Rich History of Sedalia’s First UMC Remembered at Candlelight Vigil

With the smell of smoke still hanging in the air, well over 200 people gathered on Osage Street in Sedalia to hold a candlelight vigil Thursday for a 128-year-old church that was devastated by a raging fire the night before.

First United Methodist Church Pastor Jim Downing, who was on a mission trip to Israel when the fire occurred, somehow made it home in time to lead the 10-minute ceremony, along with associate pastor Mike Cassidy.

Many in the crowd had a rich history with the church, built in 1888. Some have been married (or attended weddings), been baptized or attended services at the downtown facility, the outer walls of which were made of limestone. Some attended weekly Boy Scout meetings.

Although no one was injured in the blaze, it was a mournful occasion for those attending the brief ceremony held near the Sedalia UMC, still visibly smoldering near the south wall.

Pastor Downing reminded parishioners that a church is comprised of its congregation, not just a building. Reportedly, First UMC has around 1,000 members, 100 of whom attended weekly services at the downtown facility located at Fourth and Osage. All services will now take place at the Celebration Center, 1701 W. 32nd Street. The downtown facility will be demolished Friday morning starting at 8 a.m. due to safety concerns, it was reported.

The fire was reported at 9:49 p.m. Wednesday by Sedalia Police Sgt. Ryan Reed, who was driving by at the time. He noticed smoke flowing out of a basement window and called 911 and the first unit from the Sedalia Fire Department was on the scene in three minutes, according to Deputy Fire Chief Greg Harrell. The church was fully engulfed shortly thereafter, with high winds whipping the flames into a frenzy and sending glowing embers high into the sky, drifting northwest.

The Pettis County Fire Protection District was called for mutual aid in keeping nearby buildings safe from those embers throughout the night.

The State Fire Marshall's office was notified about an hour after the blaze was discovered and was on the scene Thursday morning as well as the ATF and an insurance inspector. Reportedly, arson has been ruled out as a cause of the massive blaze, which could be seen over most of Sedalia at its most intense.

Both Harrell and Reed were connected to First UMC. Harrell is a member and Reed got married at the downtown church.