The First United Methodist Church of Rocky Ford was organized on March 5, 1887, under the leadership of Rev. John Wood who was then pastor of the La Junta Mission. The first congregation consisted of seven persons.
On July 23, 1892, the Board of Trustees purchased the lots on which the first church was constructed at the corner of 9th and Elm. It was a small brick building dedicated April 18, 1893,m by Bishop Henry White Warren.
By 1904 it became evident that an even larger church structure was needed to accommodate the increased population of the Arkansas Valley. The last services were held in the little church on February 11, 1906. While the new building was being erected on the same spot, services were conducted in the Grand Opera House. The new church was dedicated on November 2, 1906. Under the leadership of Leroy Elser, the present Estey pipe organ was purchased in April, 1907, and is still used today.
In 1967 a decision was made to purchase land on West Washington Avenue for the building of a new church and parsonage. The parsonage was built in 1974 and in the fall of 1975, a ground breaking ceremony was held on the spot where the new church would be built.
The first worship service was held on Easter Sunday in 1976. The first half of the service was at the old church and the second half of the service was held at the new church. Rev. Neil Warner, minister during the construction, conducted and preached for the first worship service in the new church.
Our history is a gift of God. We need to remember and celebrate our past. But those who lived our history would remind us that it was never easy. War and recession are not new. Drought is cyclical. We have, with God’s help, come through difficult times before and we will, with God’s help, come through these days as well.
The task before us is exciting. We are called to be a beacon of hope in a community which struggles with hopelessness. We are called to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to a secular generation. We are called to look beyond ourselves and to reach out to a world touched by poverty, famine, and war.
We have already begun. Bible study groups meet at the church and in a local restaurant. Sunday school students gather weekly in our own facility for the first time in a number of years. And this fall, we are amazed to find 8 two year olds enrolled in this program. Through penny jars, canned goods, shoeboxes, and fresh baked bread, the mission committee has introduced us to many new ways to reach out to the world. These are challenging and exciting days.
