1877-2007

According to legend, a wagon train carrying migrating settlers was traveling through North Alabama more than a century ago with its final destination the state of Oregon. Some of these families decided to stop and homestead on Lookout Mountain. They built their homes and barns and then they built a church. They named their house of worship for the state they had originally planned to reach.

Oregon Methodist Church was established in 1877, about one mile north of the site of our present church. William and Mary Castillo donated the land for the first church. The building was to be used as a school and a church for any orthodox minister but the Methodist Episcopal Church South was to have preference in the choice of regular meeting days.

The first records are 1877 with Rev. B. O. Cochran as pastor and Rev W. L. Clifton as Presiding Elder (D. S. now). The church had approximately 60 members when it started. In the early days the church was part of a mission with as many as nine churches and was served by a Circuit Rider. Oregon did not meet more than 1 time a month and in cold weather did not meet at all because the small building did not have any heat.

A decade later the congregation found it had outgrown the little church and decided to build a large building on the land donated by Andrew T. and Eliza Baker in 1888. The present structure was built on DeSoto Parkway and we meet in it still. It was renamed New Oregon Episcopal Church South. It continued to be served by a Circuit Rider meeting only 1 time a month. In 1935, it became the Fort Payne Circuit and in 1951 was known as the New Oregon-Pleasant Valley Charge and held services every Sunday. In 1976 New Oregon went out on its own and became a full time church.

Oregon and New Oregon Church have served more than 50 ministers and many of our members now are descendants of those early settlers. Our church was built on many times to accommodate the growing needs. On Sunday, July 12, 1992 we broke ground for a new sanctuary, fellowship hall, and Sunday school rooms. We PRAISE GOD for the opportunity to meet and serve the needs of our growing community!