The following is a history of this church based on an old document sent to Mrs. Lula Fortner in1956 and given to Rev. Ted Campbell in 1965, whom retyped the manuscript with some clarification and many blanks for the words that he was unable to decipher. The precise author is not known.
The old Methodist Episcopal Campground had once been an annual meeting placefor all Methodists in this area and reached out to other communities foryears. During the time, Rev. Y.A.M. Nellson served as Bishop and J. T.Smith served as Presiding Elder that a minister was sent to Winona to preach. Soon Winona and Big Sandy were placed on the same charge with Rev.Sam Allen as the first pastor.
Rev. Allen held a meeting in the old frame school building that stood where the old brick school burned. During the meeting, he persuaded a few loyal Methodist friends that Winona needed a Methodist Church. Mr. and Mrs. Munroe Starnes and Mr. and Mrs. O. C. Allen swapped buildings. Mr. Starnes donated the present church building. The ladies headed by Mrs. Starnes, Mrs. Jake Perkins, Mrs. Benne, Mrs. Pritchett, Mrs. Allen, Mrs. Pledger and Dr.Taylor and other began raising money. Mrs. Starnes gave an ice cream supper in her home. A Thanksgiving Dinner was given in the old school building. Mrs. Bennet baked lovely brown loaves of bread, Mrs. Perkins donated the turkey, and others furnished other good eats. Then Mrs.Starnes gave a Valentine party. Each event raised a nice sum of money and in 1901, the church was built. Rev. Sam Allen was pastor for one year.
The Methodist Episcopal Church was built before the Baptist church and for at ime all religious services were held in it. For about 10 years, we just had services once a month. The parsonage was in Big Sandy.
The second pastor, Rev. Pace, had a meeting in July 1914 and organized a SundaySchool. Mr. Riddlehoufer was Superintendent. It was during Brother R.J. Smith’s pastorate that we organized the first Home Mission Society and Mrs.Carl Shank was the first president and Mrs. Bessie Samford was secretary and treasurer. These were all the offices needed then. We just studied the Bible and had prayer services. We organized with 6 or 8 chartermembers. Mrs. Allen, Mrs. N. M. Starnes, and Mrs. Shank are the only surviving charter members. We assisted in raising the money for the church activities then about like we do now.
In Nov. 1917, the parsonage was moved from Big Sandy to Winona much against Big Sandy’s wishes. Rev. J. T. Smith was Presiding Elder at the time and in1919, the first parsonage was sold to J. W. Fortner and the present parsonage bought from Mr. John Allen. The Rev. J. M. Cochran living in itfirst. In November 1920, the Rev. W. K. Strothers and fine family came and was here until April 1924.
During Bro. Strothers’ 3 ½ years the church grew by leaps and bounds and the Home Mission Society grew and became connectional. At that time, we had more than twenty playing members. I saw Dr. Strothers take a class of 30 into the church at one time and among them was our superintendent W. Shank, his wife, Dean, and Roy and Ruth Shank, Lucille and whole Magrill family. I can’t recall the others. We began having services twice a month at this time and it was never chopped back. Our board of auxiliary members had proven faithful to the trust as we have 27 in all. It is our prayer that we continue faithful to the end.
Once a month our little band met to do only Home Mission work, but right always prevails. Due to the good pastors and their wives’ work and leadership, we kept striving onward and upward. Mrs. Strothers’ leadership showed us what we could do. We once ran a __?__ and that was the boost financially that helped us get started on the church.
It was during Brother and Mrs. Strothers’ service here that our Auxiliary worked so hard and had $1,000 in the bank to start the new church. With the sale of the building where the post office now is, we were ready to begin the church.
Brother John Shoumaker was the pastor that completed the plans and boosted the building of the present church with the aid of W. H. Graves, McKinney, Starnes and many others. It took us ten years to pay for the church and this past spring it was dedicated.
