On August 13, the Rye Home United Methodist Church will continue their celebration of their 150th year of service to God and community with an old fashion fish fry from 1- 3:00 p.m. The menu will include fish or chicken strips, coleslaw, tator tots, and cobbler. The lunch costs $12.
In addition to the food their will be music, games, and a time for gathering with old friends.
An RSVP is requested by calling (719) 489-2779 of emailing homeumc@gmail.com, Church history books will be available for $15, Church Photo Mugs will cost $10 and church plates will be priced at $25.
On February 28, 1784, John Wesley chartered the first Methodist Church in the United States. Despite the fact that he was an Anglican, Wesley saw the need to provide church structure for his followers after the Anglican Church abandoned its American believers during the American Revolution.
According to the Rye Home UMC website, Sarah Williams brought the first Bible to the area in 1868 and she “willingly shared it anytime a gathering occurred.”
Circuit riders traveled the countryside meeting in homes to preach and share welcome news.
In 1873, Father Clark of the Baptist faith began building a church at the foot of the eastern slope of Rattlesnake Hill. The Baptists’ funds ran out, but the settlers needed a place to gather and wanted a schoolhouse. Although of different religious faiths, they cooperated in 1874, when the “first church and school were built about a mile south of the current town of Rye at the top of a hill on the Rock (Stone) Place.”
The small community questioned how many churches they needed and voted for one, the Methodist Episcopal Church South. By 1880 the church officially become Home United Methodist Church of Rye and merged the Methodist, Evangelical, and United Churches. It was commonly called Rye Home Church.
– From Faith and Apron Strings: Stories and Recipes from Beneath the Greenhorn Mountains Initially people met in homes. The first building used as a church by the Methodist congregation can still be see in Rye. As you go south on Main Street, before Park Road, a little yellow house sits on the street and was the first Methodist Church.
The current church began serving the congregation in 1936.
In October the fall fair will happen and that will include plenty of booths and homemade ice cream and pies.
The final event of the 150th year celebration will take place in D. ecember (date to be determined) and will include a soup supper followed by Christmas caroling.
The current minister of the church is Pastor Ken Berve. The church is located at 2063 Main St., in Rye with worship on Sunday at 10:00 a.m