History

Methodism in Greene County dates back to the early 1790s. In 1865 the Methodists in Greeneville reorganized under the direction of The Reverend John Warthman. The Northern Branch, the Methodist Episcopal portion of the church, vacated their previous church building on Main Street and met for a time in an upper room in the Court House. After a service at the Presbyterian Church in 1874, they met in the home of Mr. and Mrs. David Britton with Bishop Gilbert Haven. They decided to purchase a lot from W. C. Maloney—the site of the Maloney Hotel. In 1875 they dedicated their new church building—a large frame church with a tall steeple. The Reverend J. S. Petty was the minister at the time. In 1893 a parsonage was built beside the church. In 1910 the church was moved to the lower end of Summer Street to make room for a new church building. Rev. James A Mitchell was the pastor when the current church building was started in 1911. At this time, the church was named after Bishop Francis Asbury, the first Bishop ordained in American who had visited the Cochran Hotel which later became the Maloney Hotel. In 1952 during the pastorate of The Reverend Sullins Dosser, a three-story educational building was erected. The radio ministry and the scouting program began at this time. The Reverend Elton Jones was pastor when the sanctuary was remodeled in 1954. The parsonage was torn down in 1959 to make room for enlarged parking facilities. The chapel beside the church was completed during the ministry of Dr. John Y. Bacon in 1986. During this time, the educational building was also renovated for a larger fellowship hall. The Asbury Child Enrichment Center was built during the pastorate of the Reverend Brent Hall and dedicated in September of 1997 during the ministry of Dr. Charles Starks. In 2005 Asbury completed another remodeling to restore it to its former beauty and to aid the congregation to be able to enjoy another century of service. The renovations allow facilities for three Sunday morning services—one in the sanctuary, one in the chapel, and one in the fellowship hall. In 2012, Asbury celebrated the 100thAnniversary of the church building with a play portraying the events of 1912 and the building of the church and a book detailing the History of the Church. In 2018 a new organ was added to the sanctuary. Many people have contributed their time, talents, and money to help Asbury serve the community and the world. Asbury continues to participate in mission work around the world as well as to join in community service work throughout the local region