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Grover United Methodist Church
History of Grover United Methodist Church
Grover United Methodist Church is located at the intersection of U.S. Highway 15 and what was known as the Charleston to Augusta Road in Dorchester County, South Carolina. This intersection was on one of the important East-West expansion routes of the 1800's. The prominence of U.S. Highway 15 did not come about until the 1900's, as this road became one of the major highway arteries for North-South traffic from New York to Florida (Lander, 213).
Grover was first known as Murray's Crossroads, named for one of the first families of early settlers in this area. The name was changed from Murray's Crossroads to Grover after the United Postal Service wanted to establish a post office in the community. There was already a Murray's on the service, so the name was changed to Grover.
The Grover United Methodist Church was founded as Murray's Church in the early 1800's. It is believed that the land was donated by the William Murray family, one of the early settlers in the area. No actual records can be found to accurately date the establishment but old family histories indicate that this information is accurate. Most of the legal paperwork from the early to mid 1800's was destroyed by General Sherman as the Colleton County records were being transported to Columbia for safekeeping during the Civil War. The church appears on the Mills Atlas map of 1820. The property on which the church sits was officially sold to the trustees by James C.W. Canaday for $1.00 on December 4, 1874. A deed was recorded October 15, 1930, in the Dorchester County Courthouse for this property. It is believed that the church property was untitled until the time that Mr. Canaday sold it. Mr. Canaday was a relative of William Murray.
The first church was located here around 1800 and was named Murray's Church. This church did not have a full time pastor and relied upon the circuit riders to bring the message. Bishop Francis Asbury noted in his diary December 26, 1799, that he traveled down the Edisto River twenty-five miles and dined at Murray's. Also, there is a circuit rider, Tristram Stackhouse who was assigned to the Cypress Circuit in 1831, buried in the Utsey Cemetery. Not any information can be found about his death. The Wofford College Library could only give information about his parents, siblings, and his appointment to the circuit. It is noted in several church historical records that he died while appointed to the Cypress Circuit. In memory of this circuit rider, a special ministerial marker was dedicated by the Bishop J. Lawrence McCleskey, on October 26, 1997. There are also several mentions of Murray's Church in David Gavin's diary which was written between 1840 and 1870. The first church was built around 1800 and served until 1890 when construction of a new church began.
The year of 1878 was a very dry year. Dr. Pierce, who was a medical doctor and layman from Cottageville, South Carolina, directed a prayer service for rain. That same afternoon a big storm came up and along with six inches of rain, a tornado blew Murray's Church off it foundation. The church was also used as a schoolhouse. Around 1890, the church was in such disrepair that the members decided they would tear down this church and construct a new building. Philip and Jim Liston of Colleton County, South Carolina, were hired to build this church and labored seven years on this project. This new church was also known as Murray's Church but the name was changed in 1905 to Grover as the community had been incorporated into a town and the new church was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. From the early records dated 1897, a total of 351 members were on the roll of the church.
On December 18, 1897, William Thompson Patrick was the first minister of the new church. According to the conference journal, he was paid a salary of $64.00 per year. In addition, bartering was very popular and the minister was paid often in produce and goods from the farms of the members. Grover was an agricultural community and the sale of crops was seasonal and during certain times of the year the pastor would be paid solely with farm products.
The original church register from the church of 1897 is still in existence and is stored in the church archives. Founders of the church included names such as: Ackerman, Byrd, Canaday, Creel, Dukes, Harberson, Infinger, Jackson, Murray, Patrick, Proctor, Rumph, Shieder, Shuler, Spell, Utsey, Weeks, Westbury and many other names which are too numerous to record. There are many other names that are no longer synonymous with names of the community today.
The new church was of wood construction from long-leaf, heart of pine with clap board siding painted white. The windows were beautifully arched with stained glass windows, and a tall steeple. The original pews were handmade from very wide boards which were especially cut for the purpose, some as wide as 24" in width. The pulpit and pulpit furnishings were also hand made. The original pews were sold to the members after a remodeling occurred. The original pulpit is used weekly in the Ladies Bible Class and the chairs are stored in the church.
In 1912, a huge bell was installed in the steeple of the church and was used to call people to services, special events and emergencies until the mid 1960's. At this time the bell was relocated in a bell tower in the center of the circular drive of the church. The lowering of the bell from the steeple of the church to the tower reduces the effectiveness of the bell as a call to worship, thus diminishing its use.
This bell was purchased with money raised by the Parsonage Aid Society of the church, by making squares for quilt patches. Each woman who made a square for the quilt solicited names of people for ten cents each and embroidered these names on the square. The bell was ordered by Mrs. Mamie W. Shuler at a cost of about $100.00. This quilt was found some years ago and is now on display in the church archives cabinet in the Fellowship Hall.
There are three other quilts that have been made by church women and are displayed in the archives cabinet. The oldest of the four, made in 1902, is a similar patchwork pattern. No one can give an account of why it was made. Many of the names are from the Reevesville area and some think that it may have been made by that church's women and given to the pastor who left it with the church charge. The third quilt was made and donated to the church by the Home Demonstration Club in the 1950's. Many names embroidered on the quilt are still living and members of the church today.
The newest quilt was made to commemorate the centennial year 1997 of the church. It is made in the Dresden plate pattern and embroidered with members and their families names. The quilt was designed and made by Mrs. Elise Westbury and her daughter, Mrs. Netta W. Wagers. It was embroidered and quilted by several women in the church. The quilt project in 1997 raised over $300 to help defray costs of the Centennial Year celebration.
Grover Church was originally on a charge with Indian Fields, St. George, Reevesville, Appleby's and Prospect Churches. The Parsonage for the charge was located in St. George, S.C. Grover United Methodist Church is now on a Charge with Providence United Methodist Church in Colleton County, which is just across the Edisto River, south of Grover. The original parsonage site was sold to the trustees of Grover Church by S.A.E. Westbury for $35.00 on January 15, 1900. The first time a parsonage was listed as church property was in 1901.
The first Sunday School rooms in Grover Church were made by installing pipes and rods over and around the pews in the sanctuary and draping each area with curtains. These rooms were used until 1948, when they were replaced by Sunday School rooms which were built on the back of the church. The church did not own enough property on which to build these rooms and the trustees of School District Number 28 sold a piece of land for this purpose to the trustees of the church for $10.00 on March 3, 1948. Rev. Granville Lee Ingram was the pastor at this time and gave a great deal of his time in helping plan and carry out the building program.
The community school house, next door to the church, closed after the 1953 school year and the trustees of Grover Church purchased this property for $700.00 This building was built in the early 1900's and remodeled recently. It is now known as the Fellowship Hall. For years it housed Sunday School rooms, a kitchen and dining hall and an auditorium for community events. It is primarily used for church social functions and community events today. The building now has central heat and air conditioning.
In 1964, the Official Board discussed the need for more and larger Sunday School rooms to meet the need of the community and the renovation of the church. After much discussion the project was not started. However, the minister, Harold P. Lewis initiated a plan called "Penny-A-Day" whereby he asked those who attended the Sunday night service to contribute 7 cents a week to a fund for a new church. After a year, this plan was so successful the board decided to undertake the project in 1965.
Ernest L. (Pete) Jackson served as chairman of this project. He contributed many hours and gave very generously of his money to see this project through. Mrs. Kate Murray served as Treasurer for this project from beginning to completion. Harold Lewis was pastor at the beginning of the project and the Rev. H.M. Cox was the pastor at the time of completion. The total cost of the project was $35,000. $10,000 was raised by the members and $25,000 was borrowed from the First National Bank in St. George and was repaid in installments of $300.00 per month.
On October 10, 1971, during the ministry of Louis D. Jamison, dedication services were held and a copy of the satisfied deed was burned. The District Superintendent,
George Whitaker, performed the act of dedication and the Rev. Harold P. Lewis delivered the morning message. In August of 1976, during the ministry of Rev. A.L. Griffis the Administrative Board of Grover United Methodist Church made a decision to replace the parsonage and began a new Parsonage fund. After Rev. Griffis, Rev. Philip R. Howell was assigned to Grover and he placed a roster in the vestibule of the church for members to sign and pledge an amount of money they would give toward the parsonage over the next two years. This plan was very successful and the fund grew faster than expected. In addition, our sister church, Providence, decided they would like to help with the project, as the minister serving their church would be living in this parsonage, too.
By June 30, 1979, Grover Church had raised $24,857.19. At this time it was decided to have plans and specifications drawn for a new parsonage. The members of the building committee were: Jimmy Lusk (Chairman), Henry Murray, Ralph W. Bridge, Sue Byrd, Deloris Jackson, Beverly Craven, Vernon Robinson and Herman Guess. As chairman of the committee, Jimmy Lusk obtained the plans and specifications for the parsonage. He resigned as chairman of the committee and Henry Murray was elected chairman. After going through all procedures required by the Methodist Conference for building a parsonage, the ground breaking was held on Monday, October 22, 1979. Rev. Washington Belangia was the pastor at this time. The following members were present for the ground breaking: Rev. Wash Belangia, Furman Harbeson, W. Fairey Utsey, Henry Murray, Gladys Murray and Ralph W. Bridge. The contractors, Franklin Peters and Henry Crawford were also present.
Franklin Peters and Henry Crawford were hired to do the drying in of the parsonage. Other construction was performed by other construction crews hired in their area of expertise. In addition, many members of the church donated their time doing jobs around the work site. The cost of construction was $49,777.14. Providence United Methodist Church paid $8,200.00 of this amount and Grover United Methodist Church members paid the balance. This project was completed without a loan and was free and clear of any expenses at completion.
Dedication services were held on May 25, 1980. The district superintendent, Rev. Peden Gene Curry, performed the dedication and asked: "By what name shall this parsonage be known?" Rev. Belangia answered: "It shall be called the Grover Charge United Methodist parsonage."
Grover United Methodist Church now has an enrollment of approximately 200 members. Over the years Grover, like many other communities, has been making a transition from a strictly rural, agricultural center to that of a service oriented community. The diminishing enrollment threatens the existence of the church, as the members of the community have to make a decision of making a long drive to their jobs or to move closer to their work. Looking over the 1897 names of Grover members, it is obvious that many former members have moved to other churches through marriage and job changes, and became founders and pillars of other churches, both Methodist and Baptist.
In April, 1982, Oliver Murray became the first member of this church to volunteer for two week's mission to Costa Rica to assist in the building of a warehouse for long-time missionary, Miss Eulalia Cook's mission ALFALIT. After this project, Betty and Oliver Murray then volunteered for three years mission work in the Solomon Islands with the United Methodist Church General Board of Global Ministries. After one year, they were unable to return due to an injury to Mr. Murray's back.
A new piano was dedicated to the glory of God and service to the church in memory of Ernest L. Jackson, Sr. on November 30, 1980. The piano was given by his family. In 1992, Mr. and Mrs. Roland Traxler of Mt. Pleasant donated a new organ to replace the one in the sanctuary that had been there since the early 1950's. Mr. Traxler was the son of the late Mrs. Blanche Westbury Traxler who was the daughter of the late Mr. James L. and Mrs. Mattie P. Westbury. The organ was delivered in February and was dedicated on March 29, 1992, at Homecoming. The Rev. Jim Harmon, a former pastor was the Homecoming speaker.
Grover Church has always been a close-knit church, helping those in need, regardless of who they are and taking care of its own. Over the years youth ministries have been a very important part of the church life and the quality of young people speak very well for the church. It appears that the youth of Grover UMC comes in "spurts", as every few years there is a large and enthusiast group of youths at work in the church. During the World War II era in the mid 1940's, the youth group (Epworth League), regularly published newsletters for the men of our church and community who were in service. In the 1950's, on Friday nights there were "Fun Nights" held to provide a social outlet in a Christian atmosphere for the youth. In the 1960's, a large youth group was involved in giving swimming lessons and working with youth camps. This group generated its own revenue by have a Bar-B-Que supper. In the late 70's and early 80's, a youth group named SPIKES was very active with a singing ministry in the church. They financed their own ministry with suppers and various other fund raising projects. During this groups active participation, they arranged for the Oral Roberts University Choir to sing in Grover. Another group, TACKS was organized at this time to meet the needs of the younger children. Today the ministry is oriented toward the elderly as more that 75% of the church members are middle-aged or older. The present youth group consists mostly of young children that meet monthly.
The year 1997 has been a busy one for the Grover United Methodist Church congregation. The Centennial Celebration of the present sanctuary began with a special message brought to the congregation by Ralph W. Bridge in January. The year proceeded with other events geared toward celebrating aspects of the church history. An old fashioned Fourth of July ice cream and watermelon festival was the highlight of the summer. Rev. Fred Davis volunteered to sit in a clown dunk booth to raise money for the Epworth Childrens Home. Jeff Sweatman enjoyed watching so much that he also volunteered to sit in the booth. The two of them were dunked many times and over $100 was raised for the Home. The church was honored to have the Bishop of the South Carolina Conference, J. Lawrence McCleskey, speak.at the October 26, 1997, service. The final service in celebration of 100 years was held on November 23 with a large crowd on hand to enjoy the worship service and a dinner afterwards. A new cabinet was constructed by Russell Westbury and Noah Westbury for the church to store its historical artifacts that were collected during the years celebration. Members of the Centennial Committee were Peggy Phalen, Lylverna Jackson, Vernette Westbury, Dorothy Dukes, Mevelyn Shieder, Donnie Baker, Rev. Davis, and Marilyn Davis.
Truly, the Grover United Methodist Church has a wonderful history of loving people. People who care about their community, not just their church members. As we close this year of celebration, the members have high expectations for the future growth and continuation of the church.
In September, 1998 Pastor Fred Davis was asked to fill a need in St. Matthews, S.C.. He and Marilyn made an unusual mid-year move and moved in the middle of Campmeeting week (October 1, 1998), and we welcomed the Reverend LaRue Cook as pastor of Grover UMC.
Grover United Methodist Church is located at the intersection of U.S. Highway 15 and what was known as the Charleston to Augusta Road in Dorchester County, South Carolina. This intersection was on one of the important East-West expansion routes of the 1800's. The prominence of U.S. Highway 15 did not come about until the 1900's, as this road became one of the major highway arteries for North-South traffic from New York to Florida (Lander, 213).
Grover was first known as Murray's Crossroads, named for one of the first families of early settlers in this area. The name was changed from Murray's Crossroads to Grover after the United Postal Service wanted to establish a post office in the community. There was already a Murray's on the service, so the name was changed to Grover.
The Grover United Methodist Church was founded as Murray's Church in the early 1800's. It is believed that the land was donated by the William Murray family, one of the early settlers in the area. No actual records can be found to accurately date the establishment but old family histories indicate that this information is accurate. Most of the legal paperwork from the early to mid 1800's was destroyed by General Sherman as the Colleton County records were being transported to Columbia for safekeeping during the Civil War. The church appears on the Mills Atlas map of 1820. The property on which the church sits was officially sold to the trustees by James C.W. Canaday for $1.00 on December 4, 1874. A deed was recorded October 15, 1930, in the Dorchester County Courthouse for this property. It is believed that the church property was untitled until the time that Mr. Canaday sold it. Mr. Canaday was a relative of William Murray.
The first church was located here around 1800 and was named Murray's Church. This church did not have a full time pastor and relied upon the circuit riders to bring the message. Bishop Francis Asbury noted in his diary December 26, 1799, that he traveled down the Edisto River twenty-five miles and dined at Murray's. Also, there is a circuit rider, Tristram Stackhouse who was assigned to the Cypress Circuit in 1831, buried in the Utsey Cemetery. Not any information can be found about his death. The Wofford College Library could only give information about his parents, siblings, and his appointment to the circuit. It is noted in several church historical records that he died while appointed to the Cypress Circuit. In memory of this circuit rider, a special ministerial marker was dedicated by the Bishop J. Lawrence McCleskey, on October 26, 1997. There are also several mentions of Murray's Church in David Gavin's diary which was written between 1840 and 1870. The first church was built around 1800 and served until 1890 when construction of a new church began.
The year of 1878 was a very dry year. Dr. Pierce, who was a medical doctor and layman from Cottageville, South Carolina, directed a prayer service for rain. That same afternoon a big storm came up and along with six inches of rain, a tornado blew Murray's Church off it foundation. The church was also used as a schoolhouse. Around 1890, the church was in such disrepair that the members decided they would tear down this church and construct a new building. Philip and Jim Liston of Colleton County, South Carolina, were hired to build this church and labored seven years on this project. This new church was also known as Murray's Church but the name was changed in 1905 to Grover as the community had been incorporated into a town and the new church was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. From the early records dated 1897, a total of 351 members were on the roll of the church.
On December 18, 1897, William Thompson Patrick was the first minister of the new church. According to the conference journal, he was paid a salary of $64.00 per year. In addition, bartering was very popular and the minister was paid often in produce and goods from the farms of the members. Grover was an agricultural community and the sale of crops was seasonal and during certain times of the year the pastor would be paid solely with farm products.
The original church register from the church of 1897 is still in existence and is stored in the church archives. Founders of the church included names such as: Ackerman, Byrd, Canaday, Creel, Dukes, Harberson, Infinger, Jackson, Murray, Patrick, Proctor, Rumph, Shieder, Shuler, Spell, Utsey, Weeks, Westbury and many other names which are too numerous to record. There are many other names that are no longer synonymous with names of the community today.
The new church was of wood construction from long-leaf, heart of pine with clap board siding painted white. The windows were beautifully arched with stained glass windows, and a tall steeple. The original pews were handmade from very wide boards which were especially cut for the purpose, some as wide as 24" in width. The pulpit and pulpit furnishings were also hand made. The original pews were sold to the members after a remodeling occurred. The original pulpit is used weekly in the Ladies Bible Class and the chairs are stored in the church.
In 1912, a huge bell was installed in the steeple of the church and was used to call people to services, special events and emergencies until the mid 1960's. At this time the bell was relocated in a bell tower in the center of the circular drive of the church. The lowering of the bell from the steeple of the church to the tower reduces the effectiveness of the bell as a call to worship, thus diminishing its use.
This bell was purchased with money raised by the Parsonage Aid Society of the church, by making squares for quilt patches. Each woman who made a square for the quilt solicited names of people for ten cents each and embroidered these names on the square. The bell was ordered by Mrs. Mamie W. Shuler at a cost of about $100.00. This quilt was found some years ago and is now on display in the church archives cabinet in the Fellowship Hall.
There are three other quilts that have been made by church women and are displayed in the archives cabinet. The oldest of the four, made in 1902, is a similar patchwork pattern. No one can give an account of why it was made. Many of the names are from the Reevesville area and some think that it may have been made by that church's women and given to the pastor who left it with the church charge. The third quilt was made and donated to the church by the Home Demonstration Club in the 1950's. Many names embroidered on the quilt are still living and members of the church today.
The newest quilt was made to commemorate the centennial year 1997 of the church. It is made in the Dresden plate pattern and embroidered with members and their families names. The quilt was designed and made by Mrs. Elise Westbury and her daughter, Mrs. Netta W. Wagers. It was embroidered and quilted by several women in the church. The quilt project in 1997 raised over $300 to help defray costs of the Centennial Year celebration.
Grover Church was originally on a charge with Indian Fields, St. George, Reevesville, Appleby's and Prospect Churches. The Parsonage for the charge was located in St. George, S.C. Grover United Methodist Church is now on a Charge with Providence United Methodist Church in Colleton County, which is just across the Edisto River, south of Grover. The original parsonage site was sold to the trustees of Grover Church by S.A.E. Westbury for $35.00 on January 15, 1900. The first time a parsonage was listed as church property was in 1901.
The first Sunday School rooms in Grover Church were made by installing pipes and rods over and around the pews in the sanctuary and draping each area with curtains. These rooms were used until 1948, when they were replaced by Sunday School rooms which were built on the back of the church. The church did not own enough property on which to build these rooms and the trustees of School District Number 28 sold a piece of land for this purpose to the trustees of the church for $10.00 on March 3, 1948. Rev. Granville Lee Ingram was the pastor at this time and gave a great deal of his time in helping plan and carry out the building program.
The community school house, next door to the church, closed after the 1953 school year and the trustees of Grover Church purchased this property for $700.00 This building was built in the early 1900's and remodeled recently. It is now known as the Fellowship Hall. For years it housed Sunday School rooms, a kitchen and dining hall and an auditorium for community events. It is primarily used for church social functions and community events today. The building now has central heat and air conditioning.
In 1964, the Official Board discussed the need for more and larger Sunday School rooms to meet the need of the community and the renovation of the church. After much discussion the project was not started. However, the minister, Harold P. Lewis initiated a plan called "Penny-A-Day" whereby he asked those who attended the Sunday night service to contribute 7 cents a week to a fund for a new church. After a year, this plan was so successful the board decided to undertake the project in 1965.
Ernest L. (Pete) Jackson served as chairman of this project. He contributed many hours and gave very generously of his money to see this project through. Mrs. Kate Murray served as Treasurer for this project from beginning to completion. Harold Lewis was pastor at the beginning of the project and the Rev. H.M. Cox was the pastor at the time of completion. The total cost of the project was $35,000. $10,000 was raised by the members and $25,000 was borrowed from the First National Bank in St. George and was repaid in installments of $300.00 per month.
On October 10, 1971, during the ministry of Louis D. Jamison, dedication services were held and a copy of the satisfied deed was burned. The District Superintendent,
George Whitaker, performed the act of dedication and the Rev. Harold P. Lewis delivered the morning message. In August of 1976, during the ministry of Rev. A.L. Griffis the Administrative Board of Grover United Methodist Church made a decision to replace the parsonage and began a new Parsonage fund. After Rev. Griffis, Rev. Philip R. Howell was assigned to Grover and he placed a roster in the vestibule of the church for members to sign and pledge an amount of money they would give toward the parsonage over the next two years. This plan was very successful and the fund grew faster than expected. In addition, our sister church, Providence, decided they would like to help with the project, as the minister serving their church would be living in this parsonage, too.
By June 30, 1979, Grover Church had raised $24,857.19. At this time it was decided to have plans and specifications drawn for a new parsonage. The members of the building committee were: Jimmy Lusk (Chairman), Henry Murray, Ralph W. Bridge, Sue Byrd, Deloris Jackson, Beverly Craven, Vernon Robinson and Herman Guess. As chairman of the committee, Jimmy Lusk obtained the plans and specifications for the parsonage. He resigned as chairman of the committee and Henry Murray was elected chairman. After going through all procedures required by the Methodist Conference for building a parsonage, the ground breaking was held on Monday, October 22, 1979. Rev. Washington Belangia was the pastor at this time. The following members were present for the ground breaking: Rev. Wash Belangia, Furman Harbeson, W. Fairey Utsey, Henry Murray, Gladys Murray and Ralph W. Bridge. The contractors, Franklin Peters and Henry Crawford were also present.
Franklin Peters and Henry Crawford were hired to do the drying in of the parsonage. Other construction was performed by other construction crews hired in their area of expertise. In addition, many members of the church donated their time doing jobs around the work site. The cost of construction was $49,777.14. Providence United Methodist Church paid $8,200.00 of this amount and Grover United Methodist Church members paid the balance. This project was completed without a loan and was free and clear of any expenses at completion.
Dedication services were held on May 25, 1980. The district superintendent, Rev. Peden Gene Curry, performed the dedication and asked: "By what name shall this parsonage be known?" Rev. Belangia answered: "It shall be called the Grover Charge United Methodist parsonage."
Grover United Methodist Church now has an enrollment of approximately 200 members. Over the years Grover, like many other communities, has been making a transition from a strictly rural, agricultural center to that of a service oriented community. The diminishing enrollment threatens the existence of the church, as the members of the community have to make a decision of making a long drive to their jobs or to move closer to their work. Looking over the 1897 names of Grover members, it is obvious that many former members have moved to other churches through marriage and job changes, and became founders and pillars of other churches, both Methodist and Baptist.
In April, 1982, Oliver Murray became the first member of this church to volunteer for two week's mission to Costa Rica to assist in the building of a warehouse for long-time missionary, Miss Eulalia Cook's mission ALFALIT. After this project, Betty and Oliver Murray then volunteered for three years mission work in the Solomon Islands with the United Methodist Church General Board of Global Ministries. After one year, they were unable to return due to an injury to Mr. Murray's back.
A new piano was dedicated to the glory of God and service to the church in memory of Ernest L. Jackson, Sr. on November 30, 1980. The piano was given by his family. In 1992, Mr. and Mrs. Roland Traxler of Mt. Pleasant donated a new organ to replace the one in the sanctuary that had been there since the early 1950's. Mr. Traxler was the son of the late Mrs. Blanche Westbury Traxler who was the daughter of the late Mr. James L. and Mrs. Mattie P. Westbury. The organ was delivered in February and was dedicated on March 29, 1992, at Homecoming. The Rev. Jim Harmon, a former pastor was the Homecoming speaker.
Grover Church has always been a close-knit church, helping those in need, regardless of who they are and taking care of its own. Over the years youth ministries have been a very important part of the church life and the quality of young people speak very well for the church. It appears that the youth of Grover UMC comes in "spurts", as every few years there is a large and enthusiast group of youths at work in the church. During the World War II era in the mid 1940's, the youth group (Epworth League), regularly published newsletters for the men of our church and community who were in service. In the 1950's, on Friday nights there were "Fun Nights" held to provide a social outlet in a Christian atmosphere for the youth. In the 1960's, a large youth group was involved in giving swimming lessons and working with youth camps. This group generated its own revenue by have a Bar-B-Que supper. In the late 70's and early 80's, a youth group named SPIKES was very active with a singing ministry in the church. They financed their own ministry with suppers and various other fund raising projects. During this groups active participation, they arranged for the Oral Roberts University Choir to sing in Grover. Another group, TACKS was organized at this time to meet the needs of the younger children. Today the ministry is oriented toward the elderly as more that 75% of the church members are middle-aged or older. The present youth group consists mostly of young children that meet monthly.
The year 1997 has been a busy one for the Grover United Methodist Church congregation. The Centennial Celebration of the present sanctuary began with a special message brought to the congregation by Ralph W. Bridge in January. The year proceeded with other events geared toward celebrating aspects of the church history. An old fashioned Fourth of July ice cream and watermelon festival was the highlight of the summer. Rev. Fred Davis volunteered to sit in a clown dunk booth to raise money for the Epworth Childrens Home. Jeff Sweatman enjoyed watching so much that he also volunteered to sit in the booth. The two of them were dunked many times and over $100 was raised for the Home. The church was honored to have the Bishop of the South Carolina Conference, J. Lawrence McCleskey, speak.at the October 26, 1997, service. The final service in celebration of 100 years was held on November 23 with a large crowd on hand to enjoy the worship service and a dinner afterwards. A new cabinet was constructed by Russell Westbury and Noah Westbury for the church to store its historical artifacts that were collected during the years celebration. Members of the Centennial Committee were Peggy Phalen, Lylverna Jackson, Vernette Westbury, Dorothy Dukes, Mevelyn Shieder, Donnie Baker, Rev. Davis, and Marilyn Davis.
Truly, the Grover United Methodist Church has a wonderful history of loving people. People who care about their community, not just their church members. As we close this year of celebration, the members have high expectations for the future growth and continuation of the church.
In September, 1998 Pastor Fred Davis was asked to fill a need in St. Matthews, S.C.. He and Marilyn made an unusual mid-year move and moved in the middle of Campmeeting week (October 1, 1998), and we welcomed the Reverend LaRue Cook as pastor of Grover UMC.