Prospect United Methodist Church about three miles west of Yanceyville may have been an outgrowth of the Piney Grove Methodist Church that Starling Gunn is said to have built. Early buildings appear to have been built on land for which no deed was recorded and that may have been soon after the American Revolution. In 1850 Elijah Roberts gave some land to the congregation and in subsequent years additional land was given. The present church, originally a wooden structure but now brick veneered, was built in 1905 with an addition made in 1929. The earliest grave in the cemetery is dated 1876.
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The following is from In the Beginning - The Churches of Caswell County, which was published in 2001. The author is unknown:
We do not know the exact date the Prospect United Methodist Church was organized, but tradition has that it is the oldest church of the old Yanceyville Circuit, which included Prospect, Pelham, Bethel, Shady Grove, Yanceyville, and Locust Methodist churches. Early church histories date Prospect's origins as shortly after the Revolutionary War.
Prospect Church is thought to have originated from Piney Grove Methodist Church, which no longer exists. Starling Gunn established Piney Grove Church on what now is Murray Road just off the County Home Road. Gunn served in the Revolutionary War and purportedly witnessed the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown. Soon after the war Gunn moved to North Carolina and provided lodging to circuit riding preachers. He later donated land for the Piney Grove Church building.
The first Prospect Church was several small cabins that served camp meetings and visiting circuit-riding preachers. Later a proper church building was erected behind the current church structure. No known deeds establish when the property was acquired, and the date of his building is not known. However, deeds do establish the date of the current site as 1850-1854. The building on this site was a simple structure, which is essentially the present sanctuary. Of course, the building has had several additions and modifications.
In 1929, Prospect Church matched a $1,000 Duke Endowment grant to brick veneer the sanctuary, remodel the structure, replace windows, add two halls, add classrooms, and build a porch. Later additions to the church building included a fellowship hall, classrooms, nursery, choir loft, narthex, and a steeple.
The first minister appointed to Prospect Church, which was part of the Yanceyville Circuit, was the Reverend Simpson (appointed 1856). Since then, fifty-four ministers have served and contributed to the growth and outreach Prospect has had in the community. Many of the family names found in the earliest church records are names of families still active in the congregation today. Many of Prospect Church members have served in both church and community. Members of the church have been community leaders in education, government, and health care. Prospect Church has long been known for its warm acceptance of new people to the community who seek a caring and serving church.
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Prospect UNC Celebrates Dedication Held August 24
Sunday, August 24, 2008, was a special day in the life of Prospect United Methodist Church of 1900 US Hwy 158 West. On this day, the congregation, friends and community members gathered to worship and dedicate their new fellowship hall. Pastor David Grissom, the Prospect Choir, and other church leaders participated in the service. Flowers for the service were given by Frank and Diane Murphy in memory of her parents, Thomas and Anna Odell.
Billy Hodges, Building Committee Chairman, thanked everyone who helped make this dream a reality. He recognized the family of the late long-time church leaders Eugene and Dorothy Aldridge, whose legacy provided the beginning of the building fund. In early 2007 the church voted to establish a building committee, began fund-raising efforts, and officially broke ground on the structure in July 2007. The building was built by Quality Construction and various subcontractors, but church members also contributed over 1500 hours of volunteer labor in the construction process. Pastor Grissom noted that the project had been begun with the theme "Do Everything in Love" and that the building was dedicated to the glory of God.
Following the worship service in the sanctuary, the guests moved into the fellowship hall to tour the building, enjoy refreshments, and spend time in fellowship with old and new friends. Mrs. Louise Shelton presided at the guest register for the event. Programs and audio tapes of this special service are available. Call the church at 694-5810 for more information.
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As of April 2019, the pastor was Sang Park (sangpark@nccumc.org).
Photograph courtesy The Caswell Messenger (Yanceyville, NC).
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