While Longmont celebrates 150 years of being a town, the Heart of Longmont Methodist Church rejoices 150 years of serving the Longmont faith community.
Before Longmont officially became a city, Methodist ministers traveled through the region preaching in pioneer camps along St. Vrain Creek, said Church Historian Ann Yoder.
In those days, people would gather in the cabins to hear the sermon, Yoder said.
On July 9, 1871, the first sermon preached in the city of Longmont was done so by a Methodist minister, according to Ann Yoder, church historian. It did not take the Methodist community long to establish a Sunday school.
“They got that done right away,” Yoder said. “Those early pioneers planned for the future, and things we still continue.”
The Sunday school and religious education have always been important to the Methodist Church in Longmont, Yoder said. Although religious education is important to the church, the education of small children is also a priority. In 1965, the church began providing space and support for Wild Plum Center.
Without the means to build a church around the founding of the city, the Methodist congregation, known then as the Methodist Episcopal Church, bought a storefront on Main Street for their services. The church itself met on the upper level of the building, renting the bottom floor out to a local merchant, Yoder said.
The first building the church was able to build is now occupied by Ahlberg Funeral Chapel at 326 Terry St., according to Yoder.
The church found its current home at 350 11th Ave. in 1959 and in 2016 changed its name to Heart of Longmont Methodist Church.
Through the years, members of the church have celebrated major milestones by creating history books. The church currently has a book for the 75th, 100th and 125th anniversaries. This year will not be forgotten and it will be accompanied by a video produced by church member Butch Howard.
“I haven’t seen the film yet, but I am anxious to see it. I think it will be great,” Yoder said.
The church has a special event planned each month to commemorate its founding. This month, the church is hosting a picnic for its congregation on its lawn, following a special service that will include former pastors revisiting and speaking a few words.
The events on Sunday will include the dedication of the church’s Blessing Box — a small outdoor pantry available for neighbors to “shop” whenever it is needed.
Last but not least, the church will rededicate its Prayer Heart, located outside the church. Two members of the church constructed the heart during COVID to give people an outdoor place to pray, Yoder said.
“It’s an invitation to people to stop, pick out a colored ribbon, pray and tie a ribbon on the big heart,” Yoder said.
