150 YEARS!

THINKING ABOUT OUR PAST AND FUTURE

One of the most colorful characters in Methodist history in Illinois was Peter Cartwright, backwoods preacher. He was very much a force in this area during the time of the founding of Mattoon and the beginning of our congregation, First United Methodist, in 1856. In the 1840’s, Cartwright actually ran for congress, but lost to a young fellow named Arbraham Lincoln. In the 1850’s when he was a delegate to the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, he went to see President Fillmore in Washington, D.C. and hit him up for a donation to a church back in Illinois. Fillmore asked, "How much do you think I ought to give?" Cartwright replied, "Any man who thinks he has enough sense to be President of the whole United States, ought to have sense enough to know how much he should give to a church in Illinois."

In our own church’s history, there have been many colorful characters and wonderful stories throughout our 150 years of ministry here in Mattoon. Many people have given and sacrificed much to bring us to where we are today. I hope and pray that people will look back at us, you and me….at what we had "sense enough" to risk and sacrifice to carry the mission of FUMC forward into the future.

Thanks for being a big part of future history!

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