History

The history of Christ United Methodist Church is best summed up by our vision statement: “A community experiencing the transforming grace of Jesus Christ.” Our history has been one of transformation. In July, 1961, twenty-three people met with Rev. J. Willard Leggett, III in the living room of the original parsonage to form the city’s newest Methodist Church. What followed has been a remarkable history of growth and transformation through grace. In February of 1962, over 100 members moved into the original building at 5301 Old Canton Road. The membership continued to grow so rapidly that by 2000 it was apparent that we had outgrown our facilities. Since there was no more room for expansion, a building program was undertaken and our new site at 6000 Old Canton Road was completed in 2004.

Ultimately though, Christ United Methodist Church is more than buildings. Our history is filled with involvement in local, state, and national mission projects. Jackson’s flood of 1979 was a defining moment in our church’s life. Christ UMC became the leader in flood relief in North Jackson. The church became a staging area for the distribution of relief and building supplies. As one local minister said “Christ became a model of how we should respond in times of crisis.” Most importantly our church learned how to care for one another in the name of Jesus Christ. We drew on that lesson when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. We became a distribution center for relief materials as well as sending numerous work teams to aid in the recovery efforts. Through events such as these, Christ UMC found expression for its genuine concern - to its own members and for the community as a whole. This concern remains at the heart of who we are as we reach out to others in the name of Jesus Christ.