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Our History
The story of New England Methodism began with the advent of circuit
riders, preachers on horseback, trekking into New England from the
mid-Atlantic states after the Revolutionary War. What they found
was an already established church weary of outsiders, but also many
individuals who upon hearing the word of God from these men felt
a "strange warming in their hearts" (to paraphrase John
Wesley).
This part of western New England was part of the Granville Circuit.
People would worship in each others homes. As the Methodist Society
grew, a church was constructed c. 1842 at Lone Town (or West Farms)
in the western section of Northampton. This served the people of
the surrounding communities as well. The membership outgrew this
building and moved into downtown Northampton, erecting two successive
structures in 1852 and 1893. Meanwhile, Methodism had also established
itself in Easthampton, Southampton, Williamsburg and Florence. Florence
merged with the Northampton charge in 1951. Easthampton and Northampton
merged to create Christ United Methodist Church in 1975, therefore
again serving the people of this area as happened in 1842.
We continue to serve the people of this area in a variety of ways
as we have always done, the latest being this web site, the first
United Methodist church in western Massachusetts as well as the
first church of any denomination in either Northampton or Easthampton
to tell the people online about Our Lord Jesus Christ!
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Who We Are:
Children and Teens
Adults
Retired
You Are Invited:
Programs and Fellowship
About Us:
Pastor Michael Stotts
Missions
United Methodist Women
New England Methodists
Directions
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