1874: Methodism came to McPherson. The Methodist Episcopal Church was organized on April 13th, 1874, with 23 charter members. The Rev. John A. Simpson was the organizer and first minister. The church met in the small country courthouse and shared the Baptist church building one Sunday a month.

1907: The congregation had outgrown the building, therefore, a new cornerstone was laid for a larger church. It was located at the corner of Kansas and Maple. The building was dedicated on June 28, 1908. The sanctuary could hold 600 people and it had classroom space for 350. The approximate cost was $40,000.

1939: Mergers occurred within Methodism which produced changes in the name of the local church. It changed from the First Methodist Episcopal Church of McPherson to the First Methodist Church.

1966: Groundbreaking began on March 27, for our current church building located at 1200 E. Kansas Ave. It was completed toward the end of 1967. It was constructed for the cost of $703,000. The first worship service was held on January 7, 1968.

1968: On April 23, 1968, following the unification of the Evangelical United Brethren and Methodist Churches in Dallas, Texas, the First Methodist Church became the First United Methodist Church, our present official name.

Forty-six pastors have served the church, including nine associates. At this time, seven members of the congregation have gone into full-time Christian ministry.

First United Methodist Church offers three worship celebrations each Sunday and one on Wednesday evenings. These services enable the church to offer a variety of worship times and styles, including both traditional and contemporary.

This 1,000 member church has been intentionally organized around the commitments of its membership, which are to Seek, Educate, Relate, Value & Embody (S.E.R.V.E.). These commitments are essential in FUMC's call to be a servant church where new and lifelong Christians are becoming deeply committed followers and servants of Jesus Christ.