First United Methodist Church Bluefield, Virginia

Church History

Our church and its predecessors have been serving the Bluefield area since the 1850’s.

The first church was a small frame called Johnson’s Chapel built in 1853. Prior to the building of the chapel, worship for Methodist in the area was an old campground called “Charles" Chapel. 

In 1888, Graham Methodist Episcopal Church, South was made a station and at that time a frame church was erected.  In 1895, the church was burned accidently by a thoughtless boy who was the janitor who struck a match to look in closet where he had some waste and kindling and dropped the match.

A new brick church was built on the same site in 1896. By 1922, the church membership had grown and the need for a larger building had become necessary.

The actual construction began in 1923 and was completed in 1925. The cost of the new building was 85,000.

In 1941 the name was changed to First Methodist Church.

An addition to the existing structure was added on in 1957 including an Educational Annex and Chapel.

In 1968 with the merger of the Methodist and Evangelical United Brethren Churches, the church again had a name change to First United Methodist Church.