Archives West Finding Aid

The Liberty Park Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in 1892 by the Reverend E.G. Hunt. The first worship service was held in the tent now believed to have been located in the vicinity of Fourth South and Seventh East streets, and the first quarterly conference was held at this same location. The congregation was not long content with these conditions and soon, with no assistance from the General Church Board of Missions, built a new one-room wooden frame building, and it was here the second quarterly conference was held. This building was dedicated on October 30, 1892, entirely free of debt.

In 1901 the congregation had grown to the point where a new and larger church was needed. Consequently a lot was purchased on the southwest corner of Seventh East and Seventh South streets. This property was sold and a new property was purchased on the Northeast corner of Ninth South and Eighth East streets. In the year 1904, with the Reverend L.R. Bailey as minister, a church building was constructed on this property, and was known as Liberty Park Methodist Church. In the year 1916, a lot adjacent to the church was purchased to be used for future expansion. In 1920, a parsonage was purchased and this property was exchanged in 1926 for a similar property located at 805 East Ninth South, more conveniently located to the church.

The general welfare of Liberty Park congregation fluctuated during the following years. Never a strong church, it struggled with such factors as: competition with other Protestant bodies, changing ministerial and lay leadership, cultural encroachment in a growing city, congregational lethargy, and a crisis in financial stability. In spite of these factors, the church continued to grow and at the end of World War II (1946), and had 225 members.

In 1950 plans were made to remodel the church and a financial campaign was conducted to raise the needed money. As a result of a survey conducted in January 1951, the church quarterly conference on July 30, 1951 voted unanimously to terminate the plans to remodel the Liberty Park Methodist Church and approved a plan to relocate in the southeast section of the city. In September, the Board of Missions promised unusual support in the form of gifts and loans to the projects, and during this month the congregation gave approval to the plan of relocation.

In 1952, plans got underway, and the Sunday school started using the Crest Theater. The congregation changed the name of the church to the Christ United Methodist Church. The Official Board Approved the purchase of 1.6 acres of orchard at 3300 South and 2375 East, which is where the current church now stands. All services moved to the Crest Theater building, and in December, a budget was set for the construction of a new building.

In February 1953, the Crest Theater was sold and the congregation moved to the Evergreen gymnasium. In May 1953 the ground breaking ceremony was held, and the new construction was on the way toward the completion of the first unit of the overall church construction program. In June 1953 the old church and parsonage were sold to the Christian Reform Church.

The first services were held in the new building, then the "Fellowship Hall" on April 10, 1954 when the Rev. William R. Persons, pastor, preached on "Hosanna at the Gates." On Palm Sunday 1954, the formal opening of the Christ Memorial Methodist Church was celebrated in a "Service of Consecration" at which Bishop Glenn R. Phillips presided.

The congregation grew so fast that in 1961 it was decided that the facilities then available could not take care of the Church School or the morning services. Attempts were made to finance the completed building program, but this proved impossible. A building crusade was then conducted to take care of a portion of the overall program. The membership of over six-hundred members pledged to build the addition on the north housing class room, and the addition on the south housing the offices, chapel, lounge and kitchen.

The new units were completed in 1963, but before long it was obvious that the congregation needed to complete the building plan with the construction of the sanctuary.

After an intensive campaign held in the fall and winter of 1964-1965, the ground for a new sanctuary was broken on June 6, 1965; the new edifice held the first worship service on February 27, 1966. The completed sanctuary was consecrated on May 22, 1966, in a service at which Bishop R. Marvin Stuart presided.

With the completion of the sanctuary the membership increased very rapidly to the point where additional classroom space again had to be faced. The answer was to add classrooms in an addition on the north side of the building. This was completed in 1981.

Recently, in 2003, plans were made to remodel the older parts of the church, which include; the basement, Fellowship hall, the kitchen, classrooms, offices, and heater. In 2003, a financial campaign was started to raise money for the renovation. And in June 2004, construction began on the new church. These plans are due to be completed in September 2005. During that time the members of the church attended their own services at First Congregational Church on Foothill Blvd.

Today Christ United Methodist Church has a membership of over 1500 people. Currently, Rev. Steve Goodier presides as pastor.