The United Methodist Church of Geneva kicked off its 185th anniversary celebration on Sunday, September 8.

The celebration will culminate with a weekend of events Friday, Sept. 27-Sunday, Sept. 29:

• An evening of homecoming and history, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27

• A community block party and open house, noon to 4 p.m. Sept. 28

• A celebration worship service and reception, 9 a.m. to noon, Sept. 29

The public is invited. Admission and parking are free.

According to Rev. Rob Hamilton, pastor, Geneva UMC was born in 1839 when the first Methodist class met with three unidentified people. Rev. Hamilton said, "From these humble beginnings, a movement grew that would eventually lead to the establishment of The United Methodist Church of Geneva."

Church history, he noted, reflects both growth and challenge. By 1850, 79 members erected the first Methodist Church in Geneva, a modest 30-feet by 40-feet structure. As the church grew, so did its influence and reach.

By 1872, construction of a new church building started at Second and Hamilton streets, the church's current location. It featured 12 stained-glass memorial windows.

Additions in 1958, 1982, and 1999 increased sanctuary capacity to over 450 seats. Growth wasn’t always steady. There were times when the church struggled—financial difficulties in 1877, and more recently, a decrease in membership from the heights of the late 20th century.

He explained, "For 40 years, we were a large church with three packed worship services each Sunday, 600 or more on Sunday and 1,300 or more on Christmas and Easter. Today, our numbers are smaller. It’s easy to feel discouraged and to long for the days when the sanctuary was full. But just as those early Methodists didn’t let small numbers hold them back, neither should we.”

For more information, visit genevaumc.org.

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