Welcome to St. Mark's Global Methodist Church!

In 1836 the first deed was made for the erection of a Methodist Episcopal Church and a Seminary of Learning in the town of Louisville, TN.   Only five years before Nathaniel Cox had been appointed postmaster and a few years after the first settlers had come into this location.  The first Church was a frame building, located near the river and where the old cemetery was located.

In the early years Louisville was a busy and growing town.  In the decade from 1835 to 1845, after steamboats started regular runs up and down the Tennessee River, Louisville located favorably on one of the bends, was an important trade center.

Considering Louisville's rapid growth, the little frame Church soon proved inadequate. 

In 1853 the new house was completed.  The brick in the great twenty-two inch walls were burnt locally by a man who traveled through the country.  The fine windows of translucent glass were made very large in keeping with the general plans of the building.

In 1867 and in 1873 Louisville was inundated by the floodwaters of the river.  In 1873, when the water rose to fifty feet, it is said that C.R. Love paddled a canoe into the Church and took out the archives that were kept in the pulpit.

With the fear of another great flood lingering in their minds a drastic change was needed for Louisville.  This drastic change was the building of the Fort Loudon Dam by the Tennessee Valley Authority.  

The Louisville Methodist Church moved to Louisville Road.  When the decision to make this change was made the name of the Church was changed to St. Mark's at a called Charge Conference meeting held in May of 1942.  The vote was unanimous.  The bricks on the old Louisville Methodist Church were very meticulously taken down brick by brick.  They were then cleaned by the women and the Pastor so they could be used to reconstruct a new sanctuary.  The present sanctuary was constructed and a dedication service was held on November 19, 1944.