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Welcome to Higgins!
Thanks for checking out our website! Whether this is your first time visiting our site, or you're following up from a recent visit, we're glad you're here! You are always welcome at Higgins! For Your First Visit We invite you to join us for one of our Sunday morning worship services. 8:30 am - a contemporary service in our Family Life Center 11:00 am - a traditional service in our Sanctuary We recommend arriving about ten minutes before the service begins to allow time for parking. We also have a contact form online where you can request information or send comments to us. |
Who We Are |
Located in beautiful Yancey County, Higgins Memorial is part of the United Methodist Church. A diverse family of believers, we welcome people of all ages, races, and backgrounds. Come as you are! We offer opportunities for believers to grow in their faith and serve our community.
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Our Vision |
Jesus tells us in Matthew 22:37-40, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
As the group of believers that meets in the building known as Higgins Memorial UMC, what does that look like? We love and serve the Lord with all that we are. We live our lives in worship to Him, through serving Him, using the gifts He gave us when He welcomed us as members of His family and joined us to the Body of Christ. (Luke 4:8; John 4:23, Romans 12:5-8, 1 Corinthians 12:12-31). He prepares us for His work through the study of His Word, fellowship with one another, and prayer – equipping us, so that we may accurately speak the truth in love and act in love (Acts 2:42, John 13:35, Ephesians 4:11-16, 2 Timothy 2:15). We fulfill the purpose He has for our lives by acting in God’s power, not our own (Luke 24:49, Acts 2:1-4, Titus 2:11-12, Matthew 11:28-29). As members of His Body, we are driven by God’s heart for others so that our hearts are changed (John 13:34-35, Romans 8:5, Ephesians 5:2, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8). We love our neighbors as we love ourselves (Luke 10:25-37). We partner with and involve other churches (Hebrews 10:24-25, Ephesians 4:4, Colossians 1:18).Together, we go out into the community to reach the lost (Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15). Together, we serve the hungry and unsafe; youth, particularly those with inactive or absent parents; the homebound; those struggling in poverty; those who feel unloved; and those who don’t have biblical understanding (Galatians 6:2). We are a sanctuary for all, just as He is our Sanctuary (Jeremiah 17:12, Psalm 46:1, Psalm 28:7). |
Our History |
We are a church family with a rich history!
Methodism arrived in America in 1784. At this time, the Reams Creek Circuit was established, including what is now Buncombe, Henderson, McDowell, Mitchell, Yancey, and Madison counties. Two preachers would travel this circuit on horseback, taking two months to make rounds. Meetings were held in homes were or held at Cane River. Yancey County remained in this circuit until 1841, when the Burnsville Circuit was established (Yancey, Mitchell, Madison, and a part of Buncombe counties). In 1845, the Burnsville Circuit was divided into two congregations, Northern and Southern. The Southern congregation meeting at the Yancey County Courthouse. In 1851, the Burnsville Academy was established and began being used for church services by both the Baptists and Methodists. After the Civil War, the Academy had to be renovated, so believers once again held meetings in the Courthouse. By 1876, the church had grown to 356 members. In 1881, our first building was erected, making Burnsville Methodist Church the first Methodist church built in Burnsville, NC. It's construction was supervised by Reverend J.F. Wampler, whom also supervised the building of Bald Creek Church. Our original building was built on the site where the Reconciliation House now stands. In 1916, after a tent revival that raised $9,000, John Wesley Higgins & others built our second structure, the sanctuary, on land donated by Laura Carter & her daughter, Pansy Carter Ray. Dedication of the building was delayed until 1918 because the congregation wanted to be debt free. Concurrently, a parsonage was built on the former church site. Much of the materials used in each constructions were from the old church. During the erection of the new church building, members once again met in the Courthouse, the minister preaching from the place reserved for the court judge. By 1926, the basement was added under the sanctuary. And, in 1927, the church known as Burnsville Methodist Church was renamed Higgins Memorial in honor of John Wesley Higgins. In 2003, our Family Life Center was added for our growing congregation, and so that we could be better equipped to serve our community. We welcome you to become a part of our story! *Most of this information taken from A History of the Methodist Church in the Toe River Valley, by Lloyd Bailey |