About

Our History
According to our church historical records, in March 1881, “a few consecrated souls (whose names are not known) formed the first Methodist Society at Mims Crossroads” aka Lisbon, S.C. (which was officially changed to Lamar, S.C. in 1885).  It is presumed that these individuals had been affiliated with Newman Swamp and Zion Methodist societies. Having no meeting house, services were held in the schoolhouse where the Lamar Southern Freewill Baptist Church now stands.  As the village grew, so grew the church.  In 1885, ‘Lisbon Church’ (as it was then known) boasted 38 active members.  It was then that the first dedicated church building was erected to house the growing congregation.  Although the numbers are conflicting, it was recorded that by Annual Conference in 1886, 20 new members had been added to the roll: ‘12 by baptism, 6 on profession of faith and 2 by letter.’ 

In 1906 a new lot on Main Street was purchased and a new brick building was erected. Roughly 30 years later, the church building on Main Street was razed and a new, larger brick building erected on a beautiful, tree-laden lot on Darlington Avenue.  That building was begun in 1937 and is still in use today.

In 1952, Rev. Dallas Mackey embarked on an ambitious financial program. In less than 2 years the budget was more than doubled.  As a result of this effort, the entire church plant was renovated, the parsonage mortgage was satisfied and the church became debt free.  Improvements have continued through the years. The Education Building was added 1964-1965, and in 1971 the sanctuary was completely redecorated.  The Fellowship Hall, added in 1995, is an invaluable multi-purpose space that houses the church offices and enables us to host a variety of events.

Our Future
Lamar UMC boasts a rich, detailed history that is more than can be shared here.  Our heritage is built on the saints who laid our faith foundations all those years ago and paved the way to where we are as a congregation today. They are the faithful, family of God who dedicated their lives to the work of the Kingdom of God, for the good of others and the glory of The Lord.  And now, as a new generation emerges, that kingdom work is propelled forward into a bright, hopeful future.

Our vision for the future is that, as we continually deepen the knowledge and faith of the family of believers, our church will continually grow in its impact on our mission field in which the Lord has placed us, the Lamar area. We believe that with God, this is possible. Colossians 3:23 tells us “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” We CAN be great for the kingdom of God. We can make an impact. We can be a difference maker in our community. We can be a spiritual hospital for this area. We can be a city on a hill whose light cannot be hidden. Thus, the vision statement of our church is this: “A place to call home, where faith in Jesus Christ is applied to real life!”