"Make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world"

Our Mission

Mission Statement

"Make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world." Mat. 28:19-20

What we are about

Loving God and Neighbor is not just a catchy slogan; it is the litmus test for everything we do as a church. When Jesus was asked which commandment in the law was the greatest, he answered by saying, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:36-39)

It is our hope that everyone who enters our doors experience the presence of God, so that they may grow in their love of God, a love that reaches the very depths of their being. We also challenge our people to love their neighbor as God has loved them and then to demonstrate that love by reaching out in love to those beyond our walls.

We are children, youth and adults who are on a spiritual journey. We have not arrived! We remain open to the leadership of God’s Holy Spirit to mold and make us into the kind of church that people will be drawn to as they seek answers to life’s deepest questions in a non-threatening, non-judgmental environment. It is our sincere desire to be a grace-filled, love-saturated body of believers who demonstrate the spirit of Christ in all that we do and say.

It is our sincere prayer that you will feel God’s love from your very first visit; and that having felt it, you will continue to grow with us as we go forth to serve in the name of Christ, sharing God’s grace and love.

History of our church

A brief history of Waverly United Methodist Church by Richard A. Rice , Church Historian.

Over the years of the church’s existence in our community, it has been known by several names, including Waverly Methodist Episcopal Church, Waverly Methodist Episcopal Church South, Waverly Methodist Church, and with the merger of the Methodist and Evangelical United Brethren denominations in 1968, it became the Waverly United Methodist Church. Some documents throughout the years have prefaced the name with “First” and it is now often referred to as such.

Much of the church’s history has been lost for reasons unknown. It is suspected that many records were kept in the homes of church members and when they passed on the records were destroyed. Another factor is that the early church did not have a library or other repository in which to store documents relating to church history. These are at least some of the reasons why this work is partially entitled: A Brief History of our church.

However, some things have survived the ravages of time and are contained herein. Among those are: (1) A History of the Methodist Church, Waverly, Tennessee, written from memory in 1940 by Dr. W.W. Slayden, son of Dr. William Marshall Slayden, a Civil War surgeon, (2) a history by an unknown author, entitled Waverly Methodists Throughout The Years and, (3) a circa 1954 history by Kathryn S. Nelson, which is only partial and apparently part of a larger work entitled, Institutions in Middle Tennessee. Kathryn was a former church historian and a sister of our current member, Jane Owens.

It is hoped that reading this booklet will give the reader a greater understanding of and appreciation for our church. The church didn’t just happen – it has evolved from humble beginnings in 1806 to our present state by the prayers and sacrifices of many dedicated Christians, called Methodists. It survived the terrible tribulations that visited this area during and after the Civil War. It survived other wars, depressions, recessions and has emerged to be the loving, caring church it is today.