Pine Castle Pioneer Days, 1974


Conway Methodist Church, by Ruth Linton.

September 28, 1974, I attended the centennial celebration of the Conway Methodist Church. The history of the church really began in 1870 with religious services being held in the different homes of the community. However, it was not until 1874 that the church was organized. Mr. and Mrs. M.M. Mizell donated two acres of land on the corner of Conway and Anderson and a log cabin was built which served as church and school. The Rev. James D. McDonald was the first circuit preacher to serve this church. The church was named "Prospect Methodist Episcopal Church, South" and had eleven charter members.

In 1881, the people of the church cut trees, took them to the saw mill, brought back the lumber, and built a new church. The name was changed from "Prospect" to "Conway" in 1884. In 1886, the church authorized the trustees to use a certain portion of the church property for a cemetery.

Looking through a scrapbook, I found this story of an oldtimer who was along in years. It seems as if his wife had tried for years to get him to join the church. She finally won and the first or second time he attended the minister asked him to say a little prayer for the congregation and his reply, much to the embarassment of his wife, was "pray yourself."

Conway was made a station church in 1941, when Pine Castle and Conway were separated.

In September 1946, the church bought 2 1/2 acres of land where the new sanctuary and education building now stands. The South Diocese of the Episcopal Church of Florida deeded the land back of the cemetery in 1952. The grove property and a small plot west of that were purchased in 1958.

The Fellowship Hall was completed in 1959. In 1963, a new educational building was ocmpleted and consecrated. In September, the church moved into the new Sanctuary and the consecration services were held in November of that year. The parsonage family moved into the parsonage in February 1974.