The history of
Tuskawilla United Methodist Church began in June of 1980 when seventeen
worshipers gathered at Harbor School for services. The Reverend Barbara
Williams Riddle was the founding pastor and within three months had expanded
this infant church to forty-five. The congregation found a temporary
worship center across the road at Red Bug Elementary. The congregation
became chartered on December 14, 1980 with seventy-one members and fifteen
preparatory members.
The first building, a
6,900 square foot multi-purpose facility and our current fellowship hall,
was ready for occupancy in November of 1982.
The church was
growing in numbers and needed space for Sunday School classes, meetings,
youth group and more. The two-story education building was the second phase
of construction reaching completion in June 1987.
TUMC's preschool, the
Early Childhood Weekday Program, began in the fall of that year with Nancy
Scheid as director.
TUMC bid farewell to
the Riddles in 1988 and welcomed our newly-assigned pastor, Reverend David
Fuller, in June. Rev. Fuller concentrated on church programs during his
tenure. He initiated our age group ministries and continued the growth and
nurturing of our youth programs.
June of 1992 brought
a new pastor to the TUMC family, Dr. Glenn L. Quam.
Dr. Quam paved the
way for a new building program by negotiating the purchase of property
adjacent to TUMC. This property opened the possibility of expansion,
ultimately resulting in our new sanctuary.
Rev. Samuel "Skip" Parvin became our pastor in June of 1994. Rev. Parvin began a three-year
stewardship program in 1996 to fund the building of our new sanctuary. The
fruits of this campaign became a reality when the beautiful worship center,
complete with stained glass windows, was consecrated on February 27, 2000.
Rev. Charley Reeb
took the TUMC leadership reins in June of 2003. Under Pastor Charley's
leadership, small group studies became a vital part of the church's focus.
With a passion for people and preaching, Pastor Charley will be remembered
fondly by his huge and frequent laughter!
In July 2008, TUMC
welcomed its current leader, Reverend Dwayne
Craig. With a desire to
see our congregation become more-reflective of the larger Christian
community, Reverend Craig encourages the church to be more intentional about
including folks of all walks of life, all ethnicities, all skin colors, all
socio-economic backgrounds, those with disabilities, and anyone who desires
to be a Christian. Unity and inclusiveness are important themes that
are woven into all areas of TUMC.
Currently our average
attendance on Sunday morning is over 300 worshipers. Many lives have been
touched and drawn closer to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, during the
existence of this United Methodist church in the pines on Red Bug Lake
Road. May the next twenty-five years bring as much growth and excitement as
we have seen in the last quarter century where we live out our vision
statement, "Belong, Grow, and Serve."
The history of
Tuskawilla United Methodist Church began in June of 1980 when seventeen
worshipers gathered at Harbor School for services. The Reverend Barbara
Williams Riddle was the founding pastor and within three months had expanded
this infant church to forty-five. The congregation found a temporary
worship center across the road at Red Bug Elementary. The congregation
became chartered on December 14, 1980 with seventy-one members and fifteen
preparatory members.
The church was
growing in numbers and needed space for Sunday School classes, meetings,
youth group and more. The two-story education building was the second phase
of construction reaching completion in June 1987.
TUMC bid farewell to
the Riddles in 1988 and welcomed our newly-assigned pastor, Reverend David
Fuller, in June. Rev. Fuller concentrated on church programs during his
tenure. He initiated our age group ministries and continued the growth and
nurturing of our youth programs.
June of 1992 brought
a new pastor to the TUMC family, Dr. Glenn L. Quam. 
Rev. Samuel "Skip" Parvin became our pastor in June of 1994. Rev. Parvin began a three-year
stewardship program in 1996 to fund the building of our new sanctuary. The
fruits of this campaign became a reality when the beautiful worship center,
complete with stained glass windows, was consecrated on February 27, 2000.
Rev. Charley Reeb
took the TUMC leadership reins in June of 2003. Under Pastor Charley's
leadership, small group studies became a vital part of the church's focus.
With a passion for people and preaching, Pastor Charley will be remembered
fondly by his huge and frequent laughter!
Currently our average
attendance on Sunday morning is over 300 worshipers. Many lives have been
touched and drawn closer to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, during the
existence of this United Methodist church in the pines on Red Bug Lake
Road. May the next twenty-five years bring as much growth and excitement as
we have seen in the last quarter century where we live out our vision
statement, "Belong, Grow, and Serve."