Our Past, Present, and Future
Our History: A Legacy of Serving Christ in Pandora
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Our church in 1862
Our church in 1900 after the remodel
What We Do Today
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Pandora United Methodist Church began, as many other churches did, as a group of five families began to meet together for worship in 1834, gathering as a community of faith and visited by a Methodist “Circuit Rider” who would come once a month to baptize people, serve communion, and perform weddings, as well as to preach the Word of God. The church at that time was called “The Methodist Society”. In 1836 the community built the first church building, a log cabin that was shared by the Methodists and the United Brethren on alternating Sundays. In 1862 the forty members of the (then named) Methodist Episcopal Church built a frame building at the west end of town on the bank of Riley Creek.
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As the congregation grew, several changes to the church were made including a vestibule, a tall church spire with a large bell and a primary room for the Sunday School, which had started in January of 1883. In 1888, to increase seating capacity, a wing was built to the church. In 1903 land was purchased and a new brick building was begun on East Washington Street at the location where the church still stands today. With the addition of a large foyer (“meet and greet” room) an educational wing, a large fellowship hall and kitchen built in 1968, the church was able to meet the needs of its growing population.
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Another addition in 2001 on the south side included a lift and handicapped restrooms making the church accessible to more people.
In 1968 the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Churches throughout the United States joined together forming the United Methodist Church. From 1847 through 2022 there have been 58 pastors and 10 “interim” pastors filling the pulpit at this church.
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Pandora United Methodist Church has been involved in the community and working with other churches since we shared a log cabin with other denominations in 1836. The Pandora churches have also worked together providing such activities as Vacation Bible School, Lenten services, and food boxes that are distributed monthly to families in need.
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This small membership church, located in Putnam County, is in many ways the heartbeat of the community. It shares a parking lot with the community and is located near the center of town, which lends many to see this church as “the town’s church”.
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To support that community feeling it holds several town functions including a monthly “free meal” where people can come and share a donated meal together provided by businesses and organization throughout the town sharing the responsibilities of supplying and preparing the food. The American Red Cross holds at least four blood drives in the fellowship hall every year, and food is supplied by the church, as well as scheduling and registrations. It houses an annual recognition dinner for the county’s Veterans, and it participates in the Car Show/Ted Fest weekend in August by providing free popcorn and water, access to restroom facilities and shelter from the hot summer sun, along with crafts and a “Bouncy House” for the kids and parents to take a little break.
Our Goals, Primary Programs and Future Plans
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We seek to equip, support, motivate, mentor, and empower our ministry leaders and teams and to identify the gifts and passions of each member to aid in their placement in the ministries of the church or to where God has called them to serve.
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We seek for every member to experience a passion for Christ through prayer, Bible study and giving of their spiritual gifts so that they may learn to live their faith with contagious enthusiasm.
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We seek through our worship to facilitate an encounter with the Holy Spirit that will lift, inform, and inspire so as to intensify our personal relationship with God in Christ in our everyday lives.
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We seek always to deepen our affection and care for one another with sincere practical love that can be sensed and experienced by any newcomer and is therefore more effective than any ministry or program in the church.
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We seek to reach out to our community with our witness as well as the Good News of the Gospel through connections that help encourage further engagement with our church family.
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