1879 · The church begins
The community traces John Wesley’s beginning to 1879. The church at 3303 Blackwater Road became a place of worship, marriage, mourning, music, and belonging for the Lina’s Road families. The founding date and the construction date of the present building should not be assumed to be the same.
1891–1901 · Family milestones
Julie Spicer Ennalls and Lincoln Little Stafford married at John Wesley on February 21, 1891. Dorothy Ann Ennalls and David Abraham McCready married there on November 3, 1901. These family milestones show the church’s place in community life across generations.
The twentieth century · A congregation sustained by service
Members carried the everyday work of worship and care. George Harrison Meekins Sr. served as Singing and Praying Band captain, class leader, lay speaker, trustee, choir member, and usher.
Mary Catherine Cornish served as communion steward, church clerk, lay speaker, treasurer, and a lay delegate to the Annual Peninsula Conference. Her funeral was held at John Wesley in April 1985. The Singing and Praying Band is an enduring part of the community’s remembered religious life.
1960 · Land for the church
Thomas T. Spicer conveyed approximately four acres opposite the church to its trustees in 1960. This transaction is part of the story of the land entrusted to the congregation; it does not establish the church’s founding or the cemetery’s earliest burial.
2005 and beyond · Continuing connections
Arthur “Auf” McNamara, a lifelong Lina’s Road resident and supporter of church ministries, was remembered at John Wesley in May 2005. Worship, memorials, family gatherings, and descendants’ memories continue to connect the church with the people of the road.
The preservation effort · A new chapter
The Group reports that a transfer petition covering the church, school, and cemetery was submitted in October 2025 and approved by the church trustees. Transfer of title remains in progress in the project account.
The Lina’s Road Community Heritage Group seeks to preserve the church’s sacred character and continued use. That work includes roof repairs, sanctuary care, plumbing, pews, groundskeeping, insurance, and building maintenance.