The Original Structure…
On February 6, 1904, eleven Methodist organized the Duke Methodist Church. The first sermon of the church was preached on February 27, 1904 by Rev. W. A. Forbes in the picker room of the Number Two Mill. In the summer of 1904 construction of a church building began on a lot 100 feet square, donated by Erwin Cotton Mills. The first service in the new church building was held in September of 1905.
On January 1, 1926 the town of Duke’s name was changed to Erwin. The North Carolina Annual Conference changed the name of the church to Erwin Methodist Church on November 10, 1926 during a conference meeting in Durham, North Carolina.
Burlington Industries, the new owner of Erwin Cotton Mills, purchased the building and site of the church. On February 1, 1965 the church moved and the building was demolished. A modern church sanctuary was built adjoining the abandoned Erwin Teacherage. The 100 year old Teacherage is still used as our Education Wing and Fellowship Hall. The first service was held in the new Sanctuary in September of 1966.
A beautiful parsonage was added to the property in September, 1984. Following construction of the parsonage, the Methodist Children’s Home was built on church property in 1986.
Memorial stained glass windows were installed in the sanctuary in l994.
In l996 Erwin UMC and Parker’s Grove UMC in Linden were reunited into a charge with the pastor conducting services every Sunday morning in both churches – at Parker’s Grove at 9:30 am and at Erwin at 11:00 am. In December of 2016, Parker’s Grove UMC merged with Erwin UMC.
Today various ministry teams work together to provide strong lay leadership, excellent music, children, youth, and adult ministries, and care-giving and outreach to the surrounding communities.
