History / Come visit with us!

Pastor Accomplishments
Rev. Clayton Our church was organized on December 3, 1940 in the home of Mr. and Mrs. E. W. Shepherd on Oakshade Avenue by H. Gwyn Clayton with forty-one charter members. Early in 1941 we purchased a lot on the corner of Prince Street (then known as Vance Street) and Oakshade Avenue. A tabernacle was built by members and friends. The name chosen was Liberty Gospel Tabernacle. Sunday School classes were: Men, Ladies (Golden Cross class), Teens, Primary, Beginners, and Cradle Roll. In December of 1941, we purchased a house for a parsonage on the west corner of Prince Street and Oakshade Avenue. Gwyn Clayton went to school and became an ordained minister while he was pastor of our church. Rev. Gwyn Clayton was our first church son.
Rev. Clapps In 1943 – We joined the Peoples Christian Movement. We began to grow and in the summer of 1945 a new church (with a full basement) was built facing Prince Street.This is where the church stands today. 
Rev. Allison 1948 –We became the Peoples Methodist Church 
Rev. Long We started our first Vacation Bible School while Rev. Long was here.
Fay Gray Hyde was our first Bible School director.
Rev. Mandel Rev. Mandel being a converted Jew and a veteran of WWII;
encouraged us to grow closer to God and each other.
Rev. Wells God blessed us as we continued to grow. 
Rev. Allman In the autumn of 1959, we added new furniture in the sanctuary and new hymn books.On July 4, 1962, the Evangelical Methodist Church merged with the People's Methodist Church. We became the Oakshade Avenue Evangelical Methodist Church. In 1963, under Reverend Lester Allman’s leadership, we added new Sunday School rooms and carpeted the sanctuary.
Rev. Melvin In February of 1967, we built a fellowship building on the lot behind the parsonage under the leadership of Rev. Virgil Melvin and a committee of Johnson Kenerley, W. O. White, Clyde Church, and David Gulledge. On March 4, 1968 the old church was tore down to the ground floor. On Sunday, June 30, 1968 – with great joy in our hearts – we had our first worship service in our new sanctuary. Dedication services were on August 18, 1968 for our beautiful new structure. In 1968 we became The First Evangelical Methodist Church of Kannapolis, NC. A Young Adult Sunday School Class was organized.
Rev. Carey On July 14, 1974 Rev. Billy Carey came to us from Danielsville, Georgia. We purchased the lot across from the church and fenced it in. We purchased an additional 2-1/2 to 3 acres beside the church. Horace Thames planted a large garden on the back lots and shared the vegetables with our senior citizens. The fellowship hall was enlarged and the parsonage remodeled. In 1982, we purchased our first church van. We felt blessed as we celebrated our 50th anniversary in October, 1990.
Rev. Sutton We had grown and needed to expand. The Golden Cross Sunday School Class was divided and another Ladies Sunday School Class (Joyful Hearts) was organized. Two class rooms at the front of the sanctuary were removed for a choir loft. The new addition included the Pastor’s study, restrooms that are handicap accessible, and a foyer on the first floor of our church. The new addition included a nursery that has been furnished, complete with a sanctuary monitoring system in loving memory of Ruby Safrit Gillespie. The Cannon Foundation and our congregation donated the funds for our new addition. Our present church was dedicated on Sunday, May 2, 1993. Rev. Sutton started Children's Sermonette before he delivered the sermon on Sunday Morning. 
Rev. Hammonds As our Youth Group grew, our congregation increased. We purchased another van so our Youth Group would have transportation to camp, rallies and other activities. A Youth Pastor was hired to co-ordinate youth activities. During morning Sunday morning service, Children's Church was begun with Mrs. Fay Hyde as director. Our congregation increased at a rather rapid pace.
Rev. Dawson Rev. Dawson started a early Sunday morning contemporary service.
We installed a new central air system.
Rev. Hayes Pastor David Hayes and his wife Cathy came to us in October of 2002. They have 5 children, 10 grandchildren and have established Kannapolis as their permanent home. They pastor the whole church, loving and caring for youth and elderly alike. First Lady Cathy is the ideal pastor's wife. She is an example of what a woman of God should be.  Pastor Hayes is  also committed to world missions. In October of 2005, February of 2010 and 2018 he went to Myanmar(former Burma) in SouthEast Asia on a mission trip that made a major change in his life.  He saw first hand how people live that love God and depend on Him for everything.  He also went to the Philipines in February 2018.  He also served on the denomination's General Counsel and is the Chairman of the General Board of Trustees.  
Under Pastor David's leadership we remodeled the parsonage and converted it into a child care facility (Wee Lambs - a loving and affordable child care) and remodeled the Kenerley Fellowship Hall, painting the exterior and interior, upgrading the restrooms and replacing the carpet with tile. We purchased a 29 passenger bus for minidtry trips and errected a cover for it.   

 

 
We are a friendly, loving, church family and with God’s guidance we will remain that way. God has blessed in our efforts and our labors; in return we praise His lovely name for all He has done for us in the past, is doing in the present, and will do in the future. We praise the Lord and give Him all the glory, honor, and thanks. We would never have accomplished anything without the guidance, help and blessings of our Lord and Savior – Jesus Christ!!