During the annual meeting of the Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church, 10 churches were officially closed, including a historic Alabama church with a building dating back to 1858.
In 1843, the Uniontown Methodists acquired a piece of land and constructed a church. Later, in 1858, they went ahead to build a two-story brick building that displayed Greek Revival-style architecture.
In 1921, the church installed stained-glass windows to replace the gas chandeliers, and electric lights were introduced. Later, in 1971, a new steeple was added to the building.
Located at the junction of Highway 61 and North Street, the Uniontown United Methodist Church in Perry County is a significant landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a part of the Uniontown Historic District.
Seven churches in Alabama have been closed down, with Uniontown in Perry County, Black United Methodist in Geneva County, Booth United Methodist in Autauga County, Wesley Chapel in Choctaw County, Memorial UMC on Broad Street in Selma in Dallas County, Central UMC in Elmore County, and Hills Chapel UMC in Ramer in Montgomery County all affected.
Three churches in the Florida Panhandle were closed down. These churches are Bethlehem UMC in Holmes County, Midway UMC in Holmes County, and Springhill UMC in Jackson County.
According to the conference’s statement, the churches had been experiencing a decline in membership and attendance for years, despite their long and proud histories. As a result, the decision was made to close each of the churches.
According to Bishop David Graves, who leads the Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church, the closure of churches is a yearly occurrence. He stated that there are various reasons for this, and it is always a melancholic experience to witness churches reaching the end of their life cycle.
The conference will regain ownership of all closed churches, except for Hills Chapel in Ramer. This church will now belong to the Hills Chapel Cemetery Association. The Hills Chapel in Ramer has a rich history, dating back to its organization in 1857. The church building itself was constructed in 1937.
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