About Us
Historical Items of Interest
- Methodist preaching began in Chatham in 1799, but the first annual meeting of the Methodist Society was held in 1821.
- The first Chatham Meeting House was built about 1822 on land which was part of Seaside Cemetary. There is no record of what happened to that building.
- A second Meeting House was built in 1832 on the same location. It was financed by selling pews to certificate holding members.
- The first full-time preacher was hired in 1841. That same year the meeting house was moved to a portion of the site now occupied by the present church.
- In 1849 the present church was constructed at a cost of $9,454 and incorporated as the First United Methodist Episcopal Church of Chatham.
- It was in 1968 that the name of the church was changed to the First United Methodist Church.
- Seventy-four pastors have served the church; twenty-eight prior to 1859 and thirty-four more over the next one-hundred years. However, during the last 49 years, 1959 to 2008, we have had only seven pastors.
- The portion of the current building housing the sanctuary, now almost 161 years old, has been modified internally and fixed up many times, but remains, overall, the same structure.
- In 1987 an elevator was installed. An addition was built joining the church and the Stephen H. Smith Education Building in 1996.
- Starting in December of 2003 we began repairing and restoring our one-hundred and five year old stained glass windows in the sanctuary which were in danger of complete collapse. This project is still on-going.
- In 2010 the chancel area of the sanctuary was rebuilt in anticipation of installing a new pipe organ in 2011.
- The Church tower is shown on nautical charts. The clock in that tower belongs to the Town of Chatham.
More detailed information about the United Methodist Church and all its activities may be obtained from the New England Conference website. Simply go back to our home page and click on the cross and flame symbol.
Our Story
Sunday worship is at 10 A.M. year round. We celebrate Holy Communion on the first Sunday of each month. All people of all ages are welcome to receive communion.
Nursery care is available as needed. All our facilities are wheelchair accessible and hearing enhancement devices are available. People needing the elevator are asked to use the Cross Street entrance
Adult Church Study is at 9 A.M. on Sunday, from September through May.
We are a member of the New England Conference of the United Methodist Church. For more information about the Methodist Church click here http:/www.neumc.org/.
How To Find us
Chatham is located at the "elbow" of Cape Cod, approximately equi-distant from Provincetown at the tip of the Lower Cape and Falmouth and Sandwich at the western end of the Upper Cape.
We are located at the corner of Main and Cross Streets in downtown Chatham, across from the Eldredge Library and the Town Hall.
From the Mid-Cape Highway, Rt. 6, take exit 11 (Route 137) and turn South (left) toward Chatham. Follow this road for about 4.3 miles to its end at Rt. 28. Turn left on Rt. 28 and continue on into downtown Chatham, about 2 miles. Go straight through the rotary onto Main Street. The church is about two tenths of a mile down Main Street, on the right, at the corner of Cross Street.
