Mt. Horeb UMC

Our Beginning

 

Mt. Horeb's official beginnings date back to 1875.  It was during this time that numerous congregations in the Hinton area of Western Rockingham County were sharing a meeting space, known as the Trinity Church and School.  The exact reason that the United Brethren Congregation decided to build its own building and not meet in the Trinity Church House anymore is not known, but it's suspected that the decision was fueled by the growth of United Brethren followers in the area.

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The land for the building was deeded to the Mt. Horeb Congregation on April 24, 1875.  Only a few short months later, the Congregation was ready to celebrate the new building with a special dedication service on August 8, 1875.  The joyous occasion was well attended, as the new building was filled to overflowing.  By the end of the day's services, offerings and pledges had been received that more than cleared the Congregation of any debts related to the new building.

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Time to Grow

 

On August 26, 1945, Mt. Horeb celebrated its 70th Anniversary with a special dedication service of the new addition, which included four Sunday School rooms, redecorating of the Sanctuary, and the installation of a new furnace.  In 1946, Mt. Horeb United Brethren became Mt. Horeb Evangelical United Brethren due to a merger between the larger body of United Brethren churches and the Evangelical Association.

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The Congregation continued to grow between the years of 1946 and 1950 that they again felt the need for more space.  On May 20, 1951, a dedication service was held for yet another addition, which included a kitchen and dining room in the basement, modern restrooms, and three more Sunday School rooms upstairs.  Less than a year later, on March 16, 1952, the Congregation held a mortgage burning service to signify that it was once again cleared of debt.

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A New Name

 

Mt. Horeb felt another big change on April 23, 1968.  After 160 years of proposals and debate, the General Conference of the Evangelical United Brethren Church of the United States voted to merge its denomination with the Methodist Church.  It was decided that the denomination would now be known as United Methodist.  Some older members of the Congregation were reluctant to accept the name change due to the strong ideologies and traditions of the United Brethren faith.  However, the merger did not importantly affect the Congregation's long established design of procedures and practices, so its impact was primarily related to the deeply rooted areas of loyalty and sentiment.