Frazer United Methodist Church
Encyclopedia
Frazer United Methodist Church (Frazer UMC) is a United Methodist megachurch
located at 6000 Atlanta Highway, Montgomery, Alabama
. It has more than 8,000 members with a mission to "worship, win, disciple, and serve to the glory of God". It is the largest religious congregation in Alabama
and one of the largest in the nation.
held Sunday School
meetings here until the group grew enough to purchase a house on Herron Street. A minister was assigned in 1892, turning the group into an organized church.
and their Sunday morning worship of any Methodist congregation in North America
. In 2000 Frazer once again increased the number of its morning worship services to six. The three new services use a contemporary worship style. A Spanish service was added in 2003 with the hiring of a full-time Hispanic minister. A new building was added in 2005. This new building, Wesley Hall, is a 2000 seat atrium that currently homes the contemporary worship services. It also includes a bookstore, coffee shop, baptistery
and Children's Ministry facilities.
Megachurch
A megachurch is a church having 2,000 or more in average weekend attendance. The Hartford Institute's database lists more than 1,300 such Protestant churches in the United States. According to that data, approximately 50 churches on the list have attendance ranging from 10,000 to 47,000...
located at 6000 Atlanta Highway, Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
. It has more than 8,000 members with a mission to "worship, win, disciple, and serve to the glory of God". It is the largest religious congregation in Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
and one of the largest in the nation.
Leadership
John Ed Mathison retired from the position of senior pastor at Frazer in June 2008. In February 2010, Tim Thompson was appointed as the new senior pastor by Bishop Paul L. Leeland. Thompson grew up in the Methodist church and is a former youth minister at Frazer.Beginnings
Frazer Methodist Church began in 1889 in a storeroom on Holt Street, Montgomery. A local preacherPreacher
Preacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...
held Sunday School
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
meetings here until the group grew enough to purchase a house on Herron Street. A minister was assigned in 1892, turning the group into an organized church.
Growth
In 1978 Frazer expanded to three Sunday morning worship services, and in 1992 began broadcasting live services on television. In 1990 Frazer had the largest attendance in both Sunday SchoolSunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
and their Sunday morning worship of any Methodist congregation in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. In 2000 Frazer once again increased the number of its morning worship services to six. The three new services use a contemporary worship style. A Spanish service was added in 2003 with the hiring of a full-time Hispanic minister. A new building was added in 2005. This new building, Wesley Hall, is a 2000 seat atrium that currently homes the contemporary worship services. It also includes a bookstore, coffee shop, baptistery
Baptistery
In Christian architecture the baptistry or baptistery is the separate centrally-planned structure surrounding the baptismal font. The baptistry may be incorporated within the body of a church or cathedral and be provided with an altar as a chapel...
and Children's Ministry facilities.