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First United Methodist Church

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The '''First United Methodist Church''' or '''First Methodist Church''' is a historic church in Pensacola, currently located at 6 East [[Wright Street]]. The church's current pastor is the Reverend [[Wesley Wachob|Dr. Wesley H. Wachob]].
==Prior buildingsHistory==[[Image:FirstMethodistPalafox.jpg|thumb|left|The church's second home, at [[Palafox Street|Palafox]] and [[Garden Street]]s]]First Methodist Church was first established in Pensacola on [[December 7 December ]], [[1821]] as a mission of the Mississippi Methodist Conference, with the Reverend [[Alexander Talley]] as the mission's first pastor. Initially services were held in a courthouse and old theatre. In [[1827]], the church purchased a lot on the northeast corner of [[Tarragona Street|Tarragona]] and [[Intendencia Street]]s, and a permanent home for the church was built, with the first services held on [[June 2 June ]], [[1828]].
This first church building suffered two fires and in [[1881]] the property was sold and the church constructed a new facility on the northwest corner of [[Palafox Street|Palafox]] and [[Garden Street]]s. In [[1906]], that lot was sold to make way for the [[San Carlos Hotel]], and the church purchased its current site on [[Wright Street]].
==Current facilities=====The sanctuary===The cornerstone for the church's current building sanctuary was laid on [[October 14 October ]], [[1908]]. Services were held at [[Hannah Hall]] on [[Romana Street]] until the current building was completed in [[1910]]. Services were first held there on 30 October [[1910]]. Between [[1997]]-[[1999|99]], the sanctuary was renovated; its roof was replaced, its sandstone walls were cleaned with acid, and restoration work was carried out on its stained glass windows. Due to damage from [[Hurricane Ivan]] in [[2004]], the sanctuary roof was once again replaced in [[2005]]. In [[2002]], a new pipe organ was dedicated; the organ is "the largest and most comprehensive pipe organ in [the] area with 73 ranks of pipes and weighing some 50,000 pounds. This organ consists of a four-manual and pedal ebony console, a solid white oak case plus 4,153 pipes." ===Other facilities===In [[1951]], an Education Building was constructed. In [[1959]], the Chapel of the Good Shepherd was built in memory of [[W. C. Mackey]] and [[E. R. Malone]]. "The Ark", a youth activity center, opened in [[1980]], followed by [[The Wright Place]] in [[1983]]. A new administrative building was constructed between [[1988]]-[[1989|89]], linking the sanctuary to The Wright Place. In the early 1990s, the church acquired property on Wright Street from a bankrupt car dealership and transformed it into a seventy-car parking lot for its members. In [[2000]], the Church purchased two buildings across Wright Street, which became their Youth Ministry Center and Outreach Ministry Center. In [[2004]] as a result of the Church's "Build on the Dream" capital project, a new three-story lobby building was completed. The lobby has connections to the sanctuary, library, Henry Roberts Activity Center, Wright Place, and the Education Building. In [[2007]], the Church purchased the adjacent [[Scottish Rite Masonic Center]]. ==Missions==Several other area Methodist churches began as missions of First Methodist, including [[Cokesbury United Methodist Church]] and [[St. Andrew United Methodist Church]]. ==Church leaders==*Rev. [[C. B. DuBose]] (d. 1882)*Rev. [[C. W. Gavin]]*Rev. Dr. [[Henry Earle Roberts]] (retired June [[2006]]) ==References==<small>*[http://www.pensacolafirstchurch.com/about.htm About First United Methodist Church]]</small>
[[Category:Downtown churches]]

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