Pride can sometimes get in the way of progress.

That’s why the birth of Oxford First United Methodist Church is so exciting.

The two longstanding Oxford church congregations coming together as one – Burns United Method Church and Hammitt Hill United Methodist Church to form Oxford First — means that some caring people, loyal to their smaller churches, had to be willing to let go of a proud past to reach to an enriching future.

Foregoing years of history at the two churches with long, rich histories in Oxford African American community certainly wasn’t easy. Burns, for instance, has been a part of Oxford since the 1860s, located for many years just off the Square.

Hammitt Hill, with a more rural setting, was also founded in the late 1800s. The legacy of these churches in Oxford’s African American community, and in the community as a whole, is one of deepest respect.

But in recent years the small churches longed for more that smaller settings could not provide.

Enter the Rev. Chris Diggs who helped bring the churches together, as one.

Today, Oxford has a new church, a proud church, built upon rich legacies that will long live.