Celebrating Our Rich History
 

The congregation of FUMC Palatine has deep roots in the community. The church opened its doors in 1857, just two years after the Village of Palatine was laid out by surveyor Joel Wood. We celebrated our 150th anniversary in 2007. The sesquicentennial year also marked the opening of the Wesley Center, a new multipurpose facility built to replace the Old North Church.
 

The year-long commemoration ended in November with the Great Reunion Weekend, three days of remembrance and celebration of the life of our church. The congregation came together to stage “A Church For The Ages,” a musical play tracing the lineage of the church from 1840 to the present day. Everything was done in-house, from scriptwriting to costuming to set construction. The church presented a wonderful show, a fitting tribute to the generations that have faithfully served so many people in the surrounding area.
 

The next night we held a dinner honoring the pastoral leadership, the men and women who have shepherded God’s flock in Palatine over the years. Ten former ministers were brought back to the place they once called home to reflect upon their time here. The weekend closed with the past, present and future coming together for a special worship service in the new Wesley Center. It was a great way to celebrate the church’s history while also marking the beginning of a new and exciting journey ahead.
 

The history of First United Methodist Church of Palatine, however, is much more than a history of buildings. It is the history of a congregation that has found ways to faithfully serve the wider community for more than one hundred and fifty years. In each succeeding generation, the people of FUMC have had the wisdom, foresight, and faith to be open to the new ways God is leading us.