Rosman United Methodist Church

The Methodist church in Rosman was actually first a Presbyterian Church, built by the Presbytery North to be used as a school as well as a church in the Rosman community.Miss Lucy Smith was the first missionary teacher. In fact, the church building served as a school in the Rosman community until the first “brick” school building was erected in1924. The wooden building and adjoining property was purchased for the Methodist Episcopal Church when a deed dated April 15, 1908 from R.R. and Arie Glazener was drawn to Joseph Silversteen.

The Rev. R.C. Kirk was appointed as the church’s first Methodist pastor in November 1909. Among the founding members were James Robert Mahoney, his wife Fannie Gussie Simpson Mahoney and their daughter Alice. Mr. Mahoney moved with his family from Georgia to Rosman and was a tannery laborer at the Toxaway Tanning Company. Thomas Bortelson, a saw filer at the Gloucester Lumber Company, also joined along with his wife, Mary. The other original members were Leroy Malgum Watkins and Baylus Baynard.

Planning for a new church and parsonage began in 1953 when Rev. Neal McGlamary was the pastor. After much deliberation, the members decided to sell the church property and the parsonage lot and relocate the church a few feet higher up the hill on Church Street in Rosman. Rev. W.A. Kerr, Jr. led the ground breaking service on May 3, 1957 for the brick structure that serves as the church today. The parsonage was built later in 1959. The Rev. James B. Thomas was the general contractor as well as the minister of the church from 1959-1962.

The name of the church became Rosman United Methodist Church in 1968 when the Methodist and Evangelical Brethren churches united. For a short period of time the church has been in the Asheville District of the Western North Carolina Annual Conferene, except from 1932-1939 when it was part of the Waynesville District.

Today, Rosman United Methodist Church has a membership of 73 persons and continues to serve and meet the needs of people in the surrounding community. The church operates a monthly Food Pantry that serves an average of 100 persons in the area each month. The people of Rosman United Methodist Church welcome all to join them in living the call to love God and one another wholeheartedly.