History
Having opened its doors in 1964, Grace United Methodist Church began its 44th year in January 2007
Grace's history, however, goes back to 1904 when Grace’s parent congregations, The Racket River and Massena Center Episcopal churches became a pastoral charge. That year Reverend Samuel Short was appointed as the first pastor to server both congregations.At the time Reverend Short began his ministry here, the Racket River Church had been around for over 60 years, but the Massena Center Methodist Episcopal congregation was relatively young, having built its church building only three years before. The Methodist Episcopal Church and the Methodist Episcopal Church South
merged in 1939 to form the Methodist Church. The congregations
thus became the Racket River and Massena Center Methodist Churches.In early 1961 , during the pastorate of Rev.
William Masters, aware that their buildings had deteriorated, and
convinced that they could better serve Christ as one congregation, the
two congregations voted to merge.
In July of that year, Reverend Leonard Owen was
appointed to serve the merging congregations. It was Reverend
Owen's first appointment, but he and the church's leadership met the
challenge of building a new church. On January 26, 1964,
worshippers gathered at Grace Methodist for the first time.
Four years later, The Methodist Church merged with
the Evangelical United Brethren Church to form The United Methodist
Church, and gave our congregation its present name: Grace United
Methodist Church.