“The Most Refreshing Hour of Your Week!”Dr. Jim
Discovery United Methodist Church was founded by Dr. Jim and Avis Lavender in 1983. Services started in a field and were often held on bails of hay, under a tent, and then in a trailer. One of the first community events was an ice cream social under the pine trees. The site was originally the company store of the Gayton Mining Company. The Spirit of Discovery has always been to reach people with the Good News of Jesus Christ. This has historically been done through a focus on children, interesting people, live animals, and dynamic down to earth preaching. Discovery is a place of new beginnings and new life. When Dr. Jim retired in 2016 Rev. Ed. Pruit served as the interim pastor for the year. In July 2017 the Rev. Adam Sowder was appointed as the pastor where he is helping capture the Spirit of Discovery in our new vision for the future to help us grow as disciples of Jesus Christ through Discovery in Worship, Discovery in Relationships, and Discovery in Community.