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Newaygo United Methodist Church History
The first sermon preached in the county was given by Rev. D. Kelley on June 30, 1850. Rev. Kelley was a Methodist Episcopal circuit rider who rode on horseback and preached in homes.
The Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in 1851 by Rev. David Culp. Services were held in homes. In 1858, with Rev. Thomas Granger as pastor, our building was started. It was completed in 1860 with just 9 members.
There was a destructive fire in Newaygo on April 29, 1883. This fire destroyed 30 buildings and other property at a loss of $50,000. Our building was saved.
The original church was replaced by a “modern structure” in 1924 at a cost of $15,000. In November 1963, our church name was changed from Methodist Episcopal to “First Methodist Church” during a consecration service given by Rev. Avery. The church name was changed to Newaygo United Methodist Church on February 27, 1969 at our church conference.
Our church has been a part of the history of Newaygo for over 170 years. The most interesting part of our church past and present is the people. Each and every person adds to that history because - TOGETHER, WE ARE THE CHURCH!
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