Frazer Memorial Methodist Church began in 1889 when a local

preacher organized a Sunday school in a storeroom on Holt

Street in Montgomery, Alabama. The group started to grow and

purchased a house on Heron Street as a meeting place. In 1892 a

minister was assigned to the group and the church was organized. In

1898 property was purchased on Clayton Street and the name was

changed to Clayton Street Methodist Church. The church remained

there and grew. In 1937 the name of the church was changed from

Clayton Street to Frazer Memorial.

In the 1960s Frazer Memorial Church had about 500 members.

Interstates 85 and 65 were planned to intersect just a few blocks west

of the church. This intersection required the purchase of large plots of

land near the church building. Most people in the parish area had to

relocate to other sections of the city. It became apparent that the

interstate system had destroyed the neighborhood concept around

which Frazer Memorial was built.

A committee was formed to discuss the future of Frazer Memorial.

Most of the members had relocated to different parts of the city.

Relocation of the church property would be difficult because there was

no particular section of the city to which many members had moved.

Some local consultants, and outside consultants from the denomina-

tional headquarters, were involved in the decision making. Because

the members had relocated to such different geographical locations in

the city, the consultants basically suggested that the church disband

and encourage the members to join Methodist congregations near

their new residences.

The committee at Frazer insisted that God still had a future for their

congregation and that some means of relocation should be worked out.

Initially some property in the south section of the city was offered to

Frazer. The congregation, actually purchased a parsonage near that

property. However, some events led district leaders to give that prop-

erty to another congregation. The consultants came back to the local