Roots Going Back to 1870
First United Methodist Church sits at 190 East Franklin Boulevard in downtown Gastonia, North Carolina. Its history begins with Shiloh Methodist Church, founded in 1870, which moved into the current site as Main Street Methodist Church in 1900. The congregation became First Methodist Church in 1956 and took its present name in 1968. Across every name change, the church has stayed committed to worship, fellowship, and outreach in Gastonia and beyond.
The congregation is part of the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church and is one of the largest United Methodist churches in the Catawba Valley District. Membership stands at about 1,300, with an average of 250 in worship each week, sustained by an annual budget of roughly $1.8 million. The vision shared by the congregation is to embody the mind and spirit of Christ and to follow Jesus' commandments to love God and one another, weaving God's love and grace throughout all of creation. The mission of the church is to see Christ in every person encountered and to demonstrate to them the love of God and the teachings of Jesus.
Three Sundays, Three Styles
Worship is the centerpiece of life at First UMC, and the church goes out of its way to meet people where they are. Each Sunday service carries the same sermon, the same music selection, a children's time, and an offering, but the style shifts from hour to hour.
The 8:45 a.m. Modern service takes place in the Theatre at 162 East Main Avenue. It blends a casual yet respectful approach to liturgy with modern musical styles and creative worship design, creating a multi-generational gathering that uses the arts to draw worshippers in.
The 9:00 a.m. Relaxed Traditional service is held in the Sanctuary and is intentionally intimate, with the service running about 45 minutes so attendees can move directly into Sunday school. In place of a full choir, individuals and small groups share their musical gifts.
The 11:00 a.m. Traditional service in the Sanctuary is the largest of the three, drawing families, younger adults, and older adults together. It uses full liturgy and a full choir and is the service that is livestreamed. Nursery care is available on the first floor for all three services.
A 5:00 p.m. Wednesday Chapel service, a 10:00 a.m. Sunday School hour for all ages, and a Wednesday Evening Fellowship meal round out the weekly rhythm. The Modern and Traditional services feed into a continuous Sunday morning schedule that ends well after noon.
Pastoral Leadership
The church is served by three ordained pastors. Reverend Justin Lowe and Reverend Melissa Lowe serve together as Co-Senior Pastors. Justin, who trained in dance for 18 years before entering ministry, provides primary pastoral leadership for administrative ministries, student ministries, and worship and serves as chairperson of the WNCC UMC Annual Conference Worship Committee. Reverend Preciouse Wilson serves as Associate Pastor with a ministry focused on visiting those who are sick or homebound, offering spiritual and emotional support throughout the community.
Music as a Hallmark
Music is consistently described as a hallmark of First UMC. Anthony Pero directs the Modern worship service and brings more than 25 years of experience leading congregations large and small; he also maintains an active music channel online. Jill Willis directs Traditional Music and Worship, with Susan Lisle serving as Music Associate and Timothy Scruggs as Organist. Together they oversee choirs for all ages, handbell choirs, and instrumental ensembles. The music ministry takes worship beyond the building, visiting healthcare and correctional facilities, other churches, festivals, and public venues throughout the region.
Children, Youth, and the Preschool
Children are always welcome in worship and are recognized with a special children's time during each service. Margaret Smith, Director of Children's Ministries, oversees nursery through fifth grade with Sunday School at 10:00 a.m., a Wednesday Evening Fellowship, children's choir, summer camps, and a packed calendar of family events. Childcare for all three worship services is provided on the first floor of the main building; families can enter under the Narthex, from the Gathering Place, or use the elevator for handicap access and ring the doorbell.
Youth ministry reaches middle and high schoolers with a full-time Director of Youth Ministries. Sunday and Wednesday evening meet-ups run 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. for grades 6 through 12. Wednesdays include dinner, devotion, games, and Youth Praise Band practice. The year is anchored by an annual Senior High beach retreat at Kure Beach, a fall retreat at Camp Awanita, mission trips, and a year-long Confirmation class for grades 6 through 8 that culminates in Confirmation Sunday each May.
The church also runs a learn-through-play preschool for children ages one through four. Classes meet Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday or Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with a 3-day tuition of $250 a month and a 5-day tuition of $350, plus a $65 registration fee. The program includes weekly chapel on Thursdays, music and movement classes, tumble time, cooking activities, and summer camps. Director Rebecca Denton, a graduate of East Carolina University with a background in Child Development and Family Relations, leads a staff that keeps class ratios well below state requirements.
Adult Formation and Small Groups
Adults of every age find a place in Sunday School and small groups. Classes include the Builders Class (meeting Mondays at Covenant Village at 6:30 p.m.), Crosstalk (a cross-section of ages and opinions), Faith Matters (parents of children and youth building a faith that matters at home), Friends in Faith (adults 20 to 40 juggling careers and families), Joy Class (couples and singles following the international lesson series), Carpenter Class (variety of ages in a lecture and discussion format), and Life Links for adults in their twenties and thirties. Prayer Pause, led by Becky Greene, gathers on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. in Room 316 for mothers, partners, and caregivers to refill their own cups before pouring out for others. Friends on the Go plans trips throughout the year for mature adults.
The Labyrinth
A walking labyrinth is available on campus for prayer and meditation. Used by early Christians as a symbolic journey toward the Holy Land, the single circuitous path offers a calming, centering experience for individuals or groups. Groups or classes interested in scheduling a walk can contact Becky Greene.
United Women in Faith and United Methodist Men
United Women in Faith circles bring women of every age together for fellowship, mission, and study. Circles include Covenant at Covenant Village, Grace for fellowship and mission over lunch, PEACE for social and education outreach, Shiloh for working women and young adults, SIS (Sisters in Service) for fellowship, and Rejoice, an email circle. The unit funds local and global mission projects and awards yearly scholarships to FUMC youth pursuing higher education.
United Methodist Men host a hot dog lunch on the first Friday of each month in the Family Life Center, with a hot dog, chili, chips, a cookie, and a drink for $5. All are welcome.
Mission, Outreach, and Partnerships
Mission and outreach are woven into the life of the church. The congregation hosts HOPE Fest and partners with the Cold Weather Shelter for Gaston County, maintains a bed at the Rotary Community Garden that volunteers plant and harvest through the growing season, and sends teams on mission trips - most recently to Asheville and Honduras, with donations collected for both.
Local hands-on ministries include tutoring at-risk children through the Boys and Girls Club, providing dinner for 130 kids on the first Wednesday of each month, packing weekend food backpacks for local schools, serving on Salvation Army breakfast teams, and supporting Camp Sunshine - a summer camp the church has run for more than 40 years for children who could not otherwise afford one, with a Christmas party for former campers each December. The congregation works with local schools each Christmas season to provide Christmas for children in need.
The church building hosts community support groups throughout the week. A Codependents Anonymous group gathers Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. in the FLC Conference Room, a drug-recovery fellowship meets Tuesdays and Thursdays at noon in the Theatre Lobby, and Days for Girls volunteers gather the fourth Thursday of each month in the Craft Room to produce hygiene kits that support the education of girls around the world.
Two long-standing partnerships extend the ministry into Gaston County. The church has hosted pastoral counselors in its hallways for more than 35 years; today that role is filled by Serenity Pastoral Counseling, led by Reverend Shelton Davis, a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and ordained Methodist minister whose office sits just across the hall from the chapel. The church also partners with the Gaston Literacy Council and runs a Community Health Ministry that includes a parish nurse.
The Theatre
The Theatre at 162 East Main Avenue, home to the Modern worship service on Sunday mornings, is available for community reservations throughout the week. The space is used for performances, special events, and meetings, and is also the gathering place for the Tuesday and Thursday recovery fellowship.
Getting Connected
The church keeps an active calendar of newsletters, sign-ups, and event registrations, with Director of Communications Maggie Cheyney managing email updates. Giving and tithe payments are available online, and the church teaches sacrificial giving rooted in 2 Samuel 24:24. The published Leadership Covenant outlines shared expectations for staff and lay leaders, and the congregation's overall budget and finances are posted openly. Worship is always free and the building is open to anyone curious about what a downtown United Methodist congregation looks like in 2026.