Our Church's History

The Methodist Church of Calera was built in the summer of 1948. The building was originally used during World War II as a chapel at Camp Maxy in Paris, Texas. Burney C. Cope was pastor of the church; Edward C. Portman was Sunday School Superintendent. The church attendance was 60-70; the church membership was 170.

Edwin C. Portman, C.L. Glover and C.O. Parker went to Paris to appraise the building to see if it could be torn down and the materials used to build the church. It could. Brother Floyd Amos, Howard Penn and Nick Badgett tore the building down. C.O. Parker and Zack Sweeney took their semi-trailer trucks to Paris and transported the materials to the Calera church site.

All labor on the church was donated. Arthur Badgett, J.B. Potts I, J.B. Potts II, C.L. Glover and Gordon Guiou were some of the carpenters. The church was dedicated May 22, 1949.

Later, Gwyne Sweeney and Vena Moore collected donations to panel the sanctuary. UMW ladies raised funds to panel their classroom.

A fellowship hall and bathroom were added in 1976. Louis Goza was the contractor, with Dan Wells and many other church members helping with the labor.

The outside of the building was bricked with Buddy Potts overseeing that part.

A few years later, Elmer McGlasson and Lawrence Backest led a group of men to level all the flooring, remodel the kitchen, and add a porch ramp.