First United Methodist Church of West Branch

2490 W State Road, West Branch, MI 48661

Phone: 989-345-0210

First United Methodist Church of West Branch

     First United Methodist Church traces its history to meetings in a home in West Branch in 1875. For a time, the church met in the Opera House in downtown West Branch. The church was officially chartered in 1881, and the same year construction began on a church building on the corner of Second Street and Houghton Avenue (most recently the site of National City Bank). For many years, the church hosted an annual summer Camp Meeting at Peach Lake. In 1966 the congregation moved into its current building on the corner of State and Fairview. The Pastor's residence next door was bought in 1976.

History

  The United Methodist church is a mainstream Protestant denomination which grew out of the Church of England in 1784 after the Revolutionary War. John Wesley, a priest in the Church of England, and his brother Charles were the founders of the Methodist movement. Methodism has emphasized God’s grace for all people and the building of both personal and social holiness.