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Our History: Nearly Two Centuries of Faith in Jordan
Our History: Nearly Two Centuries of Faith in Jordan
For nearly 200 years, the people of Jordan United Methodist Church have gathered to worship, learn, serve, celebrate, mourn, and care for one another. Our story began in 1829, when Methodists in and around the young community of Jordan organized what was then known as the Jordan Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Since those early days, the church has changed buildings, denominations, technology, music, and even its name. But the heart of the congregation has remained remarkably consistent: people coming together in faith and finding ways to serve their neighbors.
A Church Takes Root — 1829–1831
A Church Takes Root — 1829–1831
The story officially begins on June 10, 1829, when the Rev. Roswell Parker was appointed as the first pastor of the Jordan Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Just a few months later, on August 26, the congregation was formally incorporated. Five trustees represented the surrounding communities, reflecting something that would become a recurring theme throughout the church's history: from the beginning, the Jordan congregation served people from more than just the village itself.
On December 29, 1829, the congregation purchased a lot at the corner of Mechanic and Chappell Streets from Hollis Thomas. By 1830, plans were underway to build a permanent church. The new building was dedicated on April 17, 1831, by the Rev. John Dempster. Built to seat approximately 400 worshipers and including a balcony, it was a substantial undertaking for the growing community.
The congregation was growing rapidly as well. Membership reported to the Annual Conference reached 311 in 1830 and 317 in 1831. Those numbers tell an important part of the story. This was not a small gathering struggling to establish itself. The Methodist community in Jordan had already become a significant part of the life of the area.
Growing Beyond Jordan
Growing Beyond Jordan
As the Methodist movement grew throughout the region, the Jordan congregation became an important center for Methodism in the surrounding communities. In 1845, Elbridge Methodist Episcopal Church was organized from the Jordan Church, with the Rev. L. D. Tyron appointed as its pastor. A church building followed in Elbridge in 1850.
Then, in 1852, Peru Methodist Episcopal Church was organized from the Jordan congregation, with the Rev. Charles H. Austin appointed as pastor. The Peru church was built the following year. In other words, Jordan's early history isn't just the story of one congregation. It is also part of the story of Methodism spreading throughout the surrounding communities.
By the mid-nineteenth century, Jordan Church had become an established part of local life. In 1869, a formal Sabbath School was organized, providing a place for Christian education and fellowship for younger members of the congregation.
Building a Community of Faith — 1870s–1900
Building a Community of Faith — 1870s–1900
The congregation continued to develop its ministries during the second half of the nineteenth century. On January 24, 1874, the Ladies Aid Society was organized. The organization would become part of a long tradition of women's ministry and service within the church, eventually leading to what would become the United Methodist Women. Music also became an increasingly important part of worship. A choir was organized in 1880, adding another dimension to the congregation's worship life.
By the 1880s, the church building needed significant changes. In 1886, the building was raised to a second floor, the balcony was removed, and the interior was completely remodeled. A new bell tower was also constructed. The renovated church was dedicated on March 16, 1887, by the Rev. Dr. C. Sims, Chancellor of Syracuse University. A new church bell was purchased that same year by the heirs of Hollis Knowlton and William T. Graves.
The church continued to add organizations that would shape congregational life for generations. The Epworth League, an important Methodist youth organization and predecessor of later youth ministries, was organized in 1889.
By the end of the century, the church was becoming a familiar and increasingly modern presence in Jordan. Most of the stained-glass windows were given to the congregation in 1898, adding beauty and character to the sanctuary.
A New Century, New Sounds, and New Ways of Serving
A New Century, New Sounds, and New Ways of Serving
The twentieth century brought remarkable changes to both Jordan and the church. In 1903, electricity came to the church, replacing older forms of lighting and bringing the congregation into a new technological age. The following year, the church received an especially meaningful gift: a pipe organ given in memory of William Cole, John Hunter, and William Hunter, three young men from Jordan who had been killed. The organ would become an important part of the congregation's musical tradition.
The church continued developing organizations devoted to fellowship and service. The Methodist Brotherhood was organized in 1911, a forerunner of today's United Methodist Men. Women's missionary organizations were also active, with the Women's Foreign Missionary Society organized in 1915 and the Women's Home Missionary Society in 1920.
The congregation even had to adapt its property to the changing transportation needs of the community. In 1913, a new parsonage was built on Chapel Street because the original parsonage stood in the way of the trolley.
By 1926, even the church organ was keeping up with modern technology. Its pipes were painted green and gold, and an electric blower was installed so that the organ no longer had to be pumped by hand. Choir robes were purchased for the first time in 1938, and in 1939 the Methodist Episcopal Church, Methodist Episcopal Church South, and Methodist Protestant Church united to form a new Methodist Church.
In 1945, the spire was removed from the church's bell tower—a reminder that even beloved buildings sometimes change with the times.
From Methodist Church to United Methodist Church
From Methodist Church to United Methodist Church
The congregation's story continued to intertwine with the Methodist churches of the surrounding communities. In 1962, the Peru Methodist Church closed and its membership transferred to Jordan, bringing the congregation's history full circle. More than a century earlier, Jordan had helped establish the Peru church; now members of that congregation became part of the Jordan church family.
Then, in 1968, another major change came to American Methodism. The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church united to form The United Methodist Church. Jordan became part of that new denomination, taking the name we know today: Jordan United Methodist Church.
A New Home — 1979–2000
A New Home — 1979–2000
The congregation celebrated its 150th anniversary in 1979–1980, marking a century and a half of worship and service in the Jordan community. But even after 150 years, the congregation wasn't finished building for the future. On April 14, 1985, ground was broken for a new church building. The congregation held its first worship service in the new building on March 9, 1986. The new building was formally consecrated on September 11, 1986, by the Rev. Forrest C. Stith, Bishop of the New York West Area.
A new parsonage was built in 1989, followed by another significant development in the life of the congregation: in 1990, the church hired its first Christian Education Director, reflecting the congregation's continued commitment to teaching and nurturing faith across generations.
The church building was dedicated again on November 16, 1997, by the Rev. Robert Stoppert, District Superintendent of the Central Lakes District. Music remained an important part of the church's identity. In 2000, the organ was completely refurbished and rededicated in memory of Albert H. Arnold. Chimes were also given in memory of the Rev. Franklin Sherman.
Nearly Two Centuries Later
Nearly Two Centuries Later
The history of Jordan United Methodist Church is ultimately not a history of buildings, bells, organs, or even dates. Those things help us tell the story, but they are not the story itself. The real history is found in the thousands of people who have passed through these doors over nearly two centuries.
It is in the early Methodists who gathered together and dreamed of a church large enough to serve their growing community. It is in the generations of children who attended Sabbath School, young people who gathered through the Epworth League, choirs who filled the sanctuary with music, and women and men who organized themselves to serve others.
It is in the congregations that grew from Jordan and the members of neighboring churches who eventually found their way back here. It is in the families who have celebrated baptisms and weddings, gathered for funerals, shared meals, taught Sunday School, played music, served their neighbors, and worshiped together. And it is in the congregation that continues that work today.
Nearly two centuries after the Jordan Society first organized, the church's buildings and programs may look different, but the purpose remains much the same: to gather as a community of faith and to carry that faith beyond the walls of the church. Our history is not simply something we look back upon. It is something we continue to write.
Special thanks to the Friends of the Jordan Historical Society for the public domain images.
Please visit their website for more information about Jordan's history.
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