OUR HISTORY
At Park United Methodist Church, we've been serving God in God's Country for over 150 years. A lot has changed in that time, but some things never change: God loves you and so do we! The Methodist Movement began as a revival in England in the 1700's which came to the U.S. colonies and spread like wildfire across the continent. Early preachers on horseback, called Circuit Riders, carried the gospel from town to town much like the Pony Express carried the mail. As the number of Methodist home groups increased, they began building meeting houses to worship. The first Methodist groups in Coudersport began in the County Commissioner's Office in 1831. As the group outgrew the office, it moved to several homes in the area until 1855 when the first building was erected on the corner of West and Third Streets.
OUR BELIEFS
The Methodist Movement from the very beginning is inspired by the Holy Spirit and seeks to spread the Good News of salvation in Jesus Christ throughout the world. We emphasize salvation by grace "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9). Grace is a gift we do not deserve. We do not deserve to be forgiven of our sins. We do not deserve salvation and eternal life. We are not worthy of Christ's death. We can never do enough good in the sight of God to erase the bad, yet Christ died to forgive us simply because God loves us and wants to be loved by us. We believe that the wages of sin is death and all are in need of salvation purchased by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross and through His resurrection. We also stress that our love for God is always expressed in the way we treat other people. Our "personal holiness" always produces "social holiness." Our love of God always leads to loving our neighbor as ourselves. Our life together as disciples of Jesus Christ is one in which we worship, pray, study the scriptures, and grow closer to God as we we care for the physical, spiritual, emotional, and relational needs of the people around us. We serve others as we serve God. That service also includes inviting others to know God as a saving God, to experience salvation and eternal life for themselves, and to join us in sharing that gift with our community and world.
At Park United Methodist Church, we agree with the Apostle's Creed (which we read during every service) and Nicene Creed. The Apostle's and Nicene Creeds are two of the most ancient Christian creeds, and you'll find they are upheld by almost all churches today. They are historic statements of what we believe to be true as followers of Christ.
OUR CONNECTION
We are part of a global connection of United Methodist congregations across Pennsylvania, and around the world. For more information about our Williamsport District, Susquehanna Conference, and global denomination, use the links below:
