Hebron Methodist Church

Compliments of Belinda (Brown) Winston

The Methodist of this community began meeting in the 1860's in the Gravestown School building, which was located about one mile east of the present location of Hebron Methodist Church.

In 1884, Amanda Urquhart and Mrs. Kate Fraser gave land for the church and cemetery. Mrs. Urquart died in 1887, Mrs. Fraser in 1908. 

No one knows where the name "Hebron" originated.  It is imagined that the founding fathers of the church selected the name from the Bible.  There is no record of the community being called "Hebron" before the organization of the church.

The first Hebron methodist Church was built in 1884. The original church building bruned in May 1917. While the church building was being rebuilt, the congregation met in a brush arbor constructed in front of where the church now stands.

After crops were layed by that summer of 1917, 3 men of the church got up at 3 a.m. and made a trip by wagon to Warren. Southern Lumber Co. gave them 3 big loads of lumber to rebuild the church. The men were Fred Childress, Robert Merrill and Evan Marks.  During the summer months, the men of the community met and built the new church, with the ladies bringing food to serve. The new building was near enough completed by cold weather that fall to begin having services in it.

The first church had two front doors, with three rows of seats, two isles. The new building has double front doors with one isle in the center of the church. The present church has had additions of 3 Sunday School rooms, then a fellowship room with a kitchen and 2 bathrooms. later a metal building was purchased and put behind the fellowship room for more class rooms.  A concrete porch, with cover has also been added. Siding has been put on the outside of the church. Inside, paneling has been added over the beaded ceiling on the walls. 

A very inspirational tent meeting was remembers as being held around 1920. A large tent was set up on the grounds of the church, with a large crowd of people coming on horseback and by wagon.

Hebron was originally part of the New Edinburg Circuit. Later was taken into the Kingsland Circuit. L.C. Gatlin was pastor of the church when it burned. Some of the other pastors that were remembered were: Hugh Revely, H.A. F. Ault, John Simpson, W.T. Bone, W.D. Golden, C.R. Andrews, Harold Scott, Richard Poss, W.C. Almstead, James Beck, Edgar Outlaw, L.C. Wax, Robert Johnson, Elam Turner, William Paul Woolley. The last two each served 10 years.

Some of the first members of Hebron Methodist Church remembered were: Mrs. Kate Fraser, Mrs. Amanda Marks Urquhart, Sampson Rogers, John Jones Mitchell, J.L. Mitchell, Frank Owens, Ellen Jane Mitchell, Will Owens, Helen Rogers, Sarah Graves, J.E. Davis, Anna Lee Marks, Amelia Marks, Melissa Marrill, Kathryn Tolfree Marks, William Wolf, John W. Lavillian, Susan Carson Morgan, Jackson Hamaker, Fannie Marks, H.S. Harris, Arkansas Rogers, S.M. Owens, Maggie Graves and L.A. Childress.