First UMC History
The seed for today's church was planted in 1892 when Dr. E.W. Wilbur initiated Sunday School meetings and held them in his barn at close to where Main St. and Stapley Rd. intersect today.
Those Sunday School meetings led to what would become the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Mesa, organized in 1893 with nine adults and six children, and recognized by the national Methodist Episcopal Church with Rev. Sheldon's appointment.
In that same year, Dr. E.W. Wilbur, a medical doctor and real estate developer from Iowa, took ownership of two parcels of land bounded on the north by 1st Ave where First Church's first church would soon be built on that land.
Watch the Story of First United Methodist Church of Mesa
The congregation moved from the barn at Stapley and Main to the heart of Mesa.
The Missionary Society report of 1894 noted that the "very neat brick chapel built at Mesa" would be ready for dedication within a few weeks. This Methodist chapel was built with the help of a $250 loan from the Methodist Episcopal Church Board of Church Extenstion and was perhaps the first distinct church structure built in Mesa.
In just a few years, the one-room church became so crowded that Sunday School was moved to a tent west of the church. In 1899, the church got its first full-time pastor, Rev. Edwin G. Decker.
Barn at Stapley and Main
1st Methodist Chapel built in 1895 on north 1st Ave, Mesa, Arizona.
The 1913 Church
A second larger and Spanish Colonial style church was built in 1913 in just three months on the site of the 1895 church.
To accommodate the church's growth, a second larger and Spanish Colonial style church was built in 1913 in just three months on the site of the 1893 church. Members hauled sand and gravel from the Salt River for contrete for the new church building.
First Methodist Episcopal Church of Mesa helped establish Spanish-speaking El Redentor Methodist Church in the 1920s and the Japanese Methodist Church, Okuda Memorial, in 1933.
In 1945, the church changed its name to First Methodist Church of Mesa. The 1913 church building served God and the needs of the congregation until after World War II when Americans began migrating to the Southwest and Mesa in large numbers. Mesa grew from 800 residents in 1900 to over 16,000 by 1950.
Our Present Church
A fundraising campaign to build the current church was begun in 1949. The corner property was purchased with a memorial gift from the John Dobson family. The 120-foot tower is an iconic feature of downtown Mesa and sets across the street from the Mesa Arts Center. It was the first part of the new church to be completed.
The congregation began using the Sanctuary in 1954 and the building was dedicated in 1958. The main floor can seat approximately 400 people with additional seating in the balcony. The acoustics of the Sanctuary are simply wonderful and the space is used for both Worship Services and musical performances.
Today's First Church was designed by Mesa architect Martin Ray Young. Jr. In the dedication ceremony program, it stated, "The building design expresses aspiration. The lines have an upward trend, expressing faith and praise in a material world...." The final phase of the church project began in 1959 and included where today's Sunday School classes are held and the Earl North Fellowship Hall.
Welcoming and Affirming Statement
We celebrate God’s gift of diversity and value the wholeness made possible when community is equally shared and shepherded by all. We welcome and affirm people of every gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation, who are also of every ethnic background, national origin, age, diverse ability, marital status, and economic condition. We acknowledge that we live in a world of profound social, economic, and political inequalies. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of justice and pledge to stand in solidarity with all who are marginalized and oppressed.
About Us
We are grateful for the dedicated staff who help guide our daily operations along with the many people committed to serving in various capacities. From volunteers who greet at the door to committee members who prayerfully make decisions behind the scenes, our ministry is shaped and strengthened by lay leaders who give their time, talents, and hearts in service.
This is a church led by many—staff and members alike—working together to follow Christ, serve others, and grow in community.
If you’re looking to get more involved, we’d love to connect you with a ministry or team that fits your gifts.
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