Open hearts
in the heart of downtown.

.elementor-accordian > div:first-of-type {display:none;}Members serving as greeters and ushers will welcome you at the front door and provide a printed bulletin.

Our traditional service includes congregational hymns

Sunday School if at __ for adults and children.

Adult classes:

Children:

The nursery is open from 9:45 AM (so parents can attend Sunday School if they wish) until 12 PM. Children are welcome in the 11 AM worship service or may remain in a nursery group (birth through age 2; and ages 3 through 5; a third group, “Worship Readiness,” includes grades K-5.)

During the service, children from the nursery are brought into the sanctuary by nursery workers, and kids already seated in the sanctuary  are invited to the front to participate in a children’s moment. Children then rejoin their parents or return to the nursery areas (Education building).

We observe “Safe Sanctuary Practices” throughout our Children’s Ministries.

We are a downtown church!

•  Some parking spaces are available adjacent to our sanctuary building, but they fill up quickly.
• Handicapped parking spaces and limited spaces for parents with young children are located next to the Education Building, to the left as one is facing the sanctuary. 
• On Sundays we use the angled, free spaces  up and down Valley River Avenue as well as spaces in Civic Credit Union lot

An elevator entrance is on the building’s ground level to the right of the main doors. It rises to the main lobby area of the first (sanctuary) floor. See map.

• To board the elevator, ….. 
• Balcony seating is not handicap accessible.
• Designated handicapped parking spaces are  in the parking area directly adjacent to both church buildings.
• We gladly accommodate persons who wish to be served Communion (usually on first Sunday of the month)  in the pew.
•  A restroom is located on the ground level.

All are welcome–no exceptions.

• • We celebrate Holy Communion on the first Sunday of each month as well as at special times like Holy Week.
  • One need not be a member of this or any church. Our table is open to all who “truly and earnestly repent of your sins, and are in love and charity with your neighbors, and intend to lead a new life, following the commandments of God, and walking from henceforth in his holy ways.”
  • We provide alternative communion elements to persons who prefer gluten free wafers or individual cups.
  • Communion is an integral sacrament of United Methodism.

United Methodists celebrate infant baptism as well as baptism for children, youth, and adults; liturgies for these services are located at the front of our hymnal. At Murphy First, this sacrament does not ordinarily involve baptism by immersion, although it is certainly not forbidden.

The process of becoming a member of the church can involve meeting with the pastor,  confirmation classes for children and youth, etc. We welcome transfers from other denominations and other United Methodist congregations as well as newly baptized Christians.

Speak to our pastor for more details about membership and baptism, but here are some basics.

Members vow to participate in the ministries of the church through their prayers, their presence, their gifts, their service, and their witness. See complete vows.

• As Methodists, we trace our beginnings back to the ministry of John Wesley.

• The United Methodist Church links churches all around the US and the world, pooling talents, resources, and efforts as it makes “disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” Through our connection we can “accomplish far more than any one local church or person could alone.”

• United Methodist churches share common beliefs and principles that guide us as we grow spiritually and engage with the world. 

• In recent years, conflicts surrounding differing beliefs fractured some connections. Moving forward, Murphy FUMC remains within the UMC connection, recognizing the sacred worth of all individuals, the immensity of God’s grace, and the wideness of God’s mercy. We welcome all. No exceptions.
• We are part of:the United Methodist Church’s  Smoky Mountain District (45 churches, one district superintendent), which is part of the Western North Carolina Conference (8 districts, 623 churches, one bishop), which is part of the Southeastern Jurisdiction  (across 11 states and 14 Annual Conferences), which is part of the General Conference (five US jurisdictions plus seven worldwide conferences). A vast and strong connection.

“The United Methodist Church forms disciples of Jesus Christ who, empowered by the Holy Spirit, love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously in local communities and worldwide connections.”                  UMC Vision Statement, May 2025