A Sanctuary Filled with Stained Glass
Amelon United Methodist Church sits along Amelon Expressway in Madison Heights, Virginia, in Amherst County. The congregation is best known locally for its sanctuary, where ten vivid stained glass panels line the worship space. The windows depict scenes such as I Am the Light, the Six Days of Creation, the Sower, the Good Samaritan, the Good Shepherd, Christ Walking on Water, Christ Healing the Sick Child, and Christ Changing Water into Wine. Members describe the windows as more than decoration. They teach. Children who cannot yet read can learn the stories by looking up, and first-time visitors can find a scriptural anchor in every panel. Each scene is paired with a printed scripture reference so worshipers can read along as they gaze at the glass.
Sunday Mornings: Sunday School and Worship
Sunday mornings at Amelon follow a steady rhythm. Adult Sunday School meets at 9:30 AM, with the Briggs Discussion Class beginning at 9:00 AM and the McBride class gathering from 9:30 to 10:30 AM. The Briggs class focuses on comprehensive, Christ-centered Bible study and discussion open to all adults, while the McBride class blends fellowship, scripture study, and outreach with a tradition of working through books by J. Ellsworth Kalas. Both classes welcome drop-ins.
At 10:30 AM the congregation gathers for worship. The service blends a traditional choir with a contemporary praise band, so each Sunday carries a familiar liturgical structure alongside newer songs. The choir, led by Minister of Music Herb Chamberlain, rehearses every Thursday at 7:00 PM and sings during worship and at seasonal programs. The praise band, led by Worship Leader Duncan Wood, rehearses on Wednesdays at 6:30 PM and adds a current sound to the same service. Lead Pastor Matthew Heckman preaches and presides at the table. Worship is shared on Facebook and YouTube for those who cannot attend in person.
Roots Kids Ministry
Children ages four through eleven are part of Roots Kids Ministry. They begin Sunday mornings in worship with their families and then step out for Children's Church after the Children's Message. Children's Church runs from about 10:30 to 11:30 AM and includes a Bible story, a game or craft, and a snack. Roots also offers a Sunday School class for the same age group and hosts Vacation Bible School and seasonal parties throughout the year. All children's programming follows Safe Sanctuaries policies to protect young people in the care of the church.
Education, Motivation, Recreation: The EMR Center
One of the most distinctive things about Amelon is its EMR Center, a before- and after-school program serving Madison Heights families. Mornings run from 6:30 to 9:00 AM and afternoons from 2:45 to 6:00 PM, with bus transportation to and from Elon Elementary, Amelon Elementary, and Madison Heights Elementary. The program operates out of the church building at 220 Amelon Expressway under the direction of Michele Poindexter, who can be reached at 434-219-6840 or 434-426-4741. For working families in the area, EMR is both a ministry of the church and a daily point of contact with the wider neighborhood.
The Stith Mead Prayer Rock
On the church grounds stands a stone with deep Methodist roots in the region. Known as the Stith Mead Prayer Rock, it carries the words "hope, fast, pray to GOD, Job 19" chiseled by Reverend Stith Mead (1767 to 1834) around 1896. Mead established the first Methodist Church in Lynchburg in 1804 and helped spread Methodism through Virginia and into Augusta, Georgia. The rock originally sat about a mile east of Route 29 off Wright Shop Road on a sloping hill and was moved to its current spot by men of the Amelon congregation in May 1998.
Music That Spans Generations
Music is woven through the life of the church. The Amelon Choir fills the sanctuary on Sundays and during holiday services. The praise band draws on the gifts of musicians who write and perform contemporary worship songs. Together they make the 10:30 AM service a place where longtime members and newer visitors both hear something they recognize. The church points to 1 Peter 2:9 as its anthem, a "chosen people" called to "declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."
United Methodist Women
The UMW chapter at Amelon meets on the second Monday of each month at 6:30 PM in the Fellowship Hall. The group raises money through bake sales and other events and directs the funds to local and global missions. Recent projects have included knitting and crocheting hats and blankets for the Virginia Baptist Hospital during cold months, hosting church bake sales, and baking pound cakes for the local community Lenten service luncheon. Members describe the work as practical, hands-on, and rooted in the surrounding community.
Pickleball, AA, and Other Open Doors
Two days a week the church's gym fills with the pop of pickleballs. Wednesdays from 5:30 to 7:30 PM and Saturdays from 1:00 to 3:00 PM, anyone twelve and older is welcome to play. Paddles and balls are provided, there are no fees, and the atmosphere is family-friendly. The church also hosts Alcoholics Anonymous meetings on a regular schedule posted to its calendar. Both pickleball and AA show how Amelon opens its building to neighbors beyond the congregation, turning the church into a true community center through the week.
Reaching Out: Helping Hands and Meals on Wheels
Amelon disciples itself outward through several volunteer efforts. Helping Hands and Neighbors Helping Neighbors link members with practical needs in the community, and the church supports Meals on Wheels. Members of the McBride Sunday School class in particular stay involved in these outreach efforts, and the church newsletter keeps the wider congregation informed of upcoming opportunities to serve.
Beliefs and Mission
Amelon's mission is to "Make New Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World," and its vision is "To display the love of Christ and impact our community through discipleship, outreach, and creative services." The congregation confesses belief in one sovereign and loving God, existing in three persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - and in the divinity, virgin birth, crucifixion, and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. Members affirm that the Holy Spirit comforts and convicts, that human beings are created in God's image with the freedom to accept or reject that relationship, and that the Bible is the primary authority for faith and practice. The Apostles' Creed is recited in worship as a summary of these convictions.
All people, regardless of race, ethnicity, economic status, national origin, or sexual orientation, are welcomed into worship and the life of the church.
Meade and Bayley's Chapel Cemeteries
Amelon United Methodist Church oversees two historic burial grounds. Meade Cemetery sits on Old Wright Shop Road (Route 833) in Madison Heights, with Melodie Cooper listed as the contact at (434) 401-1328. Bayley's Chapel Cemetery is on Dixie Airport Road (Route 677). Together the cemeteries reflect the long Methodist presence in this part of Amherst County, stretching back to the days of Stith Mead.
Visiting Amelon
Visitors are welcomed with the words "come as you are." Ushers can help newcomers identify themselves as guests, and a guest card is tucked next to the hymnals at the back of each pew for anyone who would like to fill one out and place it in the offering plate. On the way out, the United Methodist Women have prepared a gift bag at the door. The physical and mailing address is the same: 220 Amelon Expressway, Madison Heights, VA 24572. The church office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM and can be reached at (434) 929-3200 or office@amelonumc.com. Generosity is welcomed through GiveButter and by mail, and an Instant Church Directory app keeps members connected to one another.