User:Jeremyhagood/First Church of the Nazarene (Jasper, Alabama)

Jasper First Church of the Nazarene, also known as JFN, is a Church of the Nazarene in Jasper, Alabama. It is currently led by Rev. Greg Story and has a membership of 380. It was a founding member of the Alabama District Church of the Nazarene and is currently a member of the Alabama North District following the split of the Alabama District in 1983.

History
The first meeting of what would become Jasper First Church of the Nazarene took place in West Jasper on June 10, 1898. This was the first in a series of revivals led by Rev. R.M. Guy of Meridian, Mississippi. This group of worshippers formed a "holiness band" in 1903, and was given land for revivals in downtown Jasper. In 1907, the band formed a proper church and joined the Holiness Church of Christ with 12 charter members, many of whom were part of the first revival in 1898. In October 1908, Rev. Guy traveled to Pilot Point, Texas, for the merger of the Holiness Church of Christ and the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene. JFN dedicated new sanctuaries in 1910 (re-dedicated in 1913), 1942, and 1972. A Family Life Center was dedicated in 1990.

1910-1942
In 1910, the land that had been given to the holiness band in 1903 was traded for a lot more suitable for a church. The church was built during the day with the help of free laborers, and a brush arbor revival was held each night. When the floor and two walls of the building were complete, services moved from the arbor to the church. In 1912, Dr. Phineas F. Bresee, founder of the Church of the Nazarene, presided over the 1912 Alabama District Assembly - his only assembly in the state.

In 1913, the church sought a deed for the land on which their church sat. L.B. Musgrove had given the land to the church in 1910 but had never given a deed. Mr. Musgrove would not provide a deed to the land they had built on; so, the members were forced to disassemble the structure and move it to the east side of 10th Avenue near 19th Street in West Jasper. This was within viewing range of the former church site. Additions to this building included an enclosed foyer and an outdoor tabernacle in the rear for summer services. Also added to the church were accommodations for a bible school which had 70 students in 1918 and served students through the eighth grade.

1942-1972
With the growth of Jasper First in the late 1930s, Rev. J.G. Wells oversaw the building of a new sanctuary and basement Sunday school area. It was built next to the white frame structure. The white church was torn down after the brick church was complete. Construction began in 1941, and the dedication of the church was on March 29, 1942. After the initial building project, a portico was added to the front of the building.

While the new building added worship and classroom space, it did not allow for classroom growth. During the 1960s, JFN bought nearby property and houses for parking and classroom space. A kitchen was also added to the basement. As early as 1963 board members saw the need for a larger sanctuary on the ground level.

1972-Present
In the early 1970s, JFN's leaders began looking for a new location which afforded more room to grow. They bought 20 acres of farmland in north Jasper. Architectural firm Jernigan, Hawkins, and Harrison designed the sanctuary and educational wings (only one wing was built). Dedication of the current sanctuary took place on January 28, 1973, with a large service including the presiding District and General Superintendents. The sanctuary was built to seat 616 (although that number is now much less with reduction in seating during remodels in recent years). It was the largest Nazarene church building in the state at the time it was built.

Family Life Center
A Christian Family Life Center was built in 1989 under Senior Pastor Rev. Roy Shuck. It includes a gym, offices, and classrooms. Currently, the Boys and Girls Club of Walker County, Alabama, uses the Family Life Center as the permanent home to their after school program and summer day camp.

Church Fire
On January 20-21, 1996, the sanctuary of JFN was destroyed by fire. The cause of the fire was a gas leak from a heating unit above a choir room. During the rebuilding, services were held in the Family Life Center's gym. Fifty-two weeks after the fire, on January 19, 1997, services resumed in the rebuilt sanctuary.