St. George’s United Methodist Church

Why was a perfectly good bridge moved? Look at St. George’s United Methodist Church and you’ll find out. This church is the oldest Methodist church in continuous use in the United States. Its story began in 1769. It all started with a congregation meeting in a simple sail loft. They needed a proper place of worship. They found a partially built church originally intended for a German Reformed congregation. The Methodists bought it, finished it, and named it St. George’s. Its history is intertwined with the birth of American Methodism. Francis Asbury, a leading figure in early American Methodism, preached his first American sermon right here at St. George’s. The church also played a vital role in the early days of the African American Methodist movement. Richard Allen and Absalom Jones, the first African American Methodist preachers, were licensed here. Sadly, racial tensions led to a split. Allen and Jones left St. George’s to found the African Methodist Episcopal Church. But St. George’s continued to stand as a testament to faith and resilience. In the 1920s, the city planned to demolish it to make way for the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. The congregation fought back, and in a landmark case, the court ruled in their favor. The bridge was redesigned to avoid its destruction. St. George’s United Methodist Church is more than bricks and mortar. It is a symbol of perseverance, faith, and the ever-evolving story of American Methodism.