History
On October 19, 1975, a meeting was held for the purpose of forming a new church in the LaVergne area. Murfreesboro District Superintendent, The Reverend Fred Blankenship, and The Reverend Roland Perkins, minister of the Smyrna First United Methodist church conducted the meeting with 26 people in attendance.
On November 6, 1975, a property finding committee was appointed from the approximately 50 people that attended.
On November 24, 1975, the building committee recommended the purchase of a two and half acre tract of land from Mr. and Mrs. Smith O'Neal on Waldron Road.
The First United Methodist Church of LaVergne was organized in the LaVergne School building with forty one members being received on that Christmas Sunday, December 21, 1975, by the Nashville area Bishop H. Ellis Finger Jr. with Tennessee Conference Cabinet members. The Reverend William W. Morris, The Reverend Doyle Masters, The Reverend Billy Craighead, and The Reverend Fred Blankenship assisted in the service. Also assisting with the service were Conference Secretary The Reverend W. Edwin Gilbert, The Reverend Roland Perkins, and the Chairperson of the Conference Church Extension Committee, Dr. William Pettit.
Charter membership almost doubled in numbers before it was officially closed on Easter Sunday of 1976.
On March 5, 1977, ground breaking services were held at the site on Waldron road. The new congregation had been meeting in the LaVergne School cafeteria until they moved into the new building on October 9, 1977.
On December 18, 1977, Consecration Services were held for the new church building.
July 26, 1998 - Dedication of new two story addition that provided a Fellowship Hall, kitchen, and four additional classrooms.
November, 2008- LaVergne First United Methodist Church received Ruthie Award for "Favorite Place to Worship."
January 11, 2009- Groundbreaking Ceremony for new 8,000 sq. ft. two story addition. Here is the Program from that Ceremony.
July 19, 2009- Celebration Service.
Standing on the Word of God
(Shared on July 19, 2009 during the Celebration Service to open our new sanctuary!) by Terri Goodner
Back in April Buddy announced to the church that we would be writing our favorite scripture on the new sanctuary floor before the carpet was installed. Well I thought...'That's one of the best ideas I had ever heard!' We would be "Standing on the word of God!" Up until a few days ago, I never really gave it much more thought. THEN...I was asked to speak about it and suddenly the question "what does 'Standing on the word of God' really mean?" was without an adequate answer. So...I went to 'The Word' and found scripture that helped me understand what "Standing on the Word of God" really means to me.
In 2nd Peter 1: 2-11 Peter writes:
2Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
3His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
4Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;
6and to knowledge, self- control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;
7and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
8For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
10Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall,
11and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
If you notice....the quality of knowledge was listed toward the beginning of the list. This tells me that if you don't add 'knowledge' to your faith journey, it will be incomplete. It will also make developing the qualities listed afterward much more difficult: self control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and mos of all love! Knowledge is learning God's truth and putting that truth into action...and since our knowledge of Jesus grows as we mature in faith, we will get to experience his grace on many different occasions throughout our Christian Walk.
Because my knowledge is growing and maturing....this place we have all gathered in today is not just a new building where Buddy speaks, the choir performs, and people gather to watch the production....this place is recognized as a gift from God to His followers that have chosen to worship Him at La Vergne First UMC, where Buddy shares the word given to him by God, the choir worships Him in song and the people of His church serve others with and because of the love of Christ!
Because Jesus Christ is lifted up in this place, he has drawn people in! People visit, people return, His followers increase in numbers and God provides!!!
'Standing on the Word of God' gives us strength, power, certainty, hope, grace, mercy, security, freedom, peace, and love.
'Standing on the Word of God' gets us through those tough times and allows us to help those we love through their tough times because of the strength we find in ourselves.
'Standing on the Word of God' makes us WANT to reach out and help others because of our love for Christ.
'Standing on the Word of God' makes us excited to share the gospel with others....knowing the amazing gift that has been given to us by Jesus dying on the cross, was also given to all others...no matter what their past holds.
And 'Standing on the Word of God' teaches us to love each other...no matter how big our differences, our love is ALWAYS bigger.
Scripture is a gift given to us by God so we may have the privilege of having an intimate relationship with our Savior. So when I walk into this place of worship and I think of that day back in May when so many came...who were at all different places in their faith journey...and they opened their Bibles and laid on the floor and began to write that scripture that God had placed on their heart, I know that the words under this carpet are Holy, and I know that 'Standing on the Word of God' is the place I always want to be!
Ministers that have served our church:
The Reverend Roland Perkins December 1975 - August 1977
The Reverend Ken Whitaker August 1977 - October 1977
The Reverend J.C. Lawson October 1977 - December 1977
The Reverend David Greenfield January 1978 - June 1979
The Reverend Dr. David Miller June 1979 - June 1983
The Reverend John P. Williams June 1983 - June 1988
The Reverend Dr. James T. Hayes June 1988 - June 1991
The Reverend William Tomlin June 1991 - June 1993
The Reverend James R. Dodson June 1993 - June 1998
The Reverend Roger Parker June 1998 - June 1999
The Reverend Ronald C. Brown June 1999 - June 2002
The Reverend Thomas H. Ward June 2002 - June 2006
Pastor Buddy Royston June 2006 - June 2013
The Reverend Denman E. Frazer June 2013- Present