3401 S. Conway Road
Orlando, FL 32812
(407) 277-5010
The History of
Conway United Methodist Church
The church now known as Conway United Methodist Church began in 1870 with worship services held in different homes in the community. It was not until 1874 that the church was officially organized when Mr. and Mrs. M. M. Mizell donated two acres of land on the corner of Conway and Anderson. One acre was designated as a cemetery (it is still part of the church facility). On the second acre the members built a log cabin type structure that looked somewhat like the sketch on the left (with fire ring out front) that served as their meeting place. The Rev. James D. McDonald was the 1st circuit rider for the newly organized church then known as "Prospect Methodist Episcopal Church South". It had 11 members.
In 1881 the members cut trees, took them to the sawmill, brought the lumber back and built the wooden frame building pictured on the left. This building served well until it was replaced by a fellowship hall (now named Callaway Hall) in 1959. This new (in 1874) building served as the fellowship hall, recreation facility and sanctuary until completion of our current Sanctuary in 1973. The current Sanctuary is pictured below. Part of the original 1874 frame building is preserved, physically, in the sanctuary today as an inlay into the top of our altar table. The fellowship hall was remodeled in 1994, named Callaway Hall and serves as our administration building and provides library, meeting and classroom space.
