The First Methodist Episcopal Church was established as the head of the Butler Circuit in 1825. The congregation’s first church was built in 1827 on West Wayne. The congregation moved to its current location in 1874, with this church being built in 1904. It is now the First United Methodist Church.
The Rev. Johnnie David Panther died on Sunday, May 26, 2013.
He was 56.
21 comments:
My wifes Grandmother was married there in the 40's.
still a wonderful church that serves the community with meals for the poor and a great support group for recovering addicts and alchoholics.again a reminder that these chuches were there long before Butler was even a city and are still serving the community.
I once belonged to a Boy Scout group sponsered by this church.
i actually walked by this church about 1 million times!! wow can you believe it
The ego driven pastor of this church is going to move his congregation to a "big box" church in the suburbs to continue his Joel Osteen like ministry. He has no qualms about abandoning this beautiful building. How many poor will he minister to in suburbs?
NONE of the Butler churches are for the poor !!! they are ALL money hungry. You dont have to be in a church to pray or worship.
I love how anonymous folks love to spew!
whats the diff between susan and anonymous??? do i know you because you left susan?? no!!! your comment was worthless and does not pertain to the topic susan
repent ye evil doing heathens both anomymous and unanonymous!
Now THAT's the Butler I know and love. Angry, bitter, anonymous people sniping at one another for no good reason. Ah, memories!
This church reminds me of times long ago---girl scout meetings in the basement---I think we had our "capping" ceremony there in 1959. Kathy Tack, Mary Beth Scarnato, Joanna Westbrook, Doris Gold, Judy Klein and me. I learned my destiny would be serving punch. As I was the one that had a punch bowl. From then on "have punch bowl will travel" was my call.
Today this church provides space for a wonderful traveling choral group that my sisters participate in. They sing all over the county for the holidays---beautiful music. Thanks for stirring my good memories.
The comments left here are obviously from people who know not of which they speak. Pastor "ego driven"? Couldn't be further from the truth. This man's heart aches for the pains of this town. "Moving Congregation to a big box church in the suburbs"? Not moving, expanding. The contemporary service no longer fits in the Jr. High auditorium. And a reclaimed old supermarket hardly qualifies as a "big box". "abandoning this beautiful building"? Again, the traditional services will continue to serve this community at this facility. But do you understand that the church is the people, not the building? Moving the Crossfire service to the suburbs will free up parking spaces for more people downtown. And the Knights of Columbus Hall was just purchased to better serve the extremely successful addictions ministries. Y'all should get your facts straight before you go off on this church!
Your drug addict ministry brings all the druggies into this neighborhood. Your pastor lives in Meadowwood where no druggie housing exists. I will bet you live in a housing plan zoned against section 8 housing and apartments. Yes, do great work with the druggies/criminals, but being the perfect hypocrite you and your pastor want live in the same neighborhood as they do!
by giving them all the free food all your doing is allowing them to spend their food money on drugs in da hood, I dont remember meadow wood being da hood !
When I was at church this Sunday the pastor was was yelling at the congregation about taking crititsims for trying to build a megachurch in the burbs. Luckily, it appears the church is staying put. They have also purchased the K of C to expand the drug outreach program. It is funny that Panther lives in Meadowwood (upper middle class development) far removed from the druggies he claims to care so much about.
Rev Warman and Dr Fritchley laid the groundwork for alot of good grounded Christians during the 50's and 60's. I will never forget my experiences in Youth Fellowship and the friends I made here.
KB
As a shy 3rd grader in mid 1950's, First Methodist was a huge and awesome place. I recall getting lost trying to get from the "new" educational wing to the main sanctuary, by way of the balcony system and being "rescued" by Rev Warmen! We moved away for a few years, only to return in 1960,when I was in 7th grade. And then First Methodist was MY church and social center!!! Who could ever forget Miss Idell Mays and the 4 youth choirs! The MYF group on Sunday nights! The "planning retreats" and the "spritual life" retreats. (The pranks and fun we all had while "retreating!"). The Easter pageant. The car washes and spaghetti dinners to raise our funds. Christmas caroling. Pastor Newton Fritchly and Miss StellaMAe Cramer. The numerous counselors and advisors who helped shape a passel of teens into responsible adults. My first boyfriend was president of our MYF. And I was the veep! (How convenient!). Even the always unlocked side door into the basement area was a safe haven in those pre-cell phone days! I could always slip in to use the phone to call home or wait in the coolness for my ride. The church was a source of direction, confort, and fun THEN. It would appear that it NOW is still trying to provide direction and comfort in these, oh so different times! Maybe the cynical and defeatist talk existed then too, but we were too involved in the process of LIVING to notice. I was back in Butler last summer for the first time in a couple decades. I noticed the decline. I obviously couldn't experience the day to day feel of it. But visually, it was a sad thing. What you have to realize is, that NOTHING can remain exactly the same forever! That is stagnation and death. And complaining about "the other guy" and all his faults isn't going to make your own life any better! It isn't Dem vs Rep, city vs country, rich vs poor, that makes the difference. Its what makes YOU tick, the what that lies inside YOU that will make or break your happiness and satisfaction with life. I've lived in a lot of places since my Butler days. Believe me, its the same all around the country!!! Some folks will do the sharing and caring and a whole lot more will spend their life stabbing and grabbing! Positive is contagious!!!
I keep seeing all these references to drug addicts in good old Butler. Why would you want to live in Butler; move to Ft. Lauderdale or South Beach where you won't freeze your ass off in winter. When I lived in Butler I attended Grace Lutheran with Rev. Steininger the pastor. It's still there according to Google but no info given. His daughter Stephanie was a hotty (but nice).
Tell me all you who are critical of the church and the pastor..Just exactly what are you doing for the Lord? And you who are judgemental need to examine your own hearts and get right with the Lord.
Sad how some say the church does nothing for the poor, another saying it does too much for the poor and another complaining that the pastor isn't poor. How bizarre.
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