History of Tawas Methodist Church

 

         In 1962, the East Tawas Methodist Church celebrated its 100th anniversary and the Tawas City Methodist Church celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1968. The East Tawas Methodist Church was built in 1870 and the Tawas City

Methodist Church was built in 1873.

         

        In 1967 a study committee was appointed to investigate the possibility of the merger of the Tawas City and the

East Tawas Methodist Churches ("West Parish" and "East Parish").

       On May 5, 1968, the two churches voted and officially became the Tawas United Methodist Church.  The two congregations continued to meet in both church buildings after the merger. One service at 10 a.m. and one at 11 a.m.   with combined choirs going from one building to the other.

       In 1969, three acres of land at the corner of 5th Ave. and M-55 were purchased.  After a great deal of study, a

ballot was brought before the Church Conference stating “That the Tawas United Methodist Church start immediately

on the necessary procedures for the development of plans for the construction of a new building to house the

Tawas United Methodist Church”  The Vote passed!!

 

        In order to implement the decision to construct a new building for the merged churches a Building Committee

was formed in 1972.  This committee interviewed architectural firms and selected one to design and oversee the

construction of the church.  The committee worked with the architectural firm in the design process to develop a

building that was pleasing to the congregation and would meet all of its needs.  It then hired a construction company, oversaw the building of the new church and most importantly raised the funds with which to complete the project. 

Raising the funds was no small task as the cost of the new building was projected to be approximately $400,000—about ten times the annual budget of the church.

       In 1974 the ground breaking service was held for the new building.  A few months later the congregation was

invited to participate in the laying of the cornerstone.  Included in that cornerstone are the brass memorial plaques

from the pews that are currently in the sanctuary.  Those pews came from both churches as they were of the same style. The stained glass windows in the sanctuary are from the East Tawas building having been re-configured at the top to

fit the new design. The lighted picture of Christ in the sanctuary is also from the East Tawas building as is the stained

glass church name from over its main entrance which is now in the gathering area of the new building.  Many memorials were given to the church which benefited the building fund and helped furnish the new church.  The East Tawas building

is now the home of the Tawas Bay Players and the Tawas City building is the home of the Seventh Day Adventists.

 

         Almost fifty years later feeling unease about the degree to which the United Methodist Church was not strictly adhering to sound biblical principles a straw vote was taken in the spring of 2022 among the members and

constituents of Tawas United Methodist Church regarding remaining affiliated with the United Methodist denomination.  About 75% of those voting indicated support for leaving the United Methodist denomination.  After that vote a

Separation Team was formed to explore what might be necessary for the church to leave the denomination and whether

it would even be possible.  The Separation Team determined it would be possible for the church to disaffiliate from the United Methodist denomination and identified what steps would need to be taken to accomplish that.  In April 2023

at a Church Conference among only church members the vote was, again, approximately 75% in favor of disaffiliating.  May 2, 2023, a new church, Tawas Methodist Church, was incorporated and July 22, 2023, Tawas United Methodist

Church formally disaffiliated from the United Methodist denomination.  Tawas United Methodist Church was formally dissolved as a legal entity November 29, 2023.