In 1867, before Murray was actually a town, the people of the outlying area saw the need of the organization of a Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. and Mrs. Hullum Scott made arrangements with Rev. John Dailey of Osceola who was called a "curcuit rider" to come to the Pennal school house in Troy township and organize a Sunday School and hold preaching services. There were fourteen charter members.

The next year, 1868, the railroad was built and the town laid out. The following spring this group of Methodists moved from the Pennal school house to the railroad warehouse located in the present uptown park.

In 1870 the Baptists built the first Church in Murray, and the Methodist group was invited to worship with them.

In 1873 the first Methodist Church was built at a cost of $2,800. The church stood across the street southwest of the present location. The first pastor was Reverend Sparks, and the first organist was Lulu Scott. Membership totaled 130. The parsonage was located two blocks east of the uptown park and was later moved east of town for a tenant house. This church served the people twenty one years; the membership outgrew its capacity, so a lot and house were purchased, the house moved north for a parsonage, and the second church was built on the corner where the present church stands.

The second church was built in 1894 at a cost of $3,500. R. W. Matheny was the last pastor of church number one, and first of number two. Mrs. O. E. Garrett was first organist who had begun her work as organist in the first church, serving for thirteen years. Reverend Wickersham preached the Dedicatory Sermon. In 1911 the parsonage was remodeled and is still in use at the present time. The second church sent out two missionaries to the foreign fields, Emma and Grace Stockwell. They served over forty years, then retired to a Missionary home in California. Two young men from this church entered the ministry, Arthur Deyey and Henry Husted.

During Reverend Taylor's ministry it seemed

as though the time had come when conditions demanded a modern equipped building, and our people undertook the task of building a $35,000 church, the present place of worship.

In June 1967, the Methodist Church became part of the Clarke County cooperative Methodist Ministry, with Reverend James E. Seibert preaching at Lorimor, Thayer and Murray. The present membership of the Murray Church is 258.

Ministers who have served the Murray Methodist Church:

Dailey, Reed, Sparks, Hughes, Conrad,Deshler, Austin, Hancox, Hover.

The existing records begin with: J. E. Nichol-1883-1885; C. W, Stuart — 1885-1887; J. W. Bott — 1887-1892 (Murray left the circuit and was made a station in 1888); Fred Sheldon —1892-1893; R. W. Matheny — 1893-1896; John F. Gibson — 1896-1898; W. L, Douglass —1898-1900; J. W. Bott — 1900-1902; J. D. Sparks — 1902-1904; E. C. Newland — 1904­1907; A, A, Thompson — 1907; C. S. Burnett — 1907-1908; L, S, Carter — May 1909 (transferred from California and exchanged with Burnett); G. W. Palmer — 1910-1912; C. A. Main — 1912 (here five months); L. E. Ripley ) 1913-1916; J, W. Taylor — 1916-1919; C. W, Proctor — 1919-1921; George Hall ) C. W. Proctor — 1919-1921; George Hall — 1921-1923; Lucious Smith — 1923-1924; E. O. Douglass — 1924-1926; O. S. Hasseltine —1926-1928; Charles H. Miller — 1928-1931; E. L. Bellows —1931-1933; M. D. Cox —1933­1938; I. R. Magers — 1938-1941 (at this time conference was changed from September to June); Martin O. McKenzie — 1941-1944; R. Underwood — 1944-1948; K. E. Nesbit — 1948­1953; Lacey Thompson — 1953-1957; H. W. Kinzler —1957-1962; Thomas Harlan — (Baptist Supply) 1962-January 1964; Tom C. Murr —January 1964-August 1964; Lester Greenwood—Sept. 1964-June 1965; John Hall — 1965-Dec. 1966; M. Ellsworth Walker — (South-Iowa Conference Treasurer supplied) Dec. 1966-June 1967. The present pastor, James E. Seibert —1967-.