Bailey Memorial United Methodist Church will celebrate its 175th anniversary this Sunday, June 7 with a memorial service starting at 10:30 a.m.
The church was established in 1840. It was originally named Hurricane Methodist Church as a reminder of a destructive hurricane that had swept through the area about the time the church was organized.
Located in the Lloyd communinity, eight miles northwest of Vardaman on what is now known as the Oldtown Road (CR 102) the church was originally formed in a log house, then moved into a “rough boxed house” and then a frame building.
The current brick church building was built around 1955 across the street from the site of the original church.
Early members of the church were the Wests, Murffs, Hollingsworth, Frees, Christians, Baileys, Clarks and others, according to the Vardaman History Project.
Early preachers were said to be Raney, J.N. Flynn, R.P. Goar, and L.W. Hankins.
Preachers since 1907 are:
Harold Robinson 2008-present
John T. Foster 2005-2007
A painting by Tammy Jackson of one of the earliest Bailey Memorial church buildings.
William Montgomery 2001-2004
Walt Phillips 1998-2000
Mark McNair 1997
D.R. Smith 1996
Frankie Boykin 1995
Billy McCord 1991-1994
John Wilson 1989-1990
H. Smith Whiteside 1988
Robert Bayer 1985-1987
unknown 1984
William Mills 1983
Grady Hudson 1982
D.R. Estes 1979-1981
unknown 1978
Bob Tickell 1977
B.M. Goodwin 1964-1976
James Sims 1963
R.B. Winter 1960-1962
Doc Jeter 1957-1959
L.M. Wright 1954-1956
E.S. Furr 1951-1953
R.B. Burks 1950
I.E. Johnson 1947-1949
J.A. Hall 1946
O.L. Elliott 1943-1945
W.R. Liming 1942
T.F. Sartain 1940-1941
R.C. Mayo 1939
T.G. Lowry 1936-1938
K.E. Clark 1933-1935
J.V. Steward 1930-1932
W.H. Hester 1928-1929
W.C. Galceran Jr. 1927
T.W. Smallwood 1925-1926
J.D. Boggs 1924
D.H. Crowson 1922-1923
J.R. Murff 1920-1921
R.T. Nolen 1918-1919
C.R.A. Brandley 1917
E.H. Hook 1914-1916
D.C. Foust 1913
D.M. Gean 1911-1912
Thomas Mills 1910
W.C. Carlisle 1909
R.P. Goar 1908
A.L. Davenport 1907
Prior to 1907, there is no listing for Vardaman in the ministerial appointments recorded in the Conference Journals. There are listings for Pittsboro and Ellzey which could have also served Bailey/Lloyd/Hurricane.
The earliest pastor listed is H.E. Smith in 1877 on the Pittsboro Circuit. R.A. Ellis and T.J. Lowry also served that circuit in the 1870s.
Other potential early pastors from 1880-1900 were J.M. Hampton, S.A. Ellis, T.G. Freeman, J.M. Massey, James Porter, A.J. Foster, E.P. Craddock, W.L. Anderson, B.S. Rayner, J.M. Huggin, R.S. Lawson, J.H. Rogers, D.M. Gean, D.M. Geddie, A.A. Martin, J.N. Flynn, W.A. Bruner, R.P. Goar, L.W. Hankins, and T.E. Yancey.
Those on the program for this Sunday’s 175th celebration include Rita Green, Rev. Harold Robinson, Ann Langston, James Landreth, Rev. Robert Earl Alexander, Angie Miller, Adrienne Myers and Andrew Thomas, Homer Bailey and Tom Bailey.
Information for this history was provided by Rev. Harold Robinson and the Vardaman History Project.