The History of Nelson United Methodist Church
Four Churches Became One
Nelson United Methodist Church was established in 1983 by a merger of four congregations in the Lovingston-Arrington area of Nelson County: Lovingston, Centenary, Montreal, and Elmington. In 1980, the Centenary and Lovingston churches developed a plan of merger and put both buildings up for sale, found four acres of land on Route 29 just south of Lovingston, bought it for $20,000, and began building the new church they decided to call Nelson United Methodist Church. Three years later, in 1983, the new building was completed, and the two congregations became one. Later that year, Montreal Church took place in the merger and so there were three congregations in the new church. Catching the spirit of merger, in 1984, the fourth church, Elmington, decided to join the congregation. And so, the four churches became one, establishing a congregation of roughly 350 members.