About Us
About Us
Our church has been a part of the history of Newaygo for over 170 years. The people who worship God here make this place the wonderful church it has been throughout our history. Each and every person adds to that history because together we are the church! We’d love for you to be a part of our story.
What we believe
In accordance with the Scriptures,
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life.
… A Methodist is one who has ‘the love of God shed abroad in their heart by the Holy Ghost given unto him’; one who ‘loves the Lord their God with all their heart, and with all their soul, and with all their mind, and with all their strength’. God is the joy of their heart, and the desire of their soul, which is constantly crying out, ‘Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee!’ My God and my all! Thou art the strength of my heart, and my portion forever!
We are a United Methodist Church
We are a United Methodist Church. We believe that holiness of heart and life are gifts made available to us through God’s grace in this life, even to the uttermost. We believe that our faith in Christ is a corporate faith, that as we grow in love to God we also learn to cherish our dependence upon one another.
Our Christian Beliefs
Our Christian beliefs link us as one body with all other believers as one holy catholic (i.e., universal) and apostolic church. With believers everywhere, we confess our shared faith handed down through the seven ecumenical councils and the three universal creeds – The Apostles’s Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed. Learn more here.
Our Wesleyan Heritage
Our Wesleyan heritage unites us with a host of other traditions within what we call the Methodist Communion (or the World Methodist Council). We trace our common origin to John and Charles Wesley’s eighteenth-century movement of reform and revival. We believe our Articles of Religion witness to this shared Wesleyan theological heritage, and affirm them to that end.
Our Social Principles
Our social principles remind us that ours is a faith that works. Methodists are committed to seeking justice in their communities. We believe there is no holiness except social holiness.
Our rule of life
We share in a common rule of life. Drawn from John Wesley’s advice to the early Methodist Societies, our form of discipleship starts by first, doing no harm, second, doing all the good we can, and third, developing our love of God through the means of grace. Read more here.
We are a connectional church
We are a connectional church. We are apart of the Western Waters District within the Michigan Conference of the UMC. Learn more about our church structure here.
Still curious?
Get in touch! Pastor Marty loves to chat about theology.
Where to find us
You can find our church in the heart of Newaygo.
Take a quick tour of our sanctuary
Our Story
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 and rode 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 memebers.
There was a destructive fire in Newaygo on April 29th, 1883. This fire destroyed 30 buildings and other property at a loss of $50,000.00. Our building was saved. The original church was replaced by a “modern structure” in 1924 at a cost of $15,000.00.
In November 1963, our church name was changed from Methodist Episcopal to “First Methodist Church” during a consecration service given by Rev. Avery. In 1968 the Evangelical United Brethern Church and the Methodist Church joined, creating the United Methodist church. This joining prompted the change of our church name to Newaygo United Methodist Church on February 27, 1969 at our church conference.
Come be a part of our rich history!