The History of Aldersgate Methodist Church
In 1868, an acre of ground on Hays Avenue in the eastern part of Jackson, TN was purchased from the nieces and nephews of Andrew Jackson. A small frame building was built and the first service in this new church was held on February 21, 1869. This was the birth of what is today Aldersgate Methodist Church.
The church has gone through several name changes but was called Hays Avenue United Methodist Church from 1890 until 1980. In that location, the congregation ministered to the spiritual needs of the people in that section of the city.
With the tremendous growth in the size of Jackson and population shifts in the 1960’s and 1970’s, the congregation began to move in different directions. The church was faced with the decision to move its location. In 1980, the move was made to a new facility at the corner of North Parkway and Campbell Street, and the name was changed to Aldersgate. This was a reminder of John Wesley’s “heart-warming” experience on Aldersgate Street in London in 1738, which was considered the beginning of Methodism.