From the Archive: ‘The church at the bend in the road’

One of the most recognizable buildings on the island is the First United Methodist Church at the intersection of Palm Boulevard and 21st Avenue. Prior to the days of using a GPS app for driving directions, “the church at the bend in the road” served as an important landmark as the dividing line of the island when giving or following directions; you were either trying to describe a location before the church or after it. But when construction of the church was completed in 1952, there was no curve in Palm Boulevard. The church was literally the end of the road, so to speak. Everything beyond it was woods.

The UMC was the first church to be built on the island. Before then, Methodist church goers had to drive all the way to Mount Pleasant to attend Sunday services and weekly Bible study. With only the Ben Sawyer Bridge connecting the islands to Mount Pleasant, the commute made for a long trip each way. Especially for a 6-year-old named Bob Deans. On one of those Sunday morning rides in 1949, the youngster posed the question to Betty and Clyde Dangerfield, the couple with whom he was riding, as to when a church would be built on the island. From the mouths of babes, as they say.

So, the couple, along with over 20 other island residents, decided the boy’s question was a good reason to pursue such a goal. Developer J.C. Long donated land for a sanctuary, and congregants met for Sunday worship at the original Exchange Club on Front Beach until the building was completed. Thirty-seven years later, Hurricane Hugo dealt a nasty blow to the property, but the congregation focused on what they could do to help their neighbors while making repairs to their own homes and the church.

When repairs to the property were finally completed, the church members didn’t rest on their laurels. In 1993, a group of women thought it was time for the congregation to join in a Lowcountry tradition that had been popular in other Charleston-area churches for over half a century – an annual spring tearoom and craft boutique to raise funds for the church’s missions in the community.

One of the original volunteers for the event was Inge Baechler, known not only for her scrumptious dessert, a turtle cheesecake, but for continuing to help in the tearoom even after her 100th birthday. Today, the famous dessert with a drizzle of chocolate and pieces of Heath bars is named after her. Baechler’s influence went beyond providing sustenance to the diners, however. She saw the tearoom as a way for newcomers to become involved in the church, and she urged committee members to invite them to participate. The event is “a way for the church family and the community to come together,” said Dolly Dangerfield Cannon, who worshiped in the church growing up and serves as a tearoom coordinator.

So if you missed the luncheon last month with its tempting offerings of shrimp salad, okra soup and chicken salad along with a boutique featuring an assortment of unique items made by the church’s Crafty Ladies volunteers, there’s always next year. In the meantime, you may even want to get in on the faith, fellowship and fun and become a member of the church community. The UMC welcomes visitors and new members all year with a variety of activities for folks of all ages.

By Mary Coy