HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – This Sunday, Nov. 15, Lowe’s Chapel United Methodist Church will celebrate two milestones: its 150th anniversary and the 63rd annual harvest celebration. The service begins at 2:30 p.m. with Bishop L. Jonathan Holston, Presiding Bishop of the North Alabama Conference, serving as guest preacher.
Historic roots grounded in faith and freedom
Founded in the 1840s, the congregation originally gathered while many members were enslaved. Pastor Rev. Dr. Wylheme H. Ragland explains that the Methodist Episcopal Church South operated a mission in West Madison County during that era. After emancipation and the Civil War, members formed a “society” – a Methodist term for laypeople meeting to read Scripture and encourage one another.
Church records list the formal founding year as 1872 under the Methodist Episcopal Church, Alabama Conference. The chapel is named for Reuben M. Lowe, a former enslaved man who escaped bondage in 1865, enlisted in the Union Army near the war’s end, and later became a teacher and entrepreneur. With earnings from his teaching career, Lowe purchased the land that now holds the church, making it the only congregation in Huntsville, Madison County, and the North District that serves as a memorial to a Union soldier.
Harvest celebration ties past to present
The harvest celebration began in 1963 when Margaret Pearson, a great‑granddaughter of early member Felix Weeden, organized the first November gathering. Pearson wanted the church to formally recognize “what God has done for them in the harvest.” Since then, the event has become an annual tradition, now in its 63rd edition, honoring the agricultural heritage of the church’s early farming members.
Continuing the mission of service
Pastor Ragland says the church remains committed to serving the broader Huntsville community. “We don’t try to invent the wheel. We support those who are already doing this,” he said, emphasizing ongoing efforts to feed the hungry and clothe those in need. He added, “We’re reimagining: who is God calling us to be today?”
The celebration will feature a potluck lunch, live music, and a time of prayer, inviting both longtime members and newcomers to share in the fellowship. Local volunteers are organizing a food‑drive component, collecting non‑perishable items for the Huntsville Food Bank.
Looking ahead
As Lowe’s Chapel looks toward its next century, the leadership hopes to expand outreach programs, strengthen youth ministries, and preserve the historic building that has stood for a century and a half. The church’s story reflects the resilience of faith‑filled families who, despite the hardships of slavery and war, built a lasting spiritual home that continues to serve the community today.
Original reporting: WAFF 48 Huntsville (news) — read the source article.
