Ocracoke’s United Methodist Church was dedicated on July 4, 1943, and the celebration included a big church picnic. OUMC is honoring that tradition with a 75th birthday party following the 11am worship service on Sunday, July 8, 2018. OUMC will provide grilled chicken and beverages (expect gallons of sweet tea!); the congregation and visitors are asked to bring side dish, salad, or dessert to share. All are welcome. Ocracoke loves a good potluck!
In anticipation of the event, OUMC's narthex (that's church talk for "entryway") was painted and redecorated with old photos and documents from the church's founding.
A pastor's spouse is always an unsung hero at the church, and Mary Bryant is no exception. She's the main organizer of the 75th birthday event, and says she's planning for at least two hundred guests. She's also the force behind the new exhibits in the narthex; she brought back the Last Supper carving by Ocracoke folk artist Frank Treat Fulcher (1878-1971) that once hung in the narthex but spent recent years in the back of the church. A committee of church peeps comprised of Leslie Gilbert, Martha O'Neal, Woody Billings, Dick Jacoby, and Mike Dalgliesh provide indispensable help.
"This is the 75th year for the church building, but the 190th year of Methodists on Ocracoke," she said. "The earliest record of the presence of a church on Ocracoke Island is in 1828 when the Ocracoke-Portsmouth Circuit of the Methodist Episcopal Church was established."
Eventually there were two Methodist churches (yes, two!) on the island and in 1943, they joined together.
"They were groundbreakers here," Mary said. "When the two churches joined together to create one church on Ocracoke, they called it the United Methodist Church. That was years before the official United Methodists united in 1968."
It's true: OUMC was built from the combined lumber of the Ocracoke Methodist Church, North and Ocracoke Methodist Church, South. Local historian Philip Howard says the two churches were close enough together (one on Howard Street close to the harbor end and the other where Zillie's Island Pantry stands today) that they would try to out sing each other on Sunday mornings.
For the celebration, Mary is borrowing tents to cover the food, and renting tables and chairs for all to gather outside. "We have such a nice yard for a picnic," she said. The rain location (gotta have one) is Ocracoke Community Center because she anticipates too many guests to squeeze in the Rec Hall.
Mary has a copy of the original bulletin from the dedication service in 1943, which shows it was a day-long event with an organ recital in the afternoon. (The organ was dedicated the same day.) There won't be a concert this year, but Julie Howard will play the organ for the 11am service. The OUMC Youth Choir, directed by Desiree Ricker, will sing during worship. If you missed their performance at Ocrafolk, here's your chance to hear them. The organ and the choir and the congregational hymns will make it a lovely service. To quote the founder* of my faith tradition, "Music is a fair and glorious gift of God." John Wesley, on the other hand, is reported to have said, "'I have no objection to instruments of music in our Chapels, provided they are neither seen nor heard." LOL. He did approve very much of singing and gave five instructions: Sing all; sing lustily, and with a good courage; sing modestly; sing in time; and above all, sing spiritually." But I digress.
On Thursday, July 12th at 1pm at the Ocracoke Preservation Society Museum, Pastor Richard Bryant and local historian Philip Howard will share the history Ocracoke United Methodist Church at a Porch Talk. (OPS Porch Talks take place every Tuesday and Thursday all summer, and are free, informative, and fun!)
*Martin Luther