Chestnut Hill United Methodist Church

We are a diverse group of people. Our ages range from the very small to the wise elders, and the largest age groups in the church are 3-10 and 30-45 years old. Our skin colors stretch the gamut, and we represent a number of cultures and abilities. We are a Reconciling Congregation, and welcome people of all sexual orientations, races, and beliefs. Although we are self-consciously Christian, we also have a number of associate members who are Muslim, Jewish, or Shinto. We celebrate being Christian, while not asserting that Christianity is either the only or the best way. History of the Church:Chestnut Hill United Methodist Church was founded between 1845 and 1850, starting first as just a gathering of people and gradually formalizing itself. The land on which the church now stands was obtained during those first five years, and a wood-frame church was constructed. Throughout the 19th century the church -- named Wesley Methodist Episcopal Chapel -- remained relatively small, except for a rather intense attendance during the Civil War due to the presence of both an encampment of soldiers and a military hospital. The Sunday School program was the liveliest dimension of the church's program during the 19th century with an enrollment sometimes of up to 40 children. For the first 50 years of the 20th century the church was relatively small with a population of working class people, many of whom worked on the massive estates that were constructed in the early 20th century in Chestnut Hill. During the 1950s the church experienced a growth spurt, and some of the members moved to the suburbs. A long period of decline began in the 1960s and continued through the 1980s. Despite this decline, and with a generous donation, the current Anders Hall wing of the church was built in the late 1960s. Beginning in the early 1990s, the congregation began to grow again.