We certainly look different today than we did we did at our creation in 1842. Generations have come and gone, leaving their legacies as they journeyed through life.
We have seen many a United Methodist Women group, Scout troop, Sunday school group, mission trip, choir (chancel, children's and bell), volunteer and pastor do wonderful work in the name of Christ. Many a meal has been prepared and shared at First United Methodist.
The cornerstone for our current location was laid in 1926 with completion in 1929. We have seen many a renovation as well as the addition of The New Life Center in 2005.
As a denomination, Methodism began because of John Wesley, his brother Charles, and others’ desire to grow as disciples of Jesus Christ. Together they pursued “holiness of heart and life,” which Wesley described as “universal love filling the heart, and governing the life” The dual emphasis on both what we believe and how we live, is essential to United Methodism today.
Wesley believed that Scripture teaches that we are incapable of achieving holiness under our own power. Instead, we receive it as a gift because of God’s great love for each and every one of us. Christians use the word grace to describe the gift of God doing for us what we cannot do on our own.
In it's current form, The United Methodist Church was created in 1968. As mentioned above, Methodism dates back to John and Charles Wesley who sought to spread the Methodist movement as they began a student small group at Oxford. At about the same time, people like Philip Otterbein and Martin Boehm were leading similar movements that helped people grow in their faith. Those two strands of Christianity came together decades later to form The United Methodist Church.