![Church Logo Dark[2526].png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/eff051_b77e3e8d839d4c3c999a8245617f75b5~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_0,y_0,w_4160,h_3886/fill/w_184,h_171,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/Church%20Logo%20Dark%5B2526%5D.png)
THE HISTORY OF THE
FIRST UNITED METHODIST
Open Hearts. Open Minds. Open Doors.
The United Methodist Church was created in 1968, but Methodism dates back to 1730 when John and Charles Wesley, who sought to spread the Methodist movement, began as a student small group at Oxford University. 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.
As one of our hymns states, "The church is not a building, the church is not a steeple, the church is not a resting place, the church is a people"
OUR MISSION
The mission of the Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world by proclaiming the good news of God's grace and by exemplifying Jesus' command to love God and neighbor, thus seeking the fulfillment of God's reign and realm in the world. The fulfillment of God's reign and realm in the world is the vision Scripture holds before us.
The United Methodist Church affirms that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Savior of the world, and the Lord of all. As we make disciples, we respect persons of all religious faiths and we defend religious freedom for all persons. Jesus' words in Matthew provide the Church with our mission:
"Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I've commanded you" (28:19-20), and "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, and with all your mind. . . . You must love your neighbor as you love yourself" (22:37, 39).
“Light yourself on fire with passion and people will come from miles to watch you burn.”
- John Wesley
