Gates County, NC - Churches File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Jackie Hudgins Researching Thomas Parker Hudgins Quote from the GATES COUNTY INDEX, December, 1994 CHRISTMAS STORY TO BE PRESENTED AT PARKER'S UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Corapeake - A presentation entitled, The Christmas Story, will be presented at 5:30 p.m., Dec. 18, at Parker's United Methodist Church. The program, coordinated by Mary K. Kittrell and committee chairpersons will involve adults and children and will feature music by organist Elizabeth Barnes. The church, exquisitely adorned in Christmas decorations will provide the setting for an evening of caroling and narrative. Families and friends will gather to hear stories of years past and to give thanks during this joyous season. Traditions of long-ago are brought back to reality in this century- old sanctuary. The church's history dates back to 1770 when Thomas Parker homesteaded in what is now Gates County. There was no public place to worship then so when a circuit riding preacher came through, Parker would invite them to his home to lead his family and his neighbors in worship. Parker's home was located on what is now called Parker's Fork Road about 1 & 1/2 miles from Route 32 on the south side of the road. It was a two- story home with a large living room and the visiting preachers stood on the landing at the turn of the stairs and spoke to the gathering of worshippers, both black and white. The church's informal history attributes its formation to preaching by Bishop Francis Asbury at Parkers home. Out of these meetings a class was organized and continued to meet in the Parker home, worshipping God and supporting each other in the faith. As the group grew, a larger place of worship was needed. Parker donated the land on which the first church was to be built and the church was organized June 1, 1812 and named in his honor. The first church stood nearer to the road than the current structure and it was painted red with heavy wooden shutters. A gallery was built for the slaves and the church was part of what was then called the Gates Circuit. For the three years during the Civil War (1862-1865), the charge had no pastor, but the local people kept the church doors open. After the war, the church had preaching once a month and the first Sunday School was organized in 1868 by Margaret Parker, great-granddaughter of Thomas Parker. When Thomas Campbell was sent to Parker's as pastor in 1877, services were increased to twice a month and again the congregation had outgrown its meeting place and a larger, more modern church was built. The new church only lasted three years before it was destroyed by fire, but a new church was dedicated in October of 1882. The present building, the fourth on this site was built in the early 1910s, and dedicated in March 1913. The structure follows the traditional Gothic Revival style that was finished with Colonial Revival details. The interior is unaltered and follows the so-called Akron plan, in which the pews are arranged in concentric arcs radiating outward from the chancel. Both the chancel and choir are contained within two large interconnected arched recesses and stained glass windows accentuate an already beautiful sanctuary. The Christmas program, held annually is one of the many traditions of the church family. For over 160 years, the church as served the small farming community of Corapeake and generations of families can trace their history back to the old church. =============================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. ===============================================================