a stadium for our school.  We are currently adding bleachers to increase the seating capacity to more than 1000.  We also added a jogging path along the creek and cleared the northern acreage as a natural area for use by our Scouts and students.

A volleyball court is under construction for use by our youth and plans are in place to add a field house and other amenities to our athletic complex.

Today, First United Methodist Church Carrollton continues the work started by our faithful founders to spread the good news of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ through Evangelism, Christian Education, Outreach, Missions, Music, Fellowship and more.