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“This Place of Worship Which Our Hands Have Made”

By Larry Price

On the eve of the 2004 presidential election, your historian and website editor was looking back rather than looking ahead. We have begun the ambitious project of preserving our history by scanning into digital images the fading photos and documents that tell the story of how North Kingstown United Methodist Church was born, how it grew and took roots through faith. It's a story of stewardship.

One of our charter members of the church, Eleanor Bourn, tells the wonderful story of this church on the history page of this website. And we’ve marveled at the story of dedication, perseverance and love of God that built this church. Take the time to read Eleanor’s account if you haven’t already.  We also offer a timeline on our history.

History is important because it tells us where we came from and gives us the inspiration to build upon the dreams and hard work of those who came before us. When Vivian Flade, another charter member of this church, told me there was a box in a church closet that might be of interest to me, I decided it was important to start preserving some of the original source material of our church’s history before it fades away. (At left, copy of memorials offered at the consecration of our new sanctuary after phase two of our building plan was completed in 1983 -- from the worship service bulletin)

So we began digging into a box of photos, bulletins, newspaper articles, building plans and assorted papers that was tucked away in that church closet about to cleaned and painted.

We scanned a Providence Journal article from October 13, 1966 announcing the formation of the North Kingstown United Methodist Church. A program from April 1983 detailing the Service of Consecration for “This place of worship which our hands have made.” There was a membership directory from 1975 complete with black and white photos of the families of the congregation. Syd Gledhill looked a little younger --- didn’t we all in 1975 whether we were here or somewhere else. There are photos of every stage of the building program in 1993 when the Narthex and Sunday School rooms were added.

As you look through these first hand glimpses into our church’s creation, you gain a new appreciation for what many hands have built, the stewardship of an ever-changing congregation that has never changed in its dedication to a place to worship our God. If you look through the historical records, the photos of people working hard to build something, you’ll gain a new sense of faith and you’ll never look at our church on a Sunday morning in quite the same way again.

Below you will find a copy of the Providence Journal story from October 13, 1966 announcing the beginning of North Kingstown United Methodist Church. As this project unfolds, we’ll share some of the other photos on the pages of this website as we preserve them for the digital age and for those who come after us. Maybe, on this election eve, we're looking ahead after all.

Providence Journal news story from October 13, 1966 announcing the beginning of the North Kingstown United Methodist Church. First services were held in Seventh Day Adventist Church on Post Road. Our church was later built in phases at its current location at 450 Boston Neck Road.