Church celebrates 175th anniversary

On December 2, 1831, ten men gathered in the town of Riga and organized the First Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Churchville. The Churchville United Methodist Church (formerly the Methodist Episcopal Church) celebrated the 175th anniversary of the church's founding on Saturday, December 2. The celebration began with a catered dinner and musical program following in the freshly painted and repaired sanctuary. During the program, letters were read from former pastors or their family members that contained fond memories of their time spent in the church.

The church's history is richly intertwined with that of the village, the town and its early settlers. After the organization of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1831, it was decided in 1834 to erect a church "40 x 60 without a gallery." The building was completed in 1836 and the sanctuary portion of the church is the original building.

Reverend Samuel Clemon Church served the Genesee Conference as a traveling preacher from 1839 to 1869 and is most likely the son of the Samuel Church for whom Churchville is named. The Reverend Church arrived in 1806 as a child, with his family from Massachusetts the same year Churchville's namesake, Samuel Church, is said to have settled in the area. The Reverend Church's wife was Mary Bangs.

Oral tradition tells us Frances Willard, the president of the Women's Christian Temperance Union (W.C.T.U.) from 1879 until her death in 1898, was born in Churchville and baptized in the church. Before her death in 1898 she traveled back to Churchville and made one of her last speeches in the church. She was a teacher and social activist for women's political and religious freedom, women and children's social welfare and an advocate for kindergarten, in addition to her role in the temperance of alcohol, and later drugs. The church was given an historical W.C.T.U. water fountain, because of its affiliation with Willard. The original location of the water fountain is unknown.

The congregation regularly collects food for food pantries, clothing and school supplies for a Rochester School; Christmas presents for prisoner's families and donates to many charities. The church prepares its Election Day Chicken and Biscuit Dinner that serves approximately 300.

Everyone is welcome to attend Sunday Service at 9:15 a.m. A traditional candlelight Christmas Eve service will take place at 6 p.m. The offering taken on Christmas Eve will be given to charity.

December 17, 2006