1853
The Illinois Central Railroad was built. Around this depot a community sprang up that the citizens of Urbana called simply The Depot.
1854
The Illinois Central Railroad track was completed from Chicago to The Depot.
The "Frame" Church
1855
The Presbyterians built their first church on the southwest corner of Hill and State, a frame structure that cost $1700. The Presbyterians, Methodists and Baptists worshipped there and formed a union Sunday School. In the fall, W. F. T. Spruill, pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Urbana, appointed John Walkington leader of the first Methodist class in The Depot. This group, which initially consisted of only three families, met in homes.
1856
The Congregationalists built the Goose Pond Church on the corner of what is now University and First. Abraham Lincoln, because of his opposition to slavery, was permitted to use the Goose Pond Church for a political speech. The Baptist Church organized and withdrew from their union arrangement with the Presbyterian Church. Our first Church Society was organized with ten members. The Illinois Annual Conference recognized West Urbana as a charge to be supplied. Our supply pastor was Lester Janes.
1857
The Depot was officially organized as the unincorporated village of West Urbana. L. C. Pitner, our Presiding Elder, appointed William Munhall as our supply pastor.
1858
Abraham Lincoln gave an antislavery speech at the Goose Pond Church. The Baptists established Bailey's Hall as their center of worship. Munhall and McKinley, the Presbyterian minister, preached in the Presbyterian Church on alternate Sundays. In the fall the Methodists withdrew from their union arrangement with the Presbyterians and began to meet in the Brick School House on the southwest corner of Randolph and Hill. L. C. Pitner preached there and with the help of Celestia Young, organized our first Sunday School with Mr. Thompkins as its Superintendent. Philip N. Minear was our first Conference appointed minister. In the late fall, we appointed our first Board of Trustees and made plans to build our first church.
1860
West Urbana voted to incorporate as the city of Champaign. We bought the lot at the corner of Church and State, for $200, and laid the foundation for our first church.
1863
In August we dedicated our Frame Church, a building that cost $4,000. William Henry Webster was our pastor and our membership was 74 but growing.
1865/67
We papered the Frame Church, bought a bell, and added two classrooms at the rear. Our membership was 288.
1868
To serve 99 members of our congregation who lived east of the railroad tracks, we built a $3,000 frame church on the northeast corner of Sixth and University. This church was known at Conference as the University charge, but locally it was referred to as Second Methodist. James Henry Noble was our pastor.
1878
We paid $1300 for a home at 206 W. University and made it our first parsonage.
The "Brick" Church
1888
Our Frame Church building was sold, moved to the corner of Hickory and Washington, and later became the Champaign Veterinary Hospital. We began the construction of our new Brick Church.
1889
Construction of our Brick Church was completed at a cost of $18,000 and dedicated in December. Our membership was 400, and John B. Wolfe was our pastor.
1895
We completed the construction of a model parsonage at 306 W. Hill Street.
1902
We bought the lot on which our Parish House now stands. The two story brick home that was on this lot became our third parsonage.
1906
Our beautiful Brick Church was sold to a brick dealer for $700 and torn down. We laid the corner stone for our new Stone Church.
Original Facade of the "Stone Church"
1907
Construction of our Stone Church was completed at a cost of $60,000 and dedicated in September. Our membership was 813 and our pastor was Moses Christie Galeener.
1910
We bought the German Methodist Episcopal Church building that stood at the corner of Third and White, moved it to 412 E. Church Street and reopened it as the Fifth Street Methodist Episcopal Church.
1912
Sam E. Dillavou became Superintendent of our Sunday School. We renamed ourselves the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Champaign.
1915
Celestia Wolfe gave $25,000 for the construction of the Parish House which was to be known as the Celestia Wolfe Memorial Building.
1917
We built a new parsonage at 407 W. Hill Street, our fourth.
1918
Herbert Allen Keck began his ten year ministry, during which our membership grew from 1222 to 2776. In October, First Church, and several others in Champaign, were closed at the request of the Health Department because of the flu epidemic.
1920
Jennie Painter became our minister's assistant and our parish visitor. As parish visitor she served the needy in our community and became Champaign's Jane Addams.
1922
We laid the corner stone for our Parish House.
1923
Construction of our Parish House was completed at a cost of $155,000 and dedicated in May.
1926
Our Sunday School was the largest in the state with an enrollment of 1969. The first Messenger was published and the first Mother and Daughter Banquet was held.
1928
H. Clifford Northcott became our senior pastor and began his 20-year ministry. Our membership was 2447. The Ladies Aid Society sold the parsonage furnace and arranged for the parsonage to be warmed with "city heat."
1929
We opened our first church office with Myrtle Madden as Receptionist and Secretary. Hours 1:00-5:30 p.m. weekdays, 8:00 a.m.-noon Saturdays.
1933
The impact of the Great Depression was beginning to be felt. From 1930 to 1933, church income dropped 30% and staff salaries were cut, some as much as 50%. To avoid defaulting on the 6% interest due on our Parish House bonds we offered the bondholders 4%. They reluctantly accepted.
1936
Our financial situation was improving. We refinanced our debt at 5% and paid the 2% that had been unpaid for a year and a half.
1937
We began to broadcast our morning worship service over WDWS.
1940
The first Mr. and Mrs. Banquet was held in January. Following the merger, in 1939, of the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Methodist Protestant Church we dropped the word "Episcopal" from our name and became the First Methodist Church of Champaign.
1941
L.M. Van Wegen gave $10,000 to be applied to the church debt. With that inspiration we launched a debt elimination program and on June 7, 1942 we burned the Parish House mortgage. On December 7, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and the United States was drawn into World War II.
1945
World War II ended, men and women returned home to work, raise families and become active church members. We were so short of space that Sunday School Classes were held in the shower room in the gym. We made the Women's Parlor into the Pastor's Study, built the two offices now used by the secretary and receptionist, and we made the North Room into the present Parlor. People collected in the Chapel to prayerfully listen to the radio report of President Roosevelt's funeral procession.
1948
Northcott became Bishop of the Wisconsin Conference and Donald Crocker began his nine-year ministry.
1949
Our financial problems are now far behind us. We own $61,125 in Government bonds plus the $10,000 Wolfe endowment.
1951
Crocker was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree by Illinois Wesleyan University.
1952
The Hasting-Painter Memorial Library was established in honor of Myrtle Hastings and Jennie Painter.
1957
We began the process of founding Faith Methodist Church. In January we paid $21,000 for 5.2 acres of land on Prospect Avenue where Faith now stands and we donated this land. In the fall Oscar Plumb began his ten-year ministry. We bought the Hessel Apartments and lot. This is the lot on which our Educational Building now stands. We also bought a furnace for our church and discontinued "city heat."
1958
The Development Committee began a review of suggestions for renovating the sanctuary and appointed a subcommittee to study the space needs of the choir and Sunday School.
1959
Our membership was 3560 local members and 400 to 500 nonresident members. A space study indicated that we needed 12 additional classrooms. Plans were begun for remodeling the sanctuary and building a new Educational Building with a chapel.
1961
After an extensive study the Official Board recommended that we remain a downtown church, proceed with the building of the Education Building, without the chapel, and prepare drawings for the remodeling of the sanctuary. By a vote of 180 to 56 a Quarterly Conference voted to build the Education Building and remodel the Sanctuary.
1962
Ralph E. Grim pledged $50,000 for the purchase of a new organ.
1963
The Educational Building was completed and dedicated.
1964
Work began on the remodeling of the sanctuary and our church services moved to "St. Rialto", as the Rialto Theatre came to be known. The first square dance was held in the Gym.
1965
The $480,000 sanctuary renovation was completed and services were resumed in our redesigned Stone Church. Weekday Nursery-Kindergarten began. The Hazel M. Grim Memorial Organ was dedicated.
1967
Jack North's 11-year ministry began. We rented space to Parkland, a newly formed community college.
1968
The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church merged to form the United Methodist church. We became the First United Methodist Church of Champaign. We dedicated the expanded Hazel M. Grim Memorial Organ.
1969
Bethel AME and First Church held a joint Vacation Church School. Headstart program was established in our church.
1970
We switched from an Official Board to an Administrative Board and reorganized church decision making and management.
1971
The Baxter Memorial Handbells were dedicated.
1972
The Parkview Drive parsonage was purchased.
1973
Parkland Community College no longer needed our facilities so a Day Care Center was established to make good use of the free space.
1975
We added a new north entrance, stairs and elevator. The first Ruth Goddard Achivement Award was presented to Martha Tucker. Peace Meals began. The Oscar Plumb Memorial panels were installed. The Sara M. North Lectureship Memorial Fund was established.
1978
North went to Springfield to become an assistant to the bishop. Floyd Stradley came to First Church and started a 9-year ministry.
1981
The Stairway to the Stars program was established under the leadership of Orrie Fairchild.
1985
The Goldie M. Huxtable Nursery was dedicated. Ralph Grim established the Grim Trust for Organist and Maintenance of the Grim Memorial Organ. We bought the lot next to the AmVets building and enlarged our parking area.
1987
Stradley went to Kankakee and Howard L. Daughenbaugh began five years of service.
1988
Acolyte Program began.
1989
First Church celebrated 100 years on the corner of Church and State. This celebration came 26 years late because the Frame Church stood on this corner in 1863.
1992
Daughenbaugh became a District Superintendent and James P. McClarey became the senior pastor at First Church.
1993
First Church work crews went to Pontoosuc, Illinois to help flood victims clean up.
1994
We adopted Columbia School and set up a tutoring service.
1995
We received an award "For Exemplary Efforts In The Area of Church Growth." This award was granted for having, among churches of our size, the most members who joined by profession of faith.
1996
The Central Illinois Conference and the Southern Illinois Conference merged to form the Illinois Great Rivers Conference. Jim McClarey retired and Terry Harter became our senior pastor. In September, after three years of study and debate, our congregation voted 275 to 156 to remain a downtown church.