Manahawkin Methodist Church Breaks Ground for Addition
The Methodist Church of Manahawkin broke ground on Sunday, November 19, 1961 for a $64,000.00 church school to be erected on the west side of the church on Stafford Avenue. In February 1960, the Quarterly Conference of the Methodist Church established a Building Committee to explore the needs of the expanding church school and how the needs could be met by construction of new facilities.
In November, 1960, a financial crusade was conducted and $42,000.00 in pledges and gifts were received payable over a three year period. Plans for the new building were presented by Architect Floyd A. Cranmer, Jr., and accepted by the Building Committee, the congregation, and the Quarterly Conference.
The plans called for the new unit to be built of masonry construction with brick veneer. It was to be a two-story building with a large fellowship hall, kitchen, five large classrooms, rest rooms, and storage space. Renovations will be made of present facilities to create two adult classrooms, two youth department rooms, the church office and the pastor’s study. A fire escape is also being constructed for the second floor sanctuary. This new unit, renovations, and fire escape will have a total cost of approximately $64,000.00.
Participating in the ground breaking for the new church school at the Manahawkin Methodist Church were left to right; Mrs. Sadie Paul, Chairman of Commission on Education; Mrs. Daniel Soper, President of Methodist Young Adults; Stacey Cranmer, Jr., President of Methodist Youth Fellowship; Mrs. Everett Giberson, President of Fidelity Bible Class; Edward Hazelton, Chairman of Building Committee; the reverend James W. Smith, Pastor; George Bowen, Secretary of Church School; Miss Jeannette Hansen, pupil in Kindergarten; Mrs. George Bowen, President of Woman’s Society of Christen Service; Miss Edna Hazelton, Treasurer of Church School and Secretary of the Board of Trustees, and Milton R. Cranmer, Lay Leader and President of the Board of Trustees.
Source: Local newspaper