7818 Jackson School Road, Browns Summit, North Carolina 27214, United States
About Us
About Us
The History of Jackson United Methodist Church
The community of Jackson is located in the northeast section of Guilford County in Monticello, 16 miles from
Greensboro, North Carolina and 6 miles from Brown Summit, North Carolina. The community had a very small
beginning over 200 years ago. The African American citizens of the area banded themselves together and
organized a church. A man named Jackson donated the land and every male and female worked hand-in-hand to
build a place of worship. The first church was a bush arbor; the date it was founded is not known. A man named
Wright later purchased the land from Mr. Jackson and men started cutting logs to build a log church. The date
this church was built is also unknown. Later, around 1817, it was taken over by the Methodist Episcopal
Conference and a frame church was in the process of being built. An unfortunate incident occurred to the first
frame building. They laid the foundation, put up the framing and installed the roof but had not put up the
wallboards. On a stormy night, the wind blew so hard it overturned the little building and they had to start all
over again. However, they did not give up and soon another structure was erected. They still had some
problems, but the church was finally completed. The original frame church was remodeled many times.
In 1972, along with the leadership of Pastor R. W. Johnson, the members decided it was time to move forward
in fulfilling the dreams of current and those deceased members who had worked hard to someday see a new
brick structure replace their old plank church. A new sanctuary, which presently stands, was erected. Under the
leadership of James Herbin, in order to pay off the mortgage early, members leased land from Herbert Hopkins
and raised tobacco.
Along with the leadership of Pastor Paul Bethel, the members began to formalize plans to build a fellowship
hall. Pastor Bethel instituted 9 a.m. services on the 2 nd and 4 th Sundays to increase the building fund. With
additional funds provided by Duke Endowment and special gifts from members, we broke ground for the
fellowship hall in 2002. Labor was provided by Church Extension Inc., an extension of the Western North
Carolina United Methodist Conference, church members and friends. Again, we worked hard to pay off the
mortgage ahead of schedule and celebrated our mortgage burning on November 18, 2007.
Jackson United Methodist Church is the oldest continuing black Methodist church in the Greensboro District
and possibly in the state of North Carolina.
Addendum: During additional research conducted in December 2009 found the following: On July 20, 1911,
Squire Palmer and his wife Venie Palmer sold approximately 2 acres of land to Harvey Maxwell, Sim Pritchett
and James Climer, trustees of Jackson M.E. Church, for the sum of $10.
Members who accepted the call to ministry in the United Methodist Church are Lawrence E. Johnson, Smilen
W. Neil, Clarence E. Wright and Vickie Blakeney Mitchell.
Some of the ministers who were sent to lead our congregation include:
Z. H. Garrett, G. W. Morehead, G. W. Braver, H. C. Gannaway, Robert McRae, A. B. Leonard, W. R. Zeiglar,
F. J. Lee, H. A. David, Harriston, Eugene Black, W. T. Lomax, Willie Napper, Sampson Buie, Arthur Hall,
Clyde Dungee, R. W. Johnson, Willie Butler, William Royster, Wyatt Cole, Ron Carter, Larry Fitzgerald,
Dwight Davis, Paul Bethel, Lenore Renfro, Ronnie Cooper, Samuel A. Moore, Faye L. Herbin and Phyllis K. Coates