About
Highland

On December 4, 1953, The Reverend Brooks Patten was appointed by the North Carolina Conference "to organize a new church in West Raleigh to be known as Ridgewood Methodist Church." On January 14, 1954, this new church had its beginnings with the appointment of the Committee on Church Locations by the Raleigh Board of Missions and Church Extension. This committee selected a site, which was later purchased for the new church by the Raleigh Board of Missions, on the corner of Ridge Road and Lewis Farm Road.

The first worship service was held on May 2, 1954, in the Frances Lacy Elementary School located on the corner of Ridge Road and Lake Boone Trail. Regular services were held in the school until January 1958. On July 21, 1954, the first quarterly conference of the new church was held after a family picnic on the church property at Ridge Road and Lewis Farm Road. Ninety-nine charter members were reported. In September 1954, the church was named Highland Methodist Church.

The lots on the corner of Ridge Road and Lewis Farm Road were seen to be inadequate. This led, in the fall of 1954, to the purchase of the present site consisting of 2.7 acres on the corner of Ridge Road and Lake Boone Trail. The former lots were sold as a part of the transaction.

Early in 1955, Harold E. Wagoner of Philadelphia was selected as the church architect and through the work of planning committees involving virtually the entire congregation, Plans were developed for a four-stage building project consisting of the Fellowship Hall and Chapel, a Church School unit, a youth wing, and a Sanctuary. Ground was broken for construction of the Fellowship Hall and Chapel on February 27, 1957, with Bishop Paul N. Garber presiding. The building was completed in January 1958, at a cost of approximately $100,000. Funds for this first unit included gifts of $15,000 and $1,500 from the North Carolina Conference Board of Missions ($10 Club) and from the National Board of Missions, respectively.

In 1959, The Reverend Albert F. Fisher was appointed as the second pastor, and the administrative wing consisting of four offices was added in 1960. In the summer of 1961, the church purchased the Parsonage located at 2308 Airline Drive. Prior to that time, parsonages had been rented. Because of the rapid growth of membership in March 1961, it was decided to hold two worship services each Sunday morning. This practice has continued to the present day. During that year plans were developed for the Educational Building and the first half of the building was completed in November 1962, at a cost of $102,000. Also, to meet the needs of increasing membership, a full-time Director of Christian Education was added to the church staff in 1963.

In June 1964, The Reverend J. Paul Edwards was appointed as the third pastor. During the first ten years, membership had grown from 99 to 719. The period 1964 to 1969 was marked by continued growth in membership, reaching 1053 by January 1, 1970. The need for construction of the permanent Sanctuary became more and more pressing, and in 1965 a Building Committee was appointed and preliminary plans for the Sanctuary were developed by the architect. Ground was broken on June 30, 1968, and the contract was awarded to Inland Construction Company of Raleigh at a cost of approximately $500,000.

The year 1968 marked the merger of the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren, and resulted in the adoption of the name, Highland United Methodist Church.

In June 1968, The Reverend James A. Auman was appointed as the fourth pastor, and under his leadership the culmination of sixteen years of growth and development were manifested in the consecration of the Sanctuary by Bishop William R. Cannon on January 18, 1970.

In June 1972, The Reverend Jack L. Hunter was appointed as the fifth pastor of Highland Church, and during this period the church grew to a membership of 1851. The stewardship giving of the church had increased to a yearly budget of $241,998.54. In 1974, The Reverend Neil H. Thompson was appointed as the first full-time associate pastor. At the Annual Conference in 1975, Highland Church was the recipient of The Church of the Year Award, awarded to churches with membership of 1000 or more.

In 1980, The Reverend John M. Cline was appointed the sixth pastor of Highland. During his ministry the church celebrated its 30th anniversary in April 1984; The Reverend E. Powell Osteen was appointed the second associate pastor in June 1984; the Highland Service Project was established in July 1985; The Reverend Glenda N. Johnson was appointed as the third associate pastor in 1986; and in September 1987, while celebrating its first homecoming Sunday, the mortgage on the sanctuary was burned!

The Reverend Charles M. Smith was appointed in June 1988 as the seventh pastor of Highland and he and his family moved into the new parsonage as 3021 Sylvania Drive which was purchased in April, 1988. A Building Committee was elected that fall, the adjoining house and lot at the corner of Ridge Rd. and Ocotea Streeet was purchased in 1989 and the house removed later so our parking lot could be expanded. Gary Bailey of Innovative Design in Raleigh was selected as architect and the congregation approved a $2.7 million project which called for the renovation of all existing facilities other than the Sanctuary and the construction of a large, new building with a fellowship hall/gymnasium that would seat over 400 people for a meal, a state-of-the-art commercial kitchen, several classrooms, and an elevator. L.P. Cox Company was chosen as contractor. The new building was tied into the existing facilities with a handsome Breezeway and Courtyard. Crucial to this endeavor was the commitment early on by Hawkins and Jean Bradley of a gift of $1 million. To honor this gift and the many other acts of generous leadership given by the Bradley family, the new building was named the Bradley Activities Center and was consecrated in September, 1992.

Disciple Bible study has been completed by over 160 members of Highland since it was initiated in 1988; two Habitat for Humanity houses were built in 1989 and 1991 and a third is to be built soon; a Missions Work Team was sent to Jamaica just after Christmas in 1990 to rebuild a school destroyed by a hurricane; and Highland agreed to be one of 15 Raleigh, Cary and Garner churches to participate in the Interfaith Hospitality Network through which we will help homeless families several times a year. The Reverend Vickie S. Pruett was appointed associate pastor in 1991 and has given leadership to establish Stephen Ministry; nearly 40 members have received special training in Christian care giving and render great assistance in lay pastoral care. Through the generosity of many members, the indebtedness on our marvelous facilities is less than $600,000 and an Endowment Fund of almost $300,000 has been created. Serious consideration is being given to the possible purchase of a new organ in the near future.

As Highland United Methodist Church entered its 36th year, the membership had grown from its original 99 charter members to a membership of 1920, with an annual budget of $460,195.00.

During 1990 a Building Committee worked diligently to produce recommendations for expansion and renovation of existing education and office facilities. A Building Fund was begun during the 1990 Stewardship drive and Highland received a million dollar gift from a Highland family. A part-time Director of Children Ministry position was added during this year.

A Church Conference was held on January 13, 1991 giving approval for the Church to seek bids, engage a contractor and begin construction and renovation of buildings, parking lots and landscaping on this campus as soon as practical. Bids and final construction plans were approved by a Charge Conference on April 21, 1991, at a cost of $2,490,725. Groundbreaking was held on Pentecost Sunday, May 19, 1991 and construction began June 3, 1991.

Concurrent with building and physical expansion plans, Highland Church has continued to expand missionally as well. 1989 saw completion of its first Habitat House and another Habitat House will be built the summer of 1991 in conjunction with other churches. A Work Team to Jamaica, continued support of missionaries and mission work, local and abroad are signs of a growing missional heart here at Highland.

Highland Church began the year 1991 with a membership of 1897, after a concerted effort to identify people on the Membership Roll who were no longer members, and with a budget of over $526,000.00.

As Highland United Church enters its fifth decade, the membership has grown to a present membership of 1,870 with total giving in 1993 exceeding $1.6 million. We are justifiably proud of our reputation for outreach ministries, our frequent hospitality extended to Annual Conference, ecumenical, and community gatherings, our exemplary programs in music and youth ministry, our expanding ministries to children, families, and older adults, and the overall beauty of our facilities. To God be the glory as we move toward the twenty-first century!

The Reverend James H. Bailey was appointed the eighth senior minister of Highland in June, 1994. At the same time, Reverend James Harry was appointed the fifth associate minister. During their tenure, a parsonage was purchased in May 1995, on Morningside Drive for the associate pastor and his family. This parsonage was later sold and one was purchased on Ocotea Street in 1998, adjacent to the church property. Also in 1998 the Rev. Jim Harry was transferred and the Reverend Jonathan Jeffries was appointed as the sixth associate pastor.

After ten years in the making, the Administrative Board and the Trustees approved the construction of a memorial garden consisting of a columbarium and memorial tablet to be built in front of the church building facing Ridge Road.

This project was completed early in the year 2000.

In November, 1998, the installation of a new Cassavant Organ for the sanctuary was completed at a cost of $427,000, and the dedication service was held in January 1999.

In June 1999, the Reverend James H. Bailey retired and the Reverend William Braswell was appointed as the ninth minister. In July, 1999, Brenda Walton was employed as Congregational Minister.

As Highland United Methodist Church enters the new millennium, it continues to serve in outreach programs (approximately 175 recent ministries); in spiritual growth (an impressive number of ministers and program directors); and in membership numbers (approximately 2,100 in January 2000), it is a dream fulfilled for the early leaders, founders and members (99 in number) who struggled and sacrificed for the impressive structure that now stands on the corner of Ridge Road and Lake Boone Trail in west Raleigh.