First United Methodist Church, 304 N. Main, Searcy, AR

As United Methodists, we have an obligation to bear a faithful Christian witness to Jesus Christ, the living reality at the center of the Church’s life and witness. To fulfill this obligation, we reflect critically on our biblical and theological inheritance, striving to express faithfully the witness we make in our own time.

Two considerations are central to this endeavor: the sources from which we derive our theological affirmations and the criteria by which we assess the adequacy of our understanding and witness.

Wesley believed that the living core of the Christian faith was revealed in Scripture, illumined by tradition, vivified in personal experience, and confirmed by reason.

We believe in the one God, creator and sustainer of all things, Father of all nations, the source of all goodness and beauty, all truth and love.
We believe in Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, our teacher, example, and Redeemer, the Savior of the world.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, God present with us for guidance, for comfort, and for strength.
We believe in the forgiveness of sins, in the life of love and prayer, and in grace equal to every need.
We believe in the Word of God contained in the Old and New Testaments as the sufficient rule both of faith and of practice.
We believe in the church, those who are united in the living Lord for the purpose of worship and service.
We believe in the reign of God as the divine will realized in human society, and in the family of God, where we are all brothers and sisters.
We believe in the final triumph of righteousness and in the life everlasting.

Amen.

A History of Making Disciples for Jesus Christ

The congregation of Searcy First United Methodist Church was the first Christian church established in Searcy. This is testament of the pioneer spirit of our fathers and mothers of the faith, to reach people for the Lord Jesus Christ. Actually, theirs was a two-fold purpose. First, it was to win people for Jesus. Second, it was a desire to spread “scriptural holiness.” We express our desire to follow their example in our church’s Mission Statement today. It states that our congregation seeks to:

Glorify God
Grow in full devotion to Jesus Christ
Connect the unconnected

The community that is now Searcy was called “The Springs” until 1837 when it was officially named for Judge Richard Searcy of Batesville. As early as 1836, Searcy was a preaching stop on the Little Rock Circuit, and in 1842 it was moved to the Little Red River Mission. The congregation was served by circuit riding preachers and local church leaders. By 1851, Searcy had grown and the church had grown that it became the anchor church on the Searcy Mission. In that year the church purchased the lot on which the current building stands. A frame church building was erected in 1851, and it served the congregation until 1872. To make room for the new building, the original frame building was physically rolled one block to the south.

The current building was built in 1872 and is among the oldest continually used buildings in the state. The sanctuary seats 400, and it was built at a time when the total population of Searcy was 600! Talk about building for the future in faith!

Today, we continue to flourish on the same spot of ground we have occupied since 1851. “Grow where you are planted.” Other buildings have been built, but the church is our people. We value a diversity of worship styles and an acceptance of others who are seeking to live faithful lives. Our congregation has been a leader in working with other sisters and brothers in Christ, and we are often called upon to provide leadership throughout the community.

Announcements