Author: Charles Bennett, First United Methodist Church Lay Leader and member of the Cal Pac Archives and History Team
On March 17,1888, fifteen Methodists assembled in a brick building at Greenleaf Avenue and Hadley Street to organize the Methodist Episcopal Church of Whittier. Our congregation is the second-oldest in Whittier, predating city incorporation by a decade.
The first church building dates from 1890 (photo above the title from the Whittier Historical Society’s collection). In 1904, the congregation outgrew that building, which was moved offsite and became a hospital and later an apartment building. A new building was constructed in 1904, and it served the needs of our church until our current sanctuary was dedicated in 1952 by Bishop Gerald Kennedy. The sanctuary is flanked by the Administration (1921), Asbury (1955) and Wesley (1961) Buildings. These buildings were retrofitted following the 1987 Whittier Earthquake, and refurbished during the 2013 Reroof-Repaint-Repair-Rejoice capital campaign.
A view of the current sanctuary building completed in 1952. Photo was taken about 2017 from across the street in Central Park. The inscription above the doorway reads, “Enter into His Gates with Thanksgiving and into His Courts with Praise.” Source: FUMC Facebook page
Pastor Jon Wesley Waterson (2023-present) is the 30th minister to serve as FUMC Whittier’s Senior Pastor. Four of our senior pastors have been women: Faith Conklin, Mary Birgelaitis, Holly Reinhart-Marean and Angela Galanis Price. Three pastors served First Methodist for a decade or longer: W.W. Kaler (1938-49), Russell Clay (1949-60) and Faith Conklin (1989-99). Several people who grew up in this congregation, such as Don Inlay, Don Roe and Brent Criswell, accepted the call to ministry.
During the 1950s, First Methodist’s Sunday School classes comprised the largest Sunday School enrollment in the California/Arizona Annual Conference. There have been numerous Sunday School classes over the years, usually comprised of couples of the same age cohort. Current and past Sunday School classes include the Two-in-Ones, J.U.s, Christian Character Builders, M&Ms, Challengers and TWIGs. The commitment to Christian service at FUMC Whittier is long and deep. For over a century, the church has sponsored Boy and Girl Scout Troops and Venture Crews and chapters of the Women’s Home Missionary Society, WSCS and United Methodist Women. The church has frequently sponsored overseas missionaries, including Rev. Don Inlay as missionary to Hawaii in the 1960s and the Parsons family as missionaries to Africa in the 1990s. Our church has tithed each of its capital campaigns, with proceeds going to UMCOR, Africa University, and other Methodist programs. On over 50 occasions, church has sponsored an Easter Work Camp where senior high youth spent a week afield refurbishing a church, school or camp. Adult members of the church have done relief work in Utah, in Guatemala, and in many other places. Current justice and compassion ministries include a weekly after school Tuesday Art and Music program, hosting families in need of bridge housing for several weeks each year, and supporting Whittier’s Women’s and Children’s Crisis Center and the Whittier Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
The music ministries of First Methodist Church have a history going back more than a century with cantata performances dating back to at least 1915 and currently done twice a year. Choir director Len Berglund is the latest in a long line of consummate musical professionals at our church. In the mid-to-late 20th century, our choir was helmed by director Francis Baxter and his wife, soprano soloist Pollyanne Baxter. Francis was one of a number of directors or soloists, such as Hugh Mullins, Gary White and Marvin Neumann, who were commissioned by this church to write original sacred music. In the 1990s, our choir was directed by Karl Snider. Children’s choir directors Betty Spelman, Janet Davidson and Randy Winans led a children’s music camp for several decades beginning in the 1980s. Organist J. Thomas Strout has an extensive history at this church, having served as our organist since the late 1960s. Besides the Chancel Choir, the church also sponsors a Jubilant Bells handbell choir.
Whittier First has faithfully served our community for 138 years. Today as we celebrate this wonderful occasion, we are mindful that our story is not yet complete; we continue to have work to do. The need to share the “good news for all through learning, action, and love” has never been greater. So, while we are right to look back at 138 years in celebration, we also look forward in hope.
This post was adapted from an article in the June 2026 Whittier Museum Gazette.