Church History

Collinsville UMC was founded in the Summer of 1910 through the vision of Mrs. J. L. (Minnie) Houston, who organized a Sunday School in the school building on

Church Rd. in Collinsville, next to the current church cemetery. She then requested Rev. C.C. Griffin to hold a revival and organize a church. The first pastor was Rev. J.F. McClellan. The charter members were Joseph L. Houston, Ruby May Gibson, Mrs. And Mrs. J.A.J. McDonald, Mrs. Minnie Houston, Cecil May Houston, W.J. McDonald, Allie Houston, and Kay C. McDonald. They were joined by 27 members of the former Shiloh Methodist Church, which had existed in the area from the late 1800’s through 1907. By 1914, the church had added 38 additional members.

By 1911, these visionary members were ready for their own church building. Land was donated by Mr. and Mrs. W.L. Walker. Mr. John Hamrick furnished trees for lumber, and all of the able-bodied men and boys cut the trees, hauled them to the sawmill, and constructed the new building. Mr. Jim Tucker, an experienced carpenter, drew up the plans and supervised the construction. This large, one-room, frame structure was so solidly constructed that it was used as the sanctuary until 1966.

During the first 50 years of CUMC, four other building projects were completed. First, six Sunday School rooms and a basement kitchen and fellowship hall were added; later a new education wing and chapel were completed with a basement nursery; in 1952, the parsonage was constructed next door to the church. In 1966 the present 200-seat sanctuary was built under the supervision of Mr. R.R. Vance. The sanctuary, educational wing, and Fellowship Hall have all been renovated in recent years, and a new parking area was completed in 2010 on the lower level to provide access to the Fellowship Hall.