Physical Address: 200 E. Lattin Street, Hastings FL 32145
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 17, Hastings FL 32145
Email: christumchastingsfl@gmail.com
Physical Address: 200 E. Lattin Street, Hastings FL 32145
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 17, Hastings FL 32145
Email: christumchastingsfl@gmail.com
Originally, the Methodist Movement was founded by Anglican Priest John Wesley in 1738 as an evangelical arm of the Church of England. The formal organization of the Methodist Episcopal Church occurred in the 1780s. Methodism had spread throughout the colonies and thereafter the United States, utilizing circuit rider preachers who led congregations in fields and barns and cities. Before Hastings was even a town, Circuit Rider John Middleton served our area beginning around 1868.
Our local Methodist mission culminated in the formation of various congregations during that time that included Town Hall ME Church, St. Stephens ME Church, St. Johns ME Church, and Hastings ME Church-South. Our church sanctuary was built in 1917 to house the Hastings ME Church-South. In 1939, upon the reunification of the ME churches, the St. Johns ME Church combined into the Southern church to form First Hastings ME Church. In 1968, upon the unification of the Methodist Episcopal Church and the United Brethren Church, our church was renamed as Christ United Methodist Church.
Just as the community of Hastings was made up of a diverse population of southern, northern and midwestern farmers and businessmen, our church founders were made up of the same. As Hastings was originally founded for commercial farming for Henry Flagler’s hotels and was a busy stop on the FEC railway, Flagler’s associates played an important role in the town and our church as reflected in the architecture and Flagler-era stained glass seen in our sanctuary.
As Methodists, the importance is always the transformational power of Jesus within our community, and our congregation has followed that priority. Our first congregations were responsible for the first public library in our rural community, operating it through the 1940s, eventually being turned over to the County Library System.
Our Homebound Ministry, founded by Mary Alice Wolfe, has served our area homebound citizens with grocery deliveries since the 1990s, currently serving over 30 households every week.
Our current congregation is the coordinator and sponsor for the Hastings Boulevard Car Show, an annual event that began in 2016 that pulls our local farmers, businesses and visitors together for an area-wide day of community on our Main Street to celebrate our Little Big Town.
The sanctuary is a brick building with stone facing built in 1917. The open beams in the ceiling were milled locally by Barnes sawmill. Although we have no receipts, the stained glass that has been in place since the sanctuary was originally built is believed to be Tiffany Studios. The rose window was donated by Dr. Coe, pharmacist, and J.B. Hughes, associates of Henry Flagler.
The land on which the sanctuary and facilities are located was originally a cucumber field owned by Mr. Stevens, a founding member of the church. The surrounding properties were sold as residential lots, the profits going towards the church building fund.
The sanctuary as it appears today is very much as it would have appeared in 1917. The pews, altars, windows and front door are also original to the church. In looking at the side room stained glass windows, you will notice they were initially used as sliding windows, able to be opened for airflow. The high stained glass side windows also could be opened with the tools found by the choir loft stairs. The electric lights were added as electricity became available.
Since the sanctuary was built as a practical Methodist church, and Bible Study being one of the founding characteristics of Methodism, the side rooms were the original Sunday School classrooms. The hardwood panels that divide the side rooms from the pews actually fold to accommodate larger congregational seating, but there were originally panels that separated the side rooms themselves into individual classrooms.
Being built in 1917, our sanctuary is the oldest nonresidential building in Hastings to be in continuous use.
Our Fellowship Hall and North Portico Classrooms were added in the 1940s. The South Portico classrooms were added in the late 1950s. These buildings are also undergoing renovation currently.
For more of our church’s long and impactful history, join us for Church Tours that are given throughout the year when the town is conducting its various events. We cover not only our church’s history, but our Hastings history. Church Tour dates are listed on our Calendar.
We also have our original church rolls. For inquiries regarding old records, contact the church office or drop off an inquiry card during a Church Tour.
Due to declining attendance in our congregation over the past decades, the upkeep of our historical sanctuary became harder and harder to afford. This shortage of resources resulted in, among other things, the stained glass window frames becoming unstable, endangering the glass. Although the main roof was replaced and is in good order, the pointing (mortar) is breaking down and allowing in moisture, which must be replaced.
Our small congregation took a leap of faith several years ago, and began the necessary restoration project to ensure the safety and structural viability of this historically significant and important part of the Hastings community. The window frames in both east and west rooms have been restored with hand-milled hardwood frames to match the originals and keep the stained glass in place. Emergency repairs on those stained glass windows were also made as needed by a stained glass expert. Through the work and donations from our congregation, community members and a small grant for Methodist churches, we were able to raise over $70,000 to complete the first phase of restoration of east and west side room windows.
The second phase will be the frames and stained glass in the narthex. Unlike the side room stained glass panels, these panels will not be able to be transported off-site due to their size. The price is always an unknown on restoration projects, but the contractor has given us a start deposit amount of $15,000. We are hoping the rose window will need only minor repairs, but we will not know that until we get there. This phase will definitely be tens of thousands.
The third phase will be the re-pointing of the exterior of the building, price unknown, but well over our Sunday tithing amounts.
As Methodists, our focus is always our community missions. However, due to the historical significance of our sanctuary, we do understand we have a responsibility to keep this beautiful and architecturally important building operational for our community. All Church Tour donations are delineated towards our Restoration Fund, and we are always actively seeking interested parties who may want to help us with this important project.
If you are interested in donating towards this project, please contact us. If you have family roots in our congregation or the earlier Methodist missions in our area, we have a program for sponsoring family windows.
Any moneys that are being donated towards the sanctuary project, please specify “Restoration Fund.” If you are interested in sponsoring a window, please contact the church at 904.692.1771 or email christumchastingsfl@gmail.com. Glen Barnett and Chuck Owen are our contact people regarding the Restoration Project.