On the north edge of Yuba City, just off Highway 99 along Colusa Highway, a low, sprawling church campus sits on eighteen acres of land. The sign out front reads First United Methodist Church, and beneath the name runs the congregation's motto: "For Christ and His Kingdom." The people of this church have been gathering in the Sacramento Valley since 1850, when the Methodist Episcopal Church of Yuba City was organized as the first circuit in Northern California. More than 175 years later, the same line of Methodists now worships in English and in Punjabi on a single Sunday, runs a children's ministry called SonShine Kids, hosts two weekday Bible studies, gathers men for a Tuesday breakfast, and keeps a travel food closet stocked for neighbors and travelers passing through.
For Christ and His Kingdom
The people of First United Methodist Church describe themselves as "an open and welcoming family of faith where everyone feels at home, regardless of their social, spiritual, or financial circumstances." They aim to be a missional community committed to the United Methodist mission of "making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world" through worship, fellowship, and discipleship. As Pastor Peter Park writes, "Although we may have differences, our goal remains simple and clear: we do it for Christ and for His Kingdom."
A 175-Year Story on Colusa Highway
The congregation's roots go back to the very beginning of organized Methodism in northern California. In 1850, the Methodist Episcopal Church of Yuba City was organized as part of the Feather River Circuit by Rev. Isaac Owens, the first circuit organized in Northern California. That same year, Miss Maria Keeler organized a Sunday School on June 15, 1850, which was the first Sunday School in this section of the state.
By 1854, the Methodist Episcopal Church had its own building at Second and C Streets, organized under the guidance of Rev. Morris Evens, Presiding Elder. A Yolo Street church followed in 1872. In 1925, the Forbes Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church was built, and the present church on Colusa Highway is the combined outgrowth of those earlier bodies.
In 1950, under the leadership of Rev. Bernard Lowry, the congregation moved from Second Street into a new church at 627 "B" Street. Rev. Howard Daulton succeeded him in 1951, and Rev. Edgar Nelson became pastor in 1961. By 1978, the congregation was bursting at the seams. Led by Rev. Nelson, the church purchased the eighteen acres on Colusa Highway where it stands today. The Fellowship Hall was used as a Worship Center, and the first worship service was held in April 1989. Construction of the Sanctuary followed, and the first service in the new Sanctuary was held on Palm Sunday in 1994.
In September 2025, members and former pastors gathered to mark the church's 175th anniversary, with a sermon titled "What the Yuba City FUMC Means to Me!" carrying their testimonies.
Sunday Mornings at the Church on the Highway
Sunday is the heart of the week at First United Methodist Church of Yuba City. The day begins at 9:00 a.m. with a Bible study on the Gospel of John, led by Pastor Peter Park. The main worship service follows at 11:00 a.m. Children and youth meet at the same time as the worship hour, with SonShine Kids offered during the English service.
On the third floor of the education building, the Punjabi Congregation gathers for worship at 1:00 p.m. every Sunday. Led by Manjit Pagany, the Punjabi congregation has become a distinctive part of the church's life, drawing worshipers from the wider Punjabi-speaking community in the Sacramento Valley.
Sermons are livestreamed each Sunday morning on the church's YouTube channel, so members and friends who are traveling or unable to attend in person can still worship with the congregation.
SonShine Kids and the Young People
The children's ministry at First United Methodist Church is called SonShine Kids, and it meets every Sunday at 11:00 a.m., during the English worship service. The program is built around three qualities, each named by the church: Curiosity, Creativity, and Competency. The staff and volunteers encourage children to be curious about stories from the Bible, the Christian faith, and the mission of the church. They seek creative ways not only to communicate biblical truth but also to help children express their faith in their own words and talents. They inspire children to be independent and, at the same time, social, respectful, and competent.
Children's Ministry Director Rev. Da Hye Jung oversees the program. A preacher's kid herself, raised in Korea, she holds a B.A. in Church Music and an M.Div. from Presbyterian Theological University and Seminary, as well as an M.T.S. from Pacific School of Religion. She is also a Hospice Chaplain with Sutter Care at Home in Yuba City and was commissioned as a Deacon in the Cal-Nevada Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church in 2026.
For older students, Mindy "Mindy" Poukish serves as the Youth Coordinator and Lay Leader. She accepted Christ as a seventh grader at a Youth Winter Retreat and was active in the youth group through her senior year, when she was student leader of the youth Mexico team to Merida. After two short-term mission trips in college, she built a career in marketing and PR, working as Director of Marketing at Xerox and as Director of Christian Growth at First United Methodist Church itself. She has coordinated youth ministry since 2005. Her background in Worship Arts, Evangelism, Cross-Cultural Ministry, and Ministry Programs shapes how she connects the church's young people to ministry inside and outside the congregation.
The Punjabi Congregation
On the third floor of the education building at 1:00 p.m. on Sundays, a Punjabi-speaking congregation gathers for worship. The service is led by Manjit Pagany, with his own livestream channel that carries worship for those who cannot attend in person.
The Punjabi ministry grew out of the same conviction that runs through the rest of the church: that people in a foreign land need a place to worship in their own language and to find Christian fellowship and discipleship. As the church's introduction to the Punjabi service puts it, "Life can be challenging in a foreign land, but you are here for a reason. We appreciate and celebrate your presence in Yuba City and look forward to what God will do among and around us as we worship."
Bible Study Through the Week
Two weekly Bible studies anchor the church's discipleship. On Sunday mornings at 9:00 a.m., Pastor Peter leads a study through the Gospel of John. The Wednesday morning Bible study, at 10:00 a.m., is taught by Rev. Judy Robbins and currently works through her book The Epic of Eden, an exploration of the Book of Isaiah. The Wednesday group is open to anyone in the church or community who wants to dig deeper into the text.
Recordings of past studies, including previous series on Revelation and Romans, are available for visitors and members who want to sample what the Bible study looks like.
Men Gather Around the Table on Tuesdays
Every Tuesday morning at 11:30 a.m., the men of First United Methodist Church gather at Huckleberry's Breakfast & Lunch, 724 W Onstott Frontage Rd in Yuba City, for breakfast, fellowship, and theological discussion. The current book under conversation is Christian Beliefs by Wayne Grudem, a systematic theology primer. Men who are interested can contact the church office or send a message through the church's online connection card.
The Travel Food Closet
One of the most visible ministries of First United Methodist Church of Yuba City is its food closet - but not the typical food pantry. Because the church sits on a heavily traveled corridor just off Highway 99, the closet is set up to provide bags of food to families in need, to the homeless, and to travelers who simply pass through town and need a helping hand.
The list of items the closet accepts tells the story. Shelf-stable foods such as granola bars, crackers, pasta, cereal, boxed macaroni and cheese, applesauce, and peanut butter and jelly sit alongside canned soup, chili, vegetables, fruits, tuna, chicken, and pasta sauce. Travel-size care products include toothbrushes, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, baby wipes, chapstick, and tissues. Pull-top cans are preferred, and the closet cannot accept perishable or refrigerated items.
For longer-term assistance, the church refers neighbors in need to the Christian Assistance Network (CAN) in the Yuba City area.
Praying for One Another
Intercessory Prayer is named among the church's standing ministries. The church's prayer ministry gathers the prayer needs of the congregation and the community and brings them before God week after week. Visitors and members are invited to share prayer requests through the church's online contact form, and the church treasures those requests as part of its pastoral life.
Community Talks
First United Methodist Church maintains a ministry called Community Talks, a series of conversations and presentations designed to serve the wider Yuba City area. The Community Talks page is a regular point on the church's menu, alongside other ministries and the church calendar, suggesting that the congregation sees itself not only as a place of worship on Sundays but also as a hub for thoughtful conversation across the week.
The Pastor and His Family
The pastor of First United Methodist Church is Hyun Ho (Peter) Park. A native of the South Korean countryside, he grew up working with his parents on pig and cow farms, in the rice fields, and in the strawberry and watermelon patches. He came to the United States, fell in love with scripture-based, spirit-filled, intellectually compelling, and traditionally innovative Wesleyan theology, and built a ministry of youth, children, and pastoral leadership.
He served youth and college groups at Atlanta Bethany UMC in Sugar Hill, Georgia, from 2006 to 2013, then served youth and children's ministry at Berkeley Korean UMC in Oakland from 2013 to 2018. He has also served at San Ramon Grace UMC as a solo pastor (2018 to 2021) and at Santa Rosa First United Methodist Church as an Associate Pastor.
Peter holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theology from Yonsei University in Seoul, a Master of Divinity and a Master of Theology from Candler School of Theology at Emory University, and a Doctor of Philosophy in New Testament from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. He previously taught at the Jesuit School of Theology/Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley and at Holy Names University and Oikos University in Oakland. He also serves as Editor-in-Chief of Asian American Theological Forum and is the author of Intergroup Conflict, Recategorization, and Identity Construction in Acts: Breaking the Cycle of Slander, Labelling, and Violence, published in 2024 by Bloomsbury T&T Clark.
His wife, Da Hye Jung, is the church's Children's Ministry Director, and their two children - seven-year-old Luke and five-year-old Phoebe - keep them busy outside the church doors.
Music in the Sanctuary
Music remains a backbone of worship at First United Methodist Church. Alice Epler serves as choir director and pianist. She began playing for church services at the age of three, under the direction of her choir director, and has spent sixty-three years as a church pianist, directing children's choirs, three bell choirs, and serving as church pianist at six different churches. She toured for five years with an evangelistic group as pianist, vocal director, coach, and music arranger, toured for two years as a solo artist, recorded four albums, spent four summers on Broadway, and worked for three years as a studio musician providing background vocals for popular country artists of the 1970s. Her education includes a B.A. in music pedagogy, a B.A. in vocal science and performance, and a B.A. in choral and instrumental conducting.
Sound, lighting, and video production for services and the livestream are overseen by Larry Badger, a retired journalist with forty-two years as a reporter and editor at The Appeal-Democrat, with a bachelor's degree in Radio, Television and Film production from Fresno State University.
Hosting Events on the Eighteen Acres
The campus at 3101 Colusa Highway has room to host more than Sunday worship. Small groups, conferences, and other gatherings can be held on site, and outside organizations are invited to inquire about renting space. A Facility Use Application is available, with submissions sent to ycfumc@gmail.com or by phone to the church office. Whether it is a small group gathering or a conference, the church has space available for it.
Livestream, Sermons, and Giving
Sermons are at the center of how First United Methodist Church stays in touch with its people. Each week's message is uploaded to the Sermons page and YouTube channel, with series like "Food For Faith," "The Art of Remembrance," "Finding the Meaning of Life," "Care Over Fear Compassion over Oppression," and ongoing explorations of the Old Testament figures of Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph. Sunday worship is livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel.
Giving is offered in three ways. The most convenient option is online giving through the Realm/Connect system. For those who prefer their phone, the church accepts text-to-give by sending "FUMCYC" and the tithe amount to 73256. Checks can also be mailed to 3101 Colusa Highway, Yuba City, CA 95993.
Open Hours and a Welcome to Visitors
The church office is open Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Visitors are warmly invited to fill out the church's online connection card so that the pastor and congregation can follow up, share prayer requests, and answer questions about the church's life and ministries. The choir sings, the Punjabi congregation gathers upstairs, the children's ministry takes the next generation through the Bible, the food closet feeds travelers and neighbors, and the Bible studies go deep into Isaiah and John - all on a single Sunday and through the week that follows.