The United Methodist Church was created on April 23, 1968, when The Evangelical United Brethren Church, and The Methodist Church merged. The denomination shares a common history and heritage with other Methodist and Wesleyan bodies. The lives and ministries of John Wesley (1703-1791) and of his brother, Charles (1707-1788), mark the origin of their common roots.
The First United Methodist of Hollidaysburg church is located in in the center of
Blair County, in central Pennsylvania, approximately 95 miles east of Pittsburgh
and 130 miles west of Harrisburg. The area is located in a vibrant region,
strong in retail industry, ongoing commercial development, and diversified small
industries. The area has a new regional convention center as well as a
semi-professional baseball stadium, which serves the regionÕs sports
enthusiasts. New housing starts continue at a steady pace. Homes in
Hollidaysburg maintain their property value, in large part due to the popularity
of the school system. Seven colleges are located in the region including St.
Francis, Juniata, Mount Aloysius, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, The
Pennsylvania State University, Penn State-Altoona, and the University of
Pittsburgh-Johnstown Campus.
Our History (1830-1999)
In 1830 a small congregation of Methodists gathered in Hollidaysburg homes. Within a year they out-grew the home setting and met in a school house on Walnut Street. By 1832 they decided to build. A year later a frame structure was erected on Walnut Street near Front. At a cost of twelve hundred dollars and seating for three hundred people, the church was the first in the borough limits. Circuit Rider the Rev. Thomas Thornton was the first regular minister.
In 1852 a brick building replaced the wooden one. The stained glass window above our front doors was first installed in this building. The cost was four thousand dollars, with seating for four hundred fifty. The building was remodeled in 1873 at a cost of fifteen hundred dollars. In 1879 two blocks of Hollidaysburg were destroyed by fire. In 1881 the Methodist congregation decided to move "uptown" to one of the burned out lots. Our church at the corner of Allegheny and Wayne Streets was dedicated in 1883. This building served us for ninety-seven years.
In 1959 the Dean property at the corner of Allegheny and Jones Streets was purchased as the site for a new church. The parsonage was built on part of the land in 1965. On November 30, 1980, the cornerstone of our new building was laid. The building was laid. The building was completed in 1981, incorporating thirty four stained glass windows from previous buildings. At this time the Frankstown congregation united with First Church of Hollidaysburg. In 1997, at a cost of 1.2 million dollars, an addition that doubled the size of our education space was completed.
What we Believe
The United Methodists share a common heritage with all Christians. According to our foundational statement of beliefs in The Book of Discipline, we share the following basic affirmations in common with all Christian communities:
Trinity
We describe God in three persons. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are commonly used to refer to the threefold nature of God. Sometimes we use other terms, such as Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer.
Excerpt from What Every Teacher Needs to Know About Theology (Discipleship Resources, 2002), p. 13.God
•We believe in one God, who created the world and all that is in it.
•We believe that God is sovereign; that is, God is the ruler of the universe.
•We believe that God is loving. We can experience God’s love and grace.
Excerpt from What Every Teacher Needs to Know About Theology (Discipleship Resources, 2002), p. 13.Jesus
•We believe that Jesus was human; He lived as a man and died when he was crucified.
•We believe that Jesus is divine. He is the Son of God.
•We believe that God raised Jesus from the dead and that the risen Christ lives today (Christ and messiah mean the same thing—God’s anointed).
•We believe that Jesus is our Savior. In Christ we receive abundant life and forgiveness of sins.
•We believe that Jesus is our Lord and that we are called to pattern our lives after his.
Excerpt from What Every Teacher Needs to Know About Theology (Discipleship Resources, 2002), p. 13-14.The Holy Spirit
•We believe that the Holy Spirit is God with us.
•We believe that the Holy Spirit comforts us when we are in need and convicts us when we stray from God.
•We believe that the Holy Spirit awakens us to God’s will and empowers us to live obediently.
Excerpt from What Every Teacher Needs to Know About Theology (Discipleship Resources, 2002), p. 14.
