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A HISTORY On a Saturday morning in June, 1958, at the Annual Conference meeting at Lake Junaluska, the Rev. George Winecoff was appointed to a new church in the Amity Gardens residential area of Charlotte, North Carolina. There was no church building, no parsonage, no congregation—just a lot, purchased by the Charlotte District Mission Society for $13,000 at the corner of Holbrook and Sharon Amity Road. The Rev. Glenn Lackey, Executive Secretary of the District Mission Society, secured permission for a group of families interested in starting a church to meet at the Methodist Home. On September 14, thirty-five members met. They elected church officers and approved a budget of $241 for the rest of the year. Two weeks later, September 28, 1958, a ground-breaking ceremony was held and construction began on the first unit. When the building was turned over to the congregation, there was no tile on the floor, no blinds, no chairs, no pews, no pulpit, and no paint on the walls. Despite these rather primitive conditions, the first service was held in the church December 14, 1958 with several inches of snow on the ground. Three members were received into the church that day, bringing the membership to forty. That same month, the church bought a parsonage on Amity Place for $18,500 with a $6,000 down payment. Monthly mortgage payments were $85. By 1962, the Conference considered Cokesbury self-supporting and the church raised $25,000 in pledges during a three-year building fund crusade. The original sanctuary was renovated and an education building completed. With an eye to the future, church officials appointed a Long Range Planning Committee to recommend ways of dealing with Cokesbury’s growth. By 1972, Cokesbury was becoming a full-service church. Choirs, Scouting, and the Kindergarten programs all needed space. On September 3, 1972, the Charge and Church Conferences approved buying 8.47 acres on Idlewild Road and borrowing $25,000 to finance construction of the new building. A week later, on September 10, a ground-breaking ceremony was held. The land and buildings at Holbrook and Sharon Amity were sold for $120,000 on March 4, 1973, and a consecration service was held in the new church on November 18, 1973. In the five years between 1973 and its twentieth anniversary in 1987, Cokesbury grew rapidly. A new parsonage was purchased on Shady Bluff Drive for $52,000. Other improvements were made to the church facility: a storage building, play area, additional parking space, and speaker system. The purchase of a bus and the completion of a 2,000 square foot multi-purpose building costing approximately $50,000 were also major advances. More importantly, a music coordinator and an educational assistant were added to the staff as Cokesbury expanded its program activities. Between 1978-1983, improvements were made on the parsonage; a van purchased; a pictorial directory published and a financial secretary, director of Christian Education, and associate pastor added to the staff. Four members were certified as lay speakers and seven young men received the Eagle Scout award. In the next couple of years a Shepherd program was initiated, and revivals were led by such distinguished preachers as Richard Crowder, Floyd Barrier, and Bishop Bevel Jones. Additional adult Sunday School classes were formed to take care of a diverse membership and a $13,000 modular unit was added to provide some temporary space relief. The parsonage debt was retired in 1987 after a vigorous campaign of selling square foot plots at $10 each. After two years of planning, on August 26, 1990, the Charge and Church Conferences approved a new educational wing, sanctuary renovations, and office and kitchen renovations at a cost of $1,175,087. Groundbreaking took place September 30 and construction began on the new facilities and renovations in November 19990. While building plans were in progress, Cokesbury dedicated a new Allen Digital Computer Organ and a new Yamaha Grand Piano, started a “Pennies for Pews” campaign, and began the Music from Cokesbury Series. The fellowship hall was completed during the summer of 1991 and on July 14 Cokesbury held its worship service in the new facility. As soon as the additional space became available, a new ministry, Cokesbury on Wednesday (C.O.W.) was launched, providing food, fellowship and study time. On September 29, 1991, the first worship service was held in the renovated sanctuary. Other changes to the physical campus included leasing a parcel at the rear of the church property for the construction of a wireless signal relay tower, the renovation of the Scout building for an Adult Care and Share facility, and the renovation of the Library and the Wesley Room. In the ‘90s and into the new century, Cokesbury opened its doors to support and prayer groups including HIV, Red Cross, Hispanic ministries, substance abuse, among others. We paid off a twenty year mortgage in eleven years and revised our mission. As the church as matured, it has become a mission-oriented church. It has helped build Habitat for Humanity houses, supported Adult Care and Share, participated in Carolina Cross Connection, sent work teams to assist in rebuilding after hurricanes Andrew and Floyd, participated in the Heifer Project International, supported a UMAR resident, sent supplies to Armenia, began an tape ministry, established a Stephen Ministry, established a Carelinks program, participated in Room in the Inn, supported Wings of Home and St. Joseph’s Home for Boys in Haiti, and supported Yao-lepula UMC in Liberia. We thank God for giving us the time and the talents to be of service in this part of the county and we pledge to be faithful followers of Jesus, the Christ. Cokesbury Pastors
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