HISTORICAL SNAPSHOT...
I really enjoy history, especially if it somehow relates to me. I thought I would share a snapshot of the rich, interesting, and even inspiring pedigree of our Fernvale Community Church family. Our 138 year history is rich. This is merely a snapshot, but maybe you will learn something about "your family".
The Fernvale Community Church sits on a parcel of land granted to a Revolutionary War soldier from North Carolina named Samuel Smith. His grandson, also named Samuel Smith, and his wife Eliza, actually sold the land, for five dollars, to the trustees of the McEwen Chapel of the Methodist Episcopal Church South of Tennessee. The church was actually organized on October 10th 1849 as the South Harpeth Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1885 the first house of worship was erected on the site and was in use until 2008.
The original church services were conducted by a circuit riding preacher from Leiper’s Fork, TN named Carroll C. Mayhew. What started out as sort of a revival meeting with services held daily, morning and night, resulted in what is now the Fernvale Community Church.
Services were held here continuously from 1849 until the present, with a few changes along the way. During this time, the Fernvale Community was busy and thriving. The famous Fernvale Springs Hotel was a popular place where folks would vacation and take advantage of the medicinal sulphur water from the Mayfield Springs.
The congregation continued to meet in the original building erected in 1885 but updated with a few modifications like indoor plumbing and windows. However, on February 5, 2008, deadly tornadoes ripped through Tennessee, including Williamson County, and the little white Church in the Vale that had withstood so much over time, was quickly and totally destroyed. However, the resilient Church Family continued to worship and serve. Most of the time at a nearby farm in their nice horse barn. Immediately work began on rebuilding the Church facility. And thanks in part to a very generous gift from a local congregation, the facility was complete in less than two years. On December 6, 2009 the current facility opened for services.
From 1885 until 1970 the church operated under what is now the United Methodist Conference. However, after an incident of a wife sitting with her husband in worship, when mixed worship was frowned upon, according to the United Methodist Journal of the Tennessee Conference, the church was declared abandoned by the Tennessee Conference Board of Trustees and instructions were given that the property was to be “held until further instructed by the Annual Conference.” At that conference the decision was made to padlock the doors. Proving that you can lock a building but not the Church, the members continued to meet in a school bus next to the church.
On October 9, 1970 the property was sold to the Fernvale Southern Methodist Church and from that date until July 7, 1983 operated under that organization. Then, for reasons unknown to us, the membership separated itself from the Southern Methodist and became the Fernvale Independent Methodist Church.
In February of 2000 the church leaders and membership dropped the Methodist moniker and became a non-denominational community church, Fernvale Community Church. The congregation continued to meet here in the original building, with a few modifications like indoor plumbing and windows, until 2008 when a tornado blew through the valley completely destroying the church building, but not the Church. Rebuilding began almost immediately, thanks in large part to a very generous gift from Grace Chapel, and was completed in December 2009 when the doors opened once again to serve those who wish to know and serve the Lord.
Rev. Lonnie Castle was called as Senior Pastor in September of 2015 to shepherd the Church Family. In June of 2020 Rev Lee Porter, III accepted the call as Associate Pastor. However, the strongest ministry of Fernvale Community Church comes from our Church Family and membership.
Our Church’s Mission Statement is simply “Loving Others Like Christ”. This says it all. And everyone is invited and welcomed at FCC.
We hope that you have found this brief history informative and valuable. If you visit our website you can watch a video history of the tornado and aftermath. Fernvale Community Church has a rich, diverse history. But most of all, God is continuing to bless and work through the “Little White Church in the Vale”.
Finally, I want to encourage you to join our FCC family this Sunday. Matt Blount will be bringing the Message "EVERYTHING". Also, I wanted to share that Bethany Patel, Bill and Lori Lechan's daughter is doing much better. She should be going home today. The entire family thanks everyone for their prayers and support. And according to the new Grandparents, Baby Lilly is perfect. Let's continue to lift up and support this wonderful family. And keep Michael Card in your prayers as he teaches this week at "the Cove" in North Carolina.
I hope you enjoyed a snapshot of our rich history. Let us continue to make a positive impact, and welcome others in our Family. And always remember...
YOU ARE LOVED!
Pastor Lonnie