DID YOU KNOW?
The Charge Conference is the basic governing body of each United Methodist local church and is composed of all members of the Church Council. All members of the Charge Conference must be members of the local church. The Charge Conference must meet at least once per year . The Charge Conference directs the work of the church and gives general oversight to the Church Council, reviews and evaluates the mission and ministry of the church, sets salaries for the pastor and staff, elects the members of the Church Council, and recommends candidates for ordained ministry.
All members of the congregation are invited to attend every Charge Conference and to hear the business of the church discussed. Reports are made as to what various committees and groups have been doing throughout the year. It’s an excellent opportunity to find out for yourself what is happening at First United Methodist Church. You’ll be surprised and proud!
DID YOU KNOW?
The architect for our sanctuary was Charles E. Hartge (September 1,1865-October 25, 1918). He was born, Carl Emil Hartge, in Hamburg, Germany and emigrated to the United States in 1882, settling in Tarboro by 1888 where he established his architectural business. He became an American Citizen and married Effie from Wayne County and they had three daughters. He used the Anglicized name Charles. Census records in 1900 showed he and his family living in Washington. It is written in our church histories that his family lived across the street while planning and supervising the building of our church finished in 1899. According to Catherine Bishir’s article, “His most imposing work in Washington is the First Methodist Church…It is one of the state’s prime examples of the auditorium plan church, executed with superb craftsmanship in the rich brickwork of pressed brick and molded and corbelled bricks, Gothic Revival openings, and especially complex and robust forms including a multistage tower. “
He opened an office in Raleigh in 1901 and a long list of churches, public buildings and schools through out North Carolina are attributed to his talents.
Charles Hartge died in Raleigh in 1918.
From an article by Catherine W. Bishir published in The Connector, the Newsletter of the Tar River Connections Genealogical Society, Spring 2010. For more information look on www.ncarchitects.lib.ncsu.edu
DID YOU KNOW?
Every believer in Jesus Christ has unique abilities within us given by the grace of God (Romans 12:6). These are not natural talents, but gifts that have been given to each of us to build and strengthen the Body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12). According to the United Methodist Church website, there are 20 distinct spiritual gifts: teaching, wisdom, evangelism, faith, prophecy, servanthood, giving, healing, discernment, compassion, miracles, organizing, apostleship, administration, leadership, shepherding, exhortation, interpretation and tongues, helping, and knowledge. Go to this website to take a two-minute, multiple choice inventory of 21 questions to discover your spiritual gifts. www.umc.org and in the search box type SPIRITUAL GIFTS. If you don’t have online access, call Cherri Howdy at 946-4837 to take the test over the phone.
DID YOU KNOW?!
The Charge Conference is the basic governing body of each United Methodist local church and is composed of all members of the Church Council. All members of the Charge Conference must be members of the local church. The Charge Conference must meet at least once per year. The Charge Conference directs the work of the church and gives general oversight to the Church Council, reviews and evaluates the mission and ministry of the church, sets salaries for the pastor and staff, elects the members of the Church Council, and recommends candidates for ordained ministry.
All members of the congregation are invited to attend every Charge Conference and to hear the business of the church discussed. Reports are made as to what various committees and groups have been doing throughout the year. It’s an excellent opportunity to find out for yourself what is happening at First United Methodist Church. You’ll be surprised and proud!
DID YOU KNOW?
The Barnabas Fund is money that is to be used for emergency needs within the community. Although there are guidelines as to how it may be used, it is dispersed at the discretion of the ministers as requests arise. In the recent past, it has helped many people keep their utilities on at home and it has purchased medication in an emergency. To support this you must mark your check “Barnabas” and the loose money left on the rail during communion is placed in the Barnabas Fund.