Our Heritage
Commerce First Methodist Church was organized in 1843 and was known as Adeline's Chapel. The record shows that a Sabbath School was organized on June 18, 1843. Six hours were devoted each Sunday to Sabbath School with the exception of the preaching service held once each month.
Adeline’s Chapel was torn down in 1851 and was moved to the town of Harmony Grove, whether or not the name was changed, we do not know. The church was again moved and was located near the old Farabee home on South Broad Street just outside the city limits a quarter of a mile on the East side of the railroad. It was then known as Sandy Level and the site is marked by a small graveyard.
In 1874 the church was moved to its present site, where a one-room frame church was built and the name was changed to Harmony Grove Methodist Episcopal Church, South. The Sunday School records tell us that, "Harmony Grove Methodist Sabbath School organized in November, 1874, has been kept up continuously until the present May, 1880, when the classes were rearranged under Superintendent S. M. Shankle and M. L. Parker, assistant. May the Lord prosper the school in the future as he has in the past and may it prove a blessing to the rising generations for ages to come."
In 1903 under the ministry of the Reverend G. M. Eakes, the church launched a building project using the old church as the main body. Additions were made, and a larger, more commodious building resulted. The building was completed in 1904. The name had become by now The Commerce Methodist Episcopal Church, South, with the changing of the name of the town. This building was used until a campaign for the present edifice was begun in 1919 when the old church was torn down, a basement was excavated, and a modern cream brick structure was built.
An annex was built in 1954 at a cost of $13,000 and is used today for classrooms. In 1958 an educational building was erected at a cost of $40,000. It contains a chapel, a large well-equipped nursery, spacious classrooms for children and youth, and our award winning preschool.
In 2000 our Family Life Center was built with seating for 250, a commercial kitchen, and gym. Also the parsonage was repurposed as a church office and meeting space. At Commerce First we continue a legacy of over 170 years of practicing our Wesleyan heritage in our community.
