The History of the Upper Sand Mountain Parish

The Upper Sand Mountain Parish of The United Methodist Church came to life in 1969 as the cord linking ten small membership rural congregations in northeast Alabama. Methodism had been a formative force in the early settlement of Upper Sand Mountain. Part-time pastors served many of the churches with limited resources for outreach and ministry.

Increasing concern for witness and ministry in rural communities led local church leaders to work with Dr. Lawrence Dill, Jr., Huntsville District Superintendent, to explore innovative options for the future. The Larger Parish concept emerged as the most viable option with support and resourcing from the National Division of the General Board of Global Ministries; The North Alabama Conference on Committee on Missions Town and Country Section; Bishop Kenneth Goodson, and Hinton Rural Life Center.

Reverend Doyce Gunter, a native of Henegar, was appointed as the first Parish Director with National Division assigning Miss Carol Jean Purdy as Church and Community Worker. The Parish became a part of the Albertville District and reached out to all area churches for consideration of membership. Initially, sixteen, then seventeen churches, worked to design a constitution for their ministry together. When the constitution was completed in 1972, twelve churches ratified it and became charter members. Later, some churches chose to withdraw from the cooperative leaving ten in 1976. The ten churches today are Chaney's Chapel, Dutton, Flat Rock, Forest Hill, Ider, King's Chapel, Lusk Chapel, Robertson Chapel, Section, Wesley's Chapel.

The Parish is organized with a council and three ministry teams. The first Council Chairperson was Louie Ballard followed by Sam Culpepper, Grady Wade, Wilburn Poe, Denny Houston, J.M. Tatum, Lamar Miller, David Rollins, Claudette Rains, Claude Callaham, Bonita Barrier, Imogene Tidmore, Paul Dake, Chris Norton, David Rollins, Wilburn Poe Jackie Chaney and Jim Crum. In 1974, Rev. Ernest Smotherman followed Doyce Gunter as director. He was followed in 1977 by Rev. Don Neal and in 1979 by Rev. Dorsey Walker. Rev. Teddy Crum became director of the Parish in the summer of 2006.

Many of the initial goals and visions of the Parish have been realized and continue to inspire a moving Methodist witness in the area.

The prayers, financial gifts, time and services of a multitude of committed Methodist lay persons and staff (in and beyond the Parish) has opened up new life and vitality for Christian witness "on the mountain."