Meet Our Staff | Our Mission | Our Core Convictions | Our History

About Us

Meet Our Staff

• Welcome to Central United Methodist Church!

Please take time to explore Central UMC Online to discover who we are, or visit us on Sunday mornings at 9:00am or 11:15 am for Worship. We are located in Downtown Florence on the corner of Cheves and Irby. You can contact us by sending an e-mail to info@centralmethodist.net, or by calling call the church office at (843) 662-3218

 

• Our Mission

The purpose of Central United Methodist Church is to worship God in word and deed as we learn, teach, practice, and share the way of Christ daily. This occurs in various ways. From the Christian formation that occurs in corporate worship and structured Bible study
to the informal practicing of the faith in community service work and fellowshipping, Central is after one goal-Christian discipleship.

 

Return to Top

• Our Core Convictions

Our core convictions are based in the Christian tradition and, in particular, within the United Methodist heritage. As such, we believe that all Christians are part and parcel of the present body of Christ and that each member is essential to the other. We are convinced that all are gifted by the Holy Spirit and need to employ those gifts in the ministries of the church. These ministries occur within this particular body and are offered to the surrounding community and to the world. Because of this conviction, all volunteers will be trained and nurtured in their work and every church member is granted permission to dream, initiate, and organize in programs that lead toward fulfilling our mission statement.
We are committed to being open to the movement of the Spirit and trust that God will sustain us for the journey ahead. We also commit to excellence in all we do and will treat one another with respect and love. We seek to offer the grace and peace of Christ in all we say and do that all whom God converts to the Christian faith will grow in their discipleship of Jesus Christ.

Return to Top

• Our History

Central United Methodist Church has a long and proud history in the Pee Dee region of South Carolina. Central was formed in April 1870, when seventeen charter members gathered to organize a Methodist Church to serve the nearly 300 persons who resided in what became the city of Florence. The first edifice for the Church was located at the corner of Dargan and Cheves Street. Destroyed by a tornado before it was completed, the fledgling church rebuilt for an expanded congregation of 87 members. In 1883, disaster struck once again as fire destroyed the Church. Undaunted, the congregation built a new and larger structure, this time from brick, which would seat 400 persons.
By the beginning of the 20th Century the church had outgrown its new facility, and plans were made to expand. A new site was chosen, this being the current site in downtown Florence, on the corner of Irby and Cheves.

A Men's Bible class at Central, who numbered 1024 on this day, April 27, 1914

The current sanctuary was built in 1914, at a cost of $97,000 for the lot and building.

In the mid 1990's a Long Range Planning Committee was charged with the responsibility of developing a plan that would meet the needs of several existing church ministries and some emerging ministries. Facilities beyond the sanctuary were inadequate for a growing congregation. Under the leadership of Reverend Chad Davis, Dr. Carl Camp, and Gary Brown, architect, an ambitious plan was developed that would improve nursery facilities, classrooms for small children and Mother's Morning Out, parking, bathroom facilities, provide a new multi-purpose area for gatherings and recreation, and connect several buildings. The old Florence Morning News building on N. Irby Street was purchased and the church was given the Aiken building. The plans were developed and ready for church approval in the fall of 1999. The Reverend Chad Davis retired in June of 1999 and the Reverend Thomas C. Pietila was sent to Central.

The new building project cost 4.9 million dollars and was approved unanimously. Construction was completed in December of 2000. The new multi-purpose building was named in honor of the Reverend J. Chad Davis and his wife Faye. As a result of careful planning, the church continued to grow, particularly in the area of young families and small children. Mothers Morning Out blossomed from a small baby-sitting service for mothers to a large school-like setting.

During this time Central continued to reach out to its community with a strengthened day camp program at Camp Sexton for underprivileged children, a "Yard of the week" program to strengthen declining neighborhoods, and the development of an alternative school, CHOiCES, at Camp Sexton. CHOiCES, under the visionary leadership of former police chief and church member, Ralph Porter, provides a learning environment for young people who have been expelled from the public school system and/or have had difficulties with traditional school envirnoment and need a different learning environment . It is becoming a model in the state.

Currently, the church's building committee under the leadership of Mr. Dick Tinsley and Gary Brown, architect, is finishing the master plan developed in the mid 90's. This includes the upgrading of the church's Scout Hut located on Plum Drive, centralization of the offices, renovating the music ministry rehearsal areas, building a state of the art media center/library, and relocating older adult Sunday School classrooms.

Thanks to visionary leaders, committed church members, and a strong staff, Central continues to be a leader in the Florence community.

Return to Top