Our Story
HARDEEVILLE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
It’s an old, old story, but holds a lot of meaning for this community and the members of the Hardeeville United Methodist Church located at 111 Main Street in Hardeeville, South Carolina. No, it wasn’t formed by the Reverend John Wesley when he came to America in 1736 and started preaching in Savannah GA. John Wesley was appointed as chaplain and missi
onary and spent just two years in the American colonies, and he had a rather dismal time of it. But his time in America led to major changes in Wesley's life, and his ministry here did much to shape the religious climate in America in the years to come. He came to America to serve as a parish minister in Savannah, having been invited by James Oglethorpe who founded Savannah. Wesley’s influence soon spread widely in America. In 1860 The Methodist Episcopal Church of Hardee Village, now the Hardeeville United Methodist Church, was given land in Hardeeville. Later the church was built on that land given to the Methodist’s of this community, which consisted mostly of farmers. Rice and cotton were their major crops. When the structure built the members adhered to the custom of the time; men occupying the pews on the right, women occupying the pews on the left. There have been a few changes and alterations to the interior of the building over the years, but the basic appearance of the original structure remains much as it did when constructed in 1860. The two story Sunday School addition was added in 1955 and later the fellowship hall was added to make more room for Sunday lunches and church activities. Stories and tradition hold that this church was used as a hospital during the Civil War and that is the reason it was not burned to the ground as many churches and buildings were during the war. Correspondence to the church from others seems to verify that information as we have at least one family who say their family records show the death of an uncle occurred on September 16, 1862, and that he died in the Hardeeville Methodist Church while it was being used as a hospital. Other stories and tradition hold that the bell in the church steeple was removed from the last slave ship to sail into the Savannah River as slavery was abolished, and to commemorate the freedom it brought, someone went to that ship and salvaged the bell and it was placed in the Methodist Church. No other known or written history of the bell has been found to date. You would be welcome any Sunday. We have an adult Sunday School Class at 10:00 a.m., and Worship at 11:00 a.m. You will find us to be a Friendly, loving, church with a traditional service & hymns. We are a small, warm congregation. Come visit us, you will be glad you did. You may even want to stay! You may find a little more information on the South Carolina United Methodist Church directory page at: https://www.umc.org/find-a-church/church?id=30788&distance=0.892032255808446&fbclid=IwAR1FJb54OcfoqBXysGJc5k9GMHXe8h_NQlgrm_sWXlmy0BpF_aAyulIdVNM
Thanks for visiting our page. Blessings to you always. Pastor Marvin Moore
