A Methodist Presence Since the Gold Rush
First United Methodist Church of Santa Rosa sits on Montgomery Drive in Santa Rosa, California, and traces its roots back to the early 1850s, before the city itself took shape. The first handful of Methodists began meeting in 1853 at the Lebanon Baptist Church in Franklin, an area now often called the Grace Addition. From those early gatherings, the Methodist presence grew alongside the city, becoming an integral part of community life in Sonoma County.
The first Methodist Episcopal Church building was erected in 1861 at the corner of Third and D Streets, on property donated by town fathers Berthold "Barney" Hoen and Feodor "Ted" Rahman, who gave land to the Methodists, Baptists, and Presbyterians to establish churches. By 1888 a German Methodist Episcopal Church opened at Cherry and Orchard Streets, and in 1901 a new building was completed on Fourth Street for $13,550.38. The steeples of these Methodist churches stood through the 1906 northern California earthquake like beacons amid the rubble, appearing on picture postcards of the day.
The two branches of Methodism, the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Methodist Episcopal Church (South), merged in 1925, and the Methodist Church of Santa Rosa grew considerably. A new church was built on Montgomery Drive in 1951, and the congregation has called that site home ever since. At the turn of the century, the church embarked on a multi-site ministry, purchasing eight acres at Giffen Avenue and Stony Point Road, holding worship at R.L. Stevens School beginning in 2000 and consecrating the Stony Point Ministry Center in 2006.
Reaching Up, Reaching Out
The congregation's stated mission is to grow loving communities of faith centered on Jesus that express themselves through personal spirituality and social responsibility, "reaching up to God and reaching out to all people in God's love." Members are encouraged to examine their faith through prayer and reflection, to engage in theological, historical, and biblical study, and to put belief into action through social justice, mission support, and hands-on service.
First United Methodist Church is a Reconciling Congregation, welcoming and affirming people of every gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation, of every age, race, ethnicity, ability, education level, and family structure, and of every economic, immigration, marital, and social status. A separate Oneness in Christ Statement affirms that all persons are precious to God and of sacred worth, and invites all people into the life and mission of the church regardless of race, nationality, sexual orientation, ability, age, gender identity, financial circumstances, or marital status. The congregation lives by the founder John Wesley's words: "We do not have to think alike to love alike."
The church belongs to the United Methodist Church and operates within the California-Nevada Conference. Its wider connectional life includes the United Methodist Women, the United Methodist Men, the United Methodist Committee on Relief, United Methodist Volunteers in Mission, and the Board of Global Ministries.
Sunday Worship in Two Languages
Two distinct Sunday morning worship services gather in the Sanctuary at the Montgomery Campus. The English-language service begins at 10:00 a.m., and the Fijian (Vakaviti) Traditional Service follows at noon. A livestream of the services is available on YouTube so worshipers near and far can take part.
The English service follows a traditional pattern familiar to anyone raised in a Methodist or mainline Protestant church. Hymn singing is led with the church's pipe organ, accompanied by the Chancel Choir, whose anthems and choral liturgy anchor the worship. Ushers distribute printed bulletins and project images during the service, and the congregation is invited to take communion with non-alcoholic juice and gluten-free bread available for all. Communion is open to everyone.
The Fijian Language Ministry at First Church Santa Rosa started as a small prayer group in February 2004 and has since grown into a thriving congregation-within-a-congregation. In addition to the noon service in the Sanctuary, a sunrise morning service for early risers begins at 6:00 a.m. in the Chapel. The Fijian ministry observes special Sundays for children, youth, mothers, and men, with the members of each group leading the service. After worship, the congregation shares a meal together as one big family.
Music is central to Fijian worship. The Fijian Choir is always open to new voices, and the ministry is organized into four cell groups, named Zion, Gethsemane, Sinai, and Galilee, which meet on Wednesday evenings from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. for Bible study, praise, and prayer.
The Pipe Organ, the Choir, and the Sanctuary
The Sanctuary at the Montgomery Campus is anchored by an outstanding pipe organ, played by Organist Colleen O'Malley, and by the Chancel Choir under the direction of Director of Music Jerri Mendivel. The sanctuary features stained glass, refurbished pews, and a sound system, with the choir offering anthems and choral liturgy during the traditional English service.
Mendivel has been involved in church music since 1978, working as a music director and keyboardist for both traditional and contemporary worship services, and she has been active in social justice choirs, song circles, master chorales, musical theater productions, and Threshold Choir chapters. The choir is open to anyone who would like to sing.
Beyond the Sunday services, the Sanctuary serves as the venue for the church's annual Christmas Concerts, including the 2019 "Sing Joy!" concert with choir, orchestra, and handbells performing works by Howard Helvey, Craig Courtney, Dan Forrest, and Joseph Martin's cantata Canticle of Joy.
What to Expect as a First-Time Visitor
The Montgomery Campus is located at 1551 Montgomery Drive in Santa Rosa, and worship runs from 10:00 a.m. to around 11:15 a.m. in English and noon in Fijian. A small parking lot sits at the corner of California Street and Montgomery Drive, with abundant street parking in the surrounding neighborhood.
Dress is "come as you are." In summer it's common to see people in sandals, shorts, and a shirt, while others prefer their Sunday best; both fit in easily. LGBTQ+ visitors are explicitly wanted and welcomed. An offering is collected at each service, but giving is entirely voluntary.
Children are welcomed and cared for at every service. Free nursery care is available for infants and toddlers up to age four during the 10:00 worship service. Children ages five through sixth grade are dismissed to the Children's Worship Space for age-appropriate Bible lessons, music, art, and service projects, and intergenerational family activities are offered nearly every month. Youth ages eleven through eighteen are invited to stay in Sunday morning worship with their families.
For visitors with hearing needs, hearing assistance devices are available from the ushers. Prayer cards can be filled out during worship and placed in the offering plate to share joys and concerns with the prayer teams. Baptisms, weddings, and memorial services are all celebrated here, and the pastors are glad to walk alongside families through life's milestones.
Children, Youth, and Vacation Bible School
The Children's Ministry focuses on planting seeds of faith. Sunday morning programming includes nursery care for infants through age four, staffed by SafeGathering certified teachers and assistants, and Bible and craft time for children ages five through sixth grade in the Children's Worship Space. Children learn about giving through service projects; recent lessons have included teaching the congregation about recycling.
The annual Vacation Bible School is a major event. The 2024 theme was "Scuba," where children explored what it means that God is a friend who is real, who loves, who can be trusted, and who is for everyone. Intergenerational family events round out the calendar, keeping children and adults engaged with one another throughout the year.
Adult Ministries and Small Groups
The Adult Ministry at First United Methodist Church is built around five overlapping kinds of engagement: Study, Ministry, Caring, Interest, and Fellowship. Programs range from classic Sunday School classes to open forums on contemporary issues, from caring for the gardens on the Stony Point campus to participating in Volunteers in Mission trips after natural disasters, from friendly hospital visits to weekly AA and Al-Anon meetings, from quilting groups that prepare blankets for baptisms to community-wide gospel concerts.
Small Groups are a key pathway into the life of the church. The Thursday Morning Men's Breakfast Group meets at 8:00 a.m. in the McMullin Room, enjoying breakfast prepared by a member of the group and discussing a designated book. A Thursday morning Zoom group for men meets at 8:30 a.m. to discuss faith and current events. The Friday Women's Book Study runs from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. The Men's Lunch Bunch gathers at 11:30 a.m. each Tuesday at a local restaurant, and a Men's Saturday Breakfast meets on the last Saturday of the month.
The Women's Ministry, organized under United Women in Faith (formerly United Methodist Women), is mission-driven and fellowship-rich. UWF circles meet monthly from September through June in homes and at the church for refreshments, programs, and mission planning. Annual giving supports worldwide missions focused on women and children, alongside local partners including FISH, the Battered Women's Shelter, Friends Outside, The Living Room, Women's Recovery Services, the FUMC Preschool, CAP Harold's House, and the YWCA Domestic Violence Shelter. Events like the Fijian Luau, Snowflake Bazaar, and Spring Fling are open to all.
iCare, the church's combined care ministry, was created in 2015 when the Staff Parish Committee merged Stephen Ministry, the Senior Ministry Council, and Parish Visitor programs. iCare partners provide confidential, practical, emotional, and spiritual support to congregants facing life's challenges. Triads, groups of three people who meet for prayer and Christian support, add another layer of pastoral care. Senior Ministry Coordinator Robin Terwilliger-Orton, who trained in Spiritual Direction and Retreats, supports this work.
Spirit Cafe, FISH, and Reaching Out to the Community
Community service has been a prime mission of the Methodist Church of Santa Rosa since before prohibition, when church ladies founded the local chapter of the Women's Christian Temperance Union. During the Great Depression, the church fed many with 25-cent dinners. That legacy of outreach continues today through several programs.
Spirit Cafe serves sack meals from the Montgomery Drive parking lot on the first three Tuesdays of each month at 4:00 p.m., and on the last Tuesday of the month the church hosts an in-person community meal and a short worship service for anyone who is hungry. FISH (Friends in Service Here) is a major partner, and donations to FISH can be made online, by text (text FISHGIVE to 443-21), or by mail to F.I.S.H., P.O. Box 507, Sonoma, CA 95476.
The Stony Point Community Garden was established in 2010 by volunteers with donated funds to provide a gathering place for neighborhood residents and church members. About half of the gardeners are congregation members and half are neighborhood families. The garden includes 30 family beds plus nine large donation beds, with fruit trees, climbing roses planted in memory of loved ones, and a picnic table built by the SCUMY Youth group. Between 2010 and 2015, garden volunteers donated more than 11,400 pounds of produce to local food banks through FISH.
The church sells Fair Trade certified coffee, tea, cocoa, and chocolate from Equal Exchange during the Sunday Fellowship Hour, offered at wholesale prices with no markup as a justice project for farming families. Volunteers in Mission (VIM) teams have been sent annually since 2006, beginning with a response to Hurricane Katrina in Biloxi, Mississippi, and continuing with rebuilding trips to Colorado (2014), Weed, California (2015), and Middletown, California (2019). Disaster Response work continues to support communities in need. The Outreach and Service Commission also links the congregation with partners such as Church World Service, Habitat for Humanity, Heifer Project International, the California Transplant Donor Network, and the Ceres Community Project. The church supports missionary Katherine Parker through the General Board of Global Ministries.
Gallery 1551 and the Stony Point Campus
Gallery 1551 is a small art gallery tucked into the hallway between the church office and Fellowship Hall at the Montgomery Campus. It features rotating exhibits of work by church family members and rising Sonoma County artists, with each installation remaining in place for about two months. Recent and past shows have included "Blocks of Love," a community-participation show featuring 3x3 wood tiles made by 250 people ages 4 to 94, and themed exhibitions such as "Red." The Creative Arts Ministry Advisory Board produces shows on a rotating pattern of community, solo, and themed exhibitions.
The Stony Point Campus, consecrated in 2006, provides a second space for worship, ministry, weddings, and the Community Garden. Its modern building seats 125 for services and events, with skylights, lush gardens, and a sound system with an extensive sound board. Both campuses offer dressing areas for brides and grooms, and the church provides a wedding coordinator to help with planning. Pastors offer a marriage workshop prior to the wedding. Wedding costs differ between members and non-members.
The United Methodist Foundation of Santa Rosa
Established in 1984, the United Methodist Foundation of Santa Rosa (UMF-SR) is a permanently endowed fund that supports the religious, charitable, and educational activities of First United Methodist Church. The Foundation provides unrestricted grants to the Trustees and Church Council, bibles for third graders, college scholarships for youth, grants for new ministries, support for missionaries, and help with property improvements.
Six fund families are open to donors: Scholarship Funds for college-bound youth, Education Funds for Christian education and music, Outreach Funds for community and global mission, Building and Grounds Maintenance Funds, the General Endowment Fund, and the E & A McDonald Fund. Gifts can be made in honor or in memory of loved ones, and the "Miracle of 1854" giving program invites 30 to 40 families to donate $18.54 monthly as a steady, compounding way to build the endowment. A Legacy Society recognizes those who have given $1,000 or more or who have included the Foundation in their estate planning. Donations are invested with the California-Nevada United Methodist Foundation.
Pastoral Leadership and Staff
The church is led by Senior Pastor Rev. Jeffrey D. Hall, a graduate of Nazarene Bible College (BA in Biblical Studies) and Claremont School of Theology (MA in Religion, with the Award for Excellence in Biblical Studies). Originally from Connecticut, Rev. Hall was honorably discharged from the US Air Force as a Military Police Officer before receiving his call to ministry at Oregon State University. He has served seven United Methodist churches prior to Santa Rosa, including appointments in Portola, Truckee, San Jose (Wesley, Central, and First), Los Gatos, and Roseburg, Oregon, and has chaired the Conference Board of Ordained Ministry.
Director of Music Jerri Mendivel oversees the choir and music ministry. Organist Colleen O'Malley accompanies the Chancel Choir and the Sunday services. Senior Ministry Coordinator Robin Terwilliger-Orton, a graduate of the SRJC and a Bible school in Michigan, completed a two-year Spiritual Direction and Retreats certification and supports the church's senior and pastoral care work. Janis Brewster serves as Church Operations Manager, and Elizabeth Walton leads Special Events, Hospitality, and Office Support, drawing on fifteen years of service with the FUMC Preschool and Children's Ministry.
Giving, Communication, and Getting Involved
Gifts to First United Methodist Church can be made online, by mail, or in person before and after Sunday services. Online giving is available through Donorbox, with options to designate gifts to the church, the Foundation, or FISH. The church is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization with EIN 94-1294929; all contributions are tax-deductible.
The congregation stays connected through the weekly e-newsletter "What's Happening," a printed weekly bulletin, the Roseleaf monthly newsletter, and weekly devotionals written by Coral Saxe, which are available as downloadable PDFs. Calendar updates are posted on Google Calendar and on the church's calendar page. Forms for facility use, weddings, memorials, and membership are available from the office, and visitors interested in joining a small group, volunteering, or exploring membership can reach out through the office at webmaster@fumcsantarosa.org or by phone at (707) 545-3863 during office hours, Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.