Home PageMonterey United Methodist Church
The following history of Monterey was taken from a special program printed for the church’s centennial celebration. The information in the program was compiled by Connie Cherry, great granddaughter of co-founder John Cooper Williams.
Born of a need to worship in the Methodist faith, five of our forefathers, Henry Clay Bullock, Labon Orlando Bullock, William Warren Cooper, Nicholas Bascom Singletary, and John Cooper Williams came together with a common goal, to build a church where they, their spouses, children and future generations could worship. Thus Monterey Methodist Church was organized in October, 1900. The Rev. W. A. Terry served as the church’s first pastor, from 1900-1903. There were about 50 charter members. Robert Berry donated two acres of land to the church, with the stipulation that the property would remain the church’s as long as there was an active congregation. However, should the church close, the property would revert to Mr. Berry or his descendants.
Until the building could be constructed, worship services were held at Briar Hill School, which was located on the adjoining property to the west. The first building was one room with two aisles and three rows of pews. The exterior doors opened into the aisles. The pulpit was at the front of the church in the same location it is today. There was an Amen corner at the front right side of the church, where the men sat. Ladies whose children were older sat on the front left pews and ladies with infants and small children sat in the back, close to the doors. The organ was directly in front of the pulpit and the choir was in front of the organ on the center row of pews. Tina Williams Faulkner, a charter member and eldest daughter of Anna and John Cooper Williams, one of the church’s founders, was the first known church organist at the tender age of eleven. She continued until she was seventeen. There was a copse of trees on the right side of the church where everyone tied their horses.
As the church membership grew it became necessary to renovate, and it was decided to add three Sunday School rooms. In the 1940’s Homer Williams, Earl Hudson, Sr. and other church members did this remodeling. The rooms were connected and went directly behind the existing building. Need for expansion in the early 1950’s saw church members again doing this work. It consisted of a long room, used for fellowship, with two Sunday School rooms behind it on the east side of the church.
In 1963 the current fellowship hall, nursery, kitchen and two bathrooms were added. At this time the inside of the sanctuary was remodeled. The entire pulpit and choir loft section was designed and built at the home workshop of church member Arthur Sandell and transported to the church where it was installed by Mr. Sandell and Homer Williams. Mr. Sandell also designed the windows. Mr. Williams tells that he can always remember the date of this remodeling job because as he was working, his brother-in-law, Clifton Earl “Handsome” Singletary, son of Nicholas Bascomb Singletary, one of the church founders, came by and asked, “Homer, have you heard the news? The President has been shot in Dallas.” That date was November 22, 1963.
The Women’s Society of Christian Service was organized in 1938. The first president was Mrs. W. H. Hudson. The first Sunday School Superintendent was Willis Hemphill. In 1967, David Fulton Williams was honored by the church for 30 years of faithful service as Sunday School Superintendent. Mr. Williams took over this post in 1930 from his father, church founder John Cooper Williams. He served until 1932 and again from 1936-1966 for a total of 32 years.
In 1969 Monterey United Methodist Church was named Church of the Year for the Jackson District. The church was again recognized by the conference in 1978, when it was named Charge of the Year for the Jackson District.
Monterey Church has sent three of its young men out into the world to preach the Gospel of Christ. They are Bertram Hamilton Williams, a charter member and son of John Cooper and Anna Williams; Ted Giordano, grandson of Sarah and Earl Singletary and great grandson of John Cooper and Anna Williams and Nicholas Bascom and Della Singletary; and Don Williams, son of Homer and Myrtle Williams and grandson of John Cooper and Anna Williams.