Our History

In the 1750s, early settlers of the Dutch Fork region in South Carolina created a bush arbor over their place of worship. The place of worship was located on the west side of a road, which is now Shady Grove Road. In the 1770s, a log building was built west of the road, which was named Busby Road at the time (present-day Shady Grove Road). The building was referred to as "Busby's Meeting House". During this time, the church was ministered by circuit riders. One of these circuit riders was possibly Francis Asbury. In 1784, the church was admitted into the Methodist Church. 

In the 1830s, the original Meeting House was replaced with a new frame building. The frame building was built on the east side of Busby Road and faced the intersection of present-day Shady Grove Road and St. Johns Road. 

In 1910, another frame building replaced the older frame building. The new frame building stood on the current site of the church and served as the foundation of the current church. The building had two inside doors and two aisles, and had a window over the entrance with the words "Shady Grove Methodist Church". In 1923, an acre of land adjacent to the church was purchased by E.A. Bouknight. Sunday school rooms were added to the side of the church in 1924, which is now the choir area of the church. In the early 1940s, a separate Sunday school building was completed. In 1954, 1.4 acres of land adjacent to the church was purchased by D.S. Bouknight. 

In the late 1950s, the church underwent a significant change; the interior and exterior of the church were remodeled, where the steeple was changed and the two inside doors and two aisles were reduced to one inside door and one aisle. Sometime between the late 1950s and early 1960s, stained glass windows were added to the church. The original windows were donated in honor of loved ones. The first well for the church was dug in 1961. In 1962, Union Methodist Church became a station church. This had left Shady Grove and Salem in the Irmo Charge. The Fellowship Hall was built from 1962 to 1963 and was marked as the last building project undergone solely by church members. From 1966 to 1968, the current Education building was constructed. The Sunday school building from the 1940s was razed, and the entrance to the sanctuary was changed from the right side of the pulpit to the left side. 

In 1968, the church was renamed to "Shady Grove United Methodist Church" after the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren merged to become the United Methodist Church. In 1969, Salem became a station church, which left Shady Grove and St. Johns to form a Charge. Sometime in the mid-1970s, the front of the church was remodeled and a covered porch was added. 

In 1977, Shady Grove became a station church. Because of this, the church had its first-ever full-time minister and a parsonage was built on 2.1 acres of land on 2744 Kennerly Road to house the minister. Mr. and Mrs. Ronald F. Johns gave the land for the parsonage. In 1978, central heating and air-conditioning were installed in the sanctuary. The handicap ramp was added to the side of the sanctuary in 1980. A second well was created (which replaced the first well) around 1981. The kitchen in the Fellowship Hall was remodeled around this time. 

In 1983, a pictorial directory of church members was made, the interior of the sanctuary was remodeled, the walls and ceiling of the church were replaced with wood paneling, and new light fixtures were installed. In 1987, 5.18 acres of land adjacent to the church was given by Woodmont Associates. A processional cross was donated by the James Mont Sunday School Class in memory of Ronnie Northcutt. One hundred new hymnals were donated by the United Methodist Women with proceeds from their cookbook sale. In 1989, 2.92 acres of land adjacent to the church was bought from Robert S. Eleazer. In 1994, 2.82 acres of land adjacent to the church was bought from Charles Eleazer.

 In 1995, a Building Committee was formed to cooperate with an architect to develop plans for a church complex east of St. Johns Road and facing Shady Grove Road. In 2000, the Family Life Center was completed. The building included a gym, full kitchen, stage, and classrooms. In 2006, the Fellowship Hall underwent remodeling; new wallpaper, paint, lights, and window treatments were added by the UMW and others. Around 2009, the floors in the sanctuary were refinished and new carpeting was added. In 2011, the stained glass windows in the church were removed, restored, and reinstalled.