canton bend Methodist Church
The Canton Bend Methodist Church is located on Highway 28 West, four miles northwest of Camden. It is served by the pastor of the Camden Methodist Church.
Worship services are held at 9:00 a.m. on the 2nd Sunday of the month and at 11:00 a.m. on the 4th Sunday of the month. A Bible Study is held each Monday evening at 6:00 p.m. For more about the historic Canton Bend Methodist Church, please view the History page of this website. |
The Canton Bend Methodist Church was organized on December 12, 1897. Founding families include the Bryants, Marshs, Strothers, Smiths, Williams, Thompsons, Stoudenmiers, and Cooks. The church building was erected during the years 1912 and 1913. The site chosen for the building was near the location of an older church, the Cumberland Presbyterian of Canton, whose organization dated from the 1830s. The Presbyterian Church disbanded and its building was torn down.
On November 18, 1910, Mr. Percy Smith and Mr. Irvin Smith deeded land for the church building to the Camden Circuit Methodist Episcopal Church South of the Alabama Conference. This land adjoined the cemetery.
The list of church ministers shows C. P. Atkinson as the first minister of the church. As in the present, the minister of the Camden Methodist Church, served the Canton Bend church as well.
On November 18, 1910, Mr. Percy Smith and Mr. Irvin Smith deeded land for the church building to the Camden Circuit Methodist Episcopal Church South of the Alabama Conference. This land adjoined the cemetery.
The list of church ministers shows C. P. Atkinson as the first minister of the church. As in the present, the minister of the Camden Methodist Church, served the Canton Bend church as well.
During the early years the membership was maintained in the neighborhood of fifty. In the years following the dedication of the building, Sunday school met on a regular basis. The fluctuation of the church membership numbers over the years has been due to death and members moving to other areas. Current membership is around thirty-five.
The cemetery dates back to the early years of Old Canton. The year was 1823 when Ann Smith, wife of Duncan C. Smith, died in her 23rd year. She was laid to rest in a grove of oaks during the month of August. Her husband was away on a trip to North Carolina at the time of her death. Their farewell had been said near the spot her loved ones chose as her final resting place. Upon Smith's return to Canton, he deeded the property to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church for a cemetery.
In 1989, the M.W. Smith Foundation added leaded glass windows to the church. The windows are patterned after the windows of the chapel at Bellingrath Gardens in Mobile. The brick entrance as added in 1989. The light fixtures are original to the building. Before being converted to electricity, the nickel plated brass fixtures were lowered and filled with oil.
Construction of the fellowship hall that includes bathrooms and a kitchen was completed in 2005.
The cemetery dates back to the early years of Old Canton. The year was 1823 when Ann Smith, wife of Duncan C. Smith, died in her 23rd year. She was laid to rest in a grove of oaks during the month of August. Her husband was away on a trip to North Carolina at the time of her death. Their farewell had been said near the spot her loved ones chose as her final resting place. Upon Smith's return to Canton, he deeded the property to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church for a cemetery.
In 1989, the M.W. Smith Foundation added leaded glass windows to the church. The windows are patterned after the windows of the chapel at Bellingrath Gardens in Mobile. The brick entrance as added in 1989. The light fixtures are original to the building. Before being converted to electricity, the nickel plated brass fixtures were lowered and filled with oil.
Construction of the fellowship hall that includes bathrooms and a kitchen was completed in 2005.
