List of Methodist churches

Last updated

This is a list of notable Methodist churches, either of notable congregations or of notable buildings or other places of worship. This very limited list reflects historically interesting sites, and omits most of the very largest Methodist congregations. Since the founding of Methodism in the mid-18th century, the movement has spread throughout the world, and remains a presence in many countries today.

Contents

Many church buildings are notable for their historical or architectural significance. Many of the historic churches can be found in the United Kingdom and the United States, but some are also located in Canada, China, Korea and other in countries where there has been a Methodist presence. In some cases the congregation which established the church has since disbanded but the building remains. This list is intended to comprehensively index notable Methodist churches world-wide.

Map all coordinates using: OpenStreetMap  

Australia

ChurchImageDatesLocationCity or TownDescription
Wesley Church, Melbourne Wesleychurch.JPG 26 August 1858 Consecrated 37°48′37″S144°58′5″E / 37.81028°S 144.96806°E / -37.81028; 144.96806 Melbourne, Australia Grand Gothic design with high quality architecture

Barbados

Ann Gill Memorial Methodist Church, in Fairfield Road, Black Rock, St. Michael, honours the memory of Sarah Ann Gill, the sole female national heroine of Barbados. [1]

Canada

Two British Methodist Episcopal Church churches have been designated National Historic Sites of Canada due to their roles in welcoming Underground Railroad refugees to Canada and their historic importance to the Black community in the Niagara region:

ChurchImageDatesLocationCity or townDescription
R. Nathaniel Dett British Methodist Episcopal Church R- Nathaniel Dett British Methodist Episcopal Church National Historic Site of Canada 2012-09-17 23-00-39.jpg 1836 built
43°05′15″N79°05′18″W / 43.08750°N 79.08833°W / 43.08750; -79.08833 (R. Nathaniel Dett British Methodist Episcopal Church) Niagara Falls, Ontario Named in honour of Robert Nathaniel Dett [2] [3]
Salem Chapel, British Methodist Episcopal Church British Methodist Episcopal Church - Salem Chapel.jpg 1855 built
43°09′54″N79°14′24″W / 43.16500°N 79.24000°W / 43.16500; -79.24000 (Salem Chapel) St. Catharines, Ontario Linked to Harriet Tubman. [4] [5] [6]
British Methodist Episcopal Church, Windsor, Ontario British Methodist Episcopal Church, Windsor, Ontario.jpg 1854 built, rebuilt 1856, rebuilt 1963
43°09′54″N79°14′24″W / 43.16500°N 79.24000°W / 43.16500; -79.24000 (Windsor, Ontario) Windsor, Ontario From 1856 to 1963 the BME church was an active church in its original location, 363 McDougall street. [7]

Puerto Rico

ChurchImageDatesLocationCity or TownDescription
Primera Iglesia Metodista Unida de Ponce Methodist Church on Villa Street, Barrio Segundo, Ponce, Puerto Rico (IMG 2874).jpg 1907Calle Villa 135
18°00′37″N66°36′58″W / 18.01028°N 66.61611°W / 18.01028; -66.61611 (Primera Iglesia Metodista Unida de Ponce)
Ponce Methodist church built in 1907 that was architect Antonin Nechodoma's first commission in Puerto Rico.
McCabe Memorial Church McCabe Memorial Church (Iglesia Metodista Unida) on Avenida Hostos, Barrio Playa, Ponce, Puerto Rico (IMG 2986).jpg 1908835 Eugenio Maria de Hostos Ave.
17°58′56″N66°37′14″W / 17.98222°N 66.62056°W / 17.98222; -66.62056 (McCabe Memorial Church)
Ponce Another Nechodoma work.
Ernesto Memorial Chapel Iglesia de Piedra -3 (4846220764).jpg 1912Intersection of PR 486 & PR 488
18°25′59″N66°51′17″W / 18.43306°N 66.85472°W / 18.43306; -66.85472 (Ernesto Memorial Chapel)
Camuy Designed by Albert Munson

Singapore

ChurchImageDatesLocationCity or TownDescription
Wesley Methodist Church WesleyMethodistChurch-sepiapostcard.jpg 5 Fort Canning Road 1°17′53″N103°50′51″E / 1.297949°N 103.847623°E / 1.297949; 103.847623 (Wesley Methodist Church, Singapore) Singapore Oldest Methodist church with an English-speaking congregation in Singapore

United Kingdom

The first Methodist churches were in Norwich (1757), in Rotherham (1761), in Whitby (1762), and in Heptonstall (1764).

About 700 Methodist chapels in the United Kingdom have been identified as significant buildings for their architecture or history by author Ian Serjeant, who has served as Conservation Officer for the Methodist church since 1996. [8]

A list of Methodist churches that are listed buildings was prepared by the U.K. Methodist church's division of property in 1976. [8] A standing committee of the Methodist Church of Britain is charged with having "knowledge of the history, development and use of Methodist chapels, of Methodist liturgy and worship, or archaeology, of the history and the development of architecture and the visual arts, and the experience of the care of historic buildings and their contents", and to advise on about 250 renovation projects per year to the Methodist listed buildings. [9]

John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, is said to have had a preference for octagonal buildings, as exemplified by the Heptonstall Methodist Church in West Yorkshire, England. [8]

Appropriate style for Methodist church buildings was debated during the mid-1800s. Architect-trained Reverend Frederick Jobson argued for "beauty and perfection in design and execution without unnecessary adornment"; the governing body of Methodism adopted his works and Gothic architecture "became the predominant style, particularly within Wesleyan Methodism." [8]

ChurchImageDatesLocationCity or TownDescription
St. John's Methodist Church 1772 built
56°33′40.99″N2°35′8.54″W / 56.5613861°N 2.5857056°W / 56.5613861; -2.5857056 (St. John’s Methodist Church) Arbroath Angus, Scotland A listed building in Category B that is identified by Serjeant as particularly notable. It was opened by John Wesley in 1772. Remodellings and other changes in 1882, 1896, and 1946. [8] [10]
Wesleyan Church, Aldershot Aldershot Methodist Church 2016.jpg 1874-77 built
Grade II* listed building
51°14′55″N0°46′3″W / 51.24861°N 0.76750°W / 51.24861; -0.76750 (Aldershot Methodist Church) Aldershot, Hampshire Built to reflect the expansion of the town of Aldershot with the arrival of the Military Camp during the mid to late 19th-century. Now redundant and used as offices, homes, a dental surgery and gymnasium.
Altarnum Methodist Chapel Altarnun, Cornwall, The wesleyan Chapel - geograph.org.uk - 223519.jpg 1859 built
50°36′10.8″N4°30′39.6″W / 50.603000°N 4.511000°W / 50.603000; -4.511000 (Altarnum Methodist Chapel) Altarnun, Cornwall A typical building reflecting the values expressed by Jobson. [8]
Wesley's Chapel Wesley's Chapel 1.jpg 1777–78 built
51°31′26″N0°05′12″W / 51.5238°N 0.0866°W / 51.5238; -0.0866 Islington, LondonKnown as 'The Mother Church of World Methodism', having been built by John Wesley, and acting as his London base. The portico was added in 1814–15, and there have been other alterations and additions since. The building is listed at Grade I. [11] [12]
Methodist Central Hall Methodist Central Hall.JPG 1905-11 built
51°30′00″N0°07′48″W / 51.50000°N 0.13000°W / 51.50000; -0.13000 (Methodist Central Hall Westminster) Westminster, London Built in order to commemorate the centenary of the death of the founder of Methodism, John Wesley.
Heptonstall Methodist Church Heptonstall Methodist Church - geograph.org.uk - 771259.jpg 1764 built
53°45′11.12″N2°2′13.78″W / 53.7530889°N 2.0371611°W / 53.7530889; -2.0371611 (Heptonstall Methodist Church) West Yorkshire Octagonal chapel whose foundation stone was laid by John Wesley. Church was completed in 1764 in symmetric octagon shape, but was extended in 1802 to provide for more space. Wesley recommended the octagonal shape to differentiate from the established church. [13] The building was featured in a 2010 BBC Four series Churches: How to Read Them, [14] in which Dr Richard Taylor named it as one of his ten favourite churches, saying: "If buildings have an aura, this one radiated friendship." [15] See photo here .
Moor Park Methodist Church Former Moor Park Methodist Church, Preston.jpg 1861-62 built Preston, Lancashire, England Designed by Poulton and Woodman, opened 1862, seating for 900, closed 1984.
Preston Central Methodist Church Central Methodist Church, Preston.jpg 1817 built Preston, Lancashire, England Active, Methodist church whose building was one of the first public buildings in the country to be lit by gas.
Surrey Chapel, Southwark The Ring (15326766471).jpg 1783 built
1881 demolished
London Independent Methodist and Congregational church, located at first in open fields, then enveloped by industrial development. Circular in plan with domed roof, its design was of interest.
Trinity Independent Chapel 1841 built
1944 demolished
51°30′41″N0°1′8″W / 51.51139°N 0.01889°W / 51.51139; -0.01889 (Trinity Independent Chapel) London
West Street Chapel 26 West Street, London (3).jpg First leased in 1743 by John Wesley London
West London Methodist Mission Established in 1887 under Hugh Price Hughes London
Bethesda Methodist Chapel Bethesda Methodist Church, Hanley.jpg 1819 built
1972 Grade II*-listed
Stoke on Trent [16]
Brunswick Methodist Chapel 1820 built
1987 Grade II-listed
Newcastle upon Tyne [17]

United States

In the United States, numerous Methodist churches are listed on the National Register of Historic Places [18] and on state and local historic registers, many of which reflect the values of plainness, of Gothic architecture, of simple adornment. The Greek Revival style is also simple and came to be adopted for numerous American Methodist churches.

Several, selected significant Methodist churches in the U.S. are:

ChurchImageDatesLocationCity, StateDescription
Barratt's Chapel Old Barratt's Chapel (Methodist), Route 113, Frederica vicinity (Kent County, Delaware).jpg 1780 built
1972 NRHP-listed
39°1′28.6″N75°27′34.36″W / 39.024611°N 75.4595444°W / 39.024611; -75.4595444 Frederica, Delaware "Cradle of Methodism", where Methodism first took hold in the United States in 1784
Lovely Lane United Methodist Church First Methodist Episcopal Church (Lovely Lane United Methodist Church).jpg 1884 built
1973 NRHP-listed [18]
39°18′52″N76°36′57″W / 39.31444°N 76.61583°W / 39.31444; -76.61583 (Lovely Lane United Methodist Church) Baltimore, Maryland Romanesque Revival style, known as the Mother Church of American Methodism
St. George's United Methodist Church Philadelphia StGeorgesUMC from West.jpg 1767 built
1971 NRHP-listed
39°57′17.9″N75°8′46.82″W / 39.954972°N 75.1463389°W / 39.954972; -75.1463389 (St. George's United Methodist Church) Philadelphia The oldest Methodist church worship in continuous use in the United States. [19]
Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church Mother Bethel Philly a.JPG 1794 built
1972 NRHP-listed
39°56′35″N75°9′9″W / 39.94306°N 75.15250°W / 39.94306; -75.15250 (Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church) Philadelphia Romanesque style, The founding church of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. [20]

For a more complete list, see List of Methodist churches in the United States.

Related Research Articles

Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother Charles Wesley were also significant early leaders in the movement. They were named Methodists for "the methodical way in which they carried out their Christian faith". Methodism originated as a revival movement in the Church of England in the 18th century and became a separate denomination after Wesley's death. The movement spread throughout the British Empire, the United States, and beyond because of vigorous missionary work, and today has about 80 million adherents worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Street Meeting House</span> Building in Massachusetts, United States of America

The Charles Street Meeting House is an early-nineteenth-century historic church in Beacon Hill at 70 Charles Street, Boston, Massachusetts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barratt's Chapel</span> Historic church in Delaware, United States

Barratt's Chapel is a chapel located to the north of Frederica in Kent County, Delaware. It was built in 1780 on land donated by Philip Barratt, owner of Barratt Hall, and a prominent local landowner and political figure. Barratt, who had recently become a Methodist, wanted to build a center for the growing Methodist movement in Delaware.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Wesley's New Room</span> Church in Bristol, England

John Wesley's New Room is a historic building in Broadmead, Bristol, England. Opened in 1739, it housed the earliest Methodist societies, and was enlarged in 1748. As the oldest purpose-built Methodist preaching house (chapel), it has been designated by Historic England as a Grade I listed building.

Black Methodism in the United States is the Methodist tradition within the Black Church, largely consisting of congregations in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME), African Methodist Episcopal Zion, Christian Methodist Episcopal denominations, as well as those African American congregations in other Methodist denominations, such as the Free Methodist Church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nast Trinity United Methodist Church</span> United States historic place

The former Nast Trinity United Methodist Church, now known as The Warehouse Church, is a historic congregation of the United Methodist Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. Designed by leading Cincinnati architect Samuel Hannaford and completed in 1880, it was the home of the first German Methodist church to be established anywhere in the world, and it was declared a historic site in the late twentieth century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolitan United Methodist Church</span> Historic church in Michigan, United States

The Metropolitan United Methodist Church is a church located at 8000 Woodward Avenue in the New Center area of Detroit, Michigan. It was completed in 1926, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, and designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1986. This church should not be confused with Metropolitan United Methodist Church in Washington, DC, which is often regarded as a National Church within the United States as it was specifically established by the General Conference to be a "representative presence of Methodism in the nation's capital".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wesley Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church (Eldersburg, Maryland)</span> Historic church in Maryland, United States

The Wesley Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church in Eldersburg, Maryland is a characteristic small church of the period, with uncoursed stone rubble construction and a simple plan. The interior is a single barrel-vaulted room. It was erected to serve one of the earliest Methodist congregations in Carroll County, and hence in the United States, as Carroll County was a birthplace of Methodism in America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lovely Lane Methodist Church</span> Historic church in Maryland, United States

Lovely Lane United Methodist Church, formerly known as First Methodist Episcopal Church and earlier founded as Lovely Lane Chapel, is a historic United Methodist church located at Baltimore, Maryland, United States.

The British Methodist Episcopal Church (BMEC) is a Protestant church in Canada that has its roots in the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AMEC) of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church (Springtown, New Jersey)</span> Historic church in New Jersey, United States

Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church is a historic African Methodist Episcopal Church in Springtown, New Jersey, United States. The church was part of two free negro communities, Othello and Springtown, established by local Quaker families. The congregation was established in 1810 in Greenwich Township as the African Methodist Society and joined the African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1817. A previous church building was burned down in the 1830s in an arson incident and the current structure was built between 1838 and 1841.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Methodist Episcopal Church (Madison, New Jersey)</span> Historic church in New Jersey, United States

Methodist Episcopal Church, currently known as the United Methodist Church in Madison, is a historic church at 24 Madison Avenue in Madison, Morris County, New Jersey, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reedy Chapel A.M.E. Church</span> Historic church in Texas, United States

Reedy Chapel A.M.E. Church is a historic African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) church located at 2013 Broadway in Galveston, Texas. The church's congregation was founded in 1848 by enslaved African Americans and, following emancipation in 1865, the church was organized as Texas's first A.M.E. congregation in 1866. Reedy Chapel A.M.E. Church was one of locations of the public reading of General Order No. 3 by Union general Gordon Granger on June 19, 1865 which officially declared emancipation in Texas. The annual celebration of this declaration among African Americans continues today as the Juneteenth holiday.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Methodist Episcopal Church, Salem Chapel</span> Historic site in St. Catharines, Ontario

The British Methodist Episcopal (BME) Church, Salem Chapel was founded in 1820 by African-American freedom seekers in St. Catharines, Ontario. It is located at 92 Geneva St., in the heart of Old St. Catharines. The church is a valued historical site due to its design, and its important associations with abolitionist activity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roberts Park Methodist Episcopal Church</span> Historic church in Indiana, United States

Roberts Park Methodist Episcopal Church, whose present-day name is Roberts Park United Methodist Church, was dedicated on August 27, 1876, making it one of the oldest church remaining in downtown Indianapolis. Diedrich A. Bohlen, a German-born architect who immigrated to Indianapolis in the 1850s, designed this early example of Romanesque Revival architecture. The church is considered one of Bohlen's major works. Constructed of Indiana limestone at Delaware and Vermont Streets, it has a rectangular plan and includes a bell tower on the southwest corner. The church is known for its interior woodwork, especially a pair of black-walnut staircases leading to galleries (balconies) surrounding the interior of three sides of its large sanctuary. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 19, 1982. It is home to one of several Homeless Jesus statues around the world, this one located behind the church on Alabama Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rotunda, Aldershot</span>

The Rotunda was a Primitive Methodist church in Aldershot in Hampshire in the UK that was completed in 1876 and demolished in the 1980s. While the building took its name from the architectural form rotunda, it was in fact octagonal, and was notable as one of only 14 octagonal chapels built by the Methodists.

Elijah Hoole was an English architect of Methodist churches, settlement halls and social housing. In relation to the social housing, he worked closely with the social reformer Octavia Hill for over 40 years.

References

  1. Barbados Today, Ann Gill Memorial Methodist Church celebrating 125 years, published 3 November 2018, accessed 23 December 2019
  2. R. Nathaniel Dett British Methodist Episcopal Church, Directory of Designations of National Historic Significance of Canada
  3. R. Nathaniel Dett British Methodist Episcopal Church, National Register of Historic Places
  4. Salem Chapel, British Methodist Episcopal Church, Directory of Designations of National Historic Significance of Canada
  5. Salem Chapel, British Methodist Episcopal Church, National Register of Historic Places
  6. See also Tubman Home for the Aged, Harriet Tubman Residence, Thompson A.M.E. Zion Church, Auburn, New York.
  7. British Methodist Episcopal Church, Windsor Mosaic
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Ian Serjeant. "Historic Methodist Architecture and its Protection" . Retrieved 7 April 2013.
  9. "The Methodist Church in Britain | Listed Buildings Advisory Committee". Archived from the original on 3 May 2013. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
  10. Historic Environment Scotland. "St. John's Methodist Church, 15 Ponderlaw Street (Category B Listed Building) (LB21147)" . Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  11. Historic England, "Wesley's Chapel, Islington (1195538)", National Heritage List for England , retrieved 5 December 2012
  12. History, Wesley's Chapel, archived from the original on 5 October 2013, retrieved 5 December 2012
  13. Heptonstall Trail, A Calder Civic Trust publication, 1996
  14. "BBC Four - Churches: How to Read Them, Dark Beginnings". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
  15. "Richard Taylor, Rider Books".
  16. Historic England, "Bethesda Methodist Chapel (1195821)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 10 July 2023
  17. Historic England, "Brunswick Methodist Chapel (1024933)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 9 December 2012
  18. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  19. St. George's United Methodist Church Archived July 3, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  20. "Redirection of: Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church". ushistory.org. Retrieved 9 October 2015.