“The Little Church with the Big Heart” on Bedford Road

Katonah-Purdys United Methodist Church sits at 5 Bedford Road in the village of Katonah, in Westchester County, New York. Locals describe the congregation as “small but mighty” and “the little church with the big heart,” and the church lives into that reputation with an unusually wide roster of programs for its size. Its roots in this part of northern Westchester go back to 1837, and the Bedford Road sanctuary has stood on the same spot since 1900. The current congregation is the product of a merger between the Katonah and Purdys United Methodist churches, who came together as one church family united by a shared mission: Loving Boldly, Serving Joyfully, Leading Courageously.

Pastor Matt Curry, who has served the church since the summer before the announcement of his profile in The Recorder, leads the congregation. He has called Katonah home for more than a decade and brings two decades of ministry experience, including six years as Director of Connectional Ministries for the New York Annual Conference. He lives in Katonah with his family. His vision, in his own words, is for the church to become “a hub for not just spiritual needs, but also community, creative and artistic, and service opportunities.”

Sunday Worship at 10:00 AM

Sunday worship is the heart of the week. The service is held at 10:00 AM in the Katonah sanctuary at 5 Bedford Road and is offered as a hybrid gathering, with the same service available online through Zoom. The link is shared by emailing the church office. Pastor Matt’s lively sermons are followed by a time of discussion and reflection, giving worship a conversational rhythm rather than a one-way feel.

Music is a defining feature of the gathering. Music Director Peter Muir, an internationally recognized choral director, organist, pianist, singer, educator, and musicologist who began his career as a chorister at Westminster Abbey in London at the age of eight, leads the music program. He brings an unusually wide range of styles to worship, navigating classical, gospel, jazz, and popular music with equal ease. As he puts it, “It’s the heart that matters, not the technique.” Choir rehearsal is held at 9:30 AM on Sunday mornings and is open to all voices and experience levels.

Children are always part of the service. A Children’s Time during worship might involve learning a song with hand motions or seeing a Bible story illustrated with a magic trick. Nursery care is offered during worship for the youngest attendees. Sunday School follows Children’s Time for preschool and elementary children, using a variety of learning styles including art, cooking, science, and games.

Wednesday Prayer Circle and Adult Study

The week’s other anchor gathering is the Midweek Meditation and Prayer, held on Wednesdays at noon in the Katonah sanctuary and on Zoom. The session opens with guided meditation and continues with a time of sharing and praying with one another. Some bulletins describe the same gathering as the Prayer Circle at 12:30 PM; either way, it is a regular touchstone for members who want a midweek pause to reflect and pray together.

Adult ministry at Katonah-Purdys UMC is designed to meet people wherever they are on their journey, whether they are seeking deeper understanding, connection, or service opportunities. Bible studies, fellowship events, and spiritual retreats form the core of the program. During seasonal stretches of the church year such as Lent and Advent, the congregation joins with other area churches for a short-term adult study.

Children and Youth Ministry

The Children and Youth ministry is built around nurturing young hearts and minds in a vibrant space where kids and teens can grow in faith, forge lasting friendships, and discover the joy of serving others. Sunday School meets after Children’s Time during worship and uses a wide range of activities to engage preschool and elementary children.

Teens have their own pathway. The youth group gives older students the opportunity to explore their faith together so that they can choose whether to be confirmed as members of the church. The group participates in service projects, educational outings such as visits to Chuang Yen Monastery, and fun trips like a day at Coney Island.

A Wide Reach of Community Outreach

Community outreach is where the “big heart” reputation shows up most clearly. The church partners with a long list of local and regional organizations and runs several of its own ongoing efforts.

Every Saturday, volunteers from the church help make up bagged lunches, and a hot meal in winter, at First United Methodist Church of Brewster, handing them out and getting to know the community through conversation. Once each year, regular worship is replaced by Faith in Action Sunday, when the congregation steps out into the community for service projects such as singing at a nursing home or doing yard work for an affordable housing project.

The Appalachia Service Project is a long-standing mission that prepares teens and young adults for a transformative week making homes in Appalachia warmer, safer, and dryer, with a spiritual impact on the volunteers. The church assembles UMCOR Health Kits for distribution in disaster-stricken areas, and supports the Emergency Shelter Partnership by offering shelter and three daily meals to homeless individuals for a week during the winter.

The church also established and continues to support Katonah SPACE (Spirituality, Arts, and Community for Everyone), a non-sectarian organization. It supports the Northern Westchester Community Center through food drives, back-to-school supplies, and seasonal clothing collections such as Share the Warmth and Prom Clothing. The Racial Justice Team is part of the congregation’s commitment to educating itself about how racism operates so that it can be disrupted. Interfaith work is also a steady priority, including participation in the Women of Faith scripture study series and membership in the Northern Westchester Interfaith Council.

The church maintains a partnership with Iglesia Pleno Renacer, a Spanish-speaking congregation that meets periodically in the Katonah building, and participates in town events such as Pride Day, Memorial Day, and Juneteenth.

Cooperative Parish and Wider Connections

Katonah-Purdys UMC is part of the Northern Westchester Cooperative Parish, alongside First UMC Brewster, Trinity-Boscobel UMC in Buchanan, Drew UMC in Carmel, Asbury UMC in Croton, the UMC of Mt. Kisco, Peekskill UMC, Grace UMC of Putnam Valley, the UMC of Shrub Oak, and Yorktown UMC. Cooperative Parish members regularly share study opportunities and mission efforts.

Within the wider United Methodist connection, the church is affiliated with the New York Annual Conference and uses resources from the United Methodist Church, UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief), the Upper Room, and GCORR (General Commission on Religion and Race).

Beliefs and Welcoming Identity

The congregation states that the divine spark dwells within all of God’s creation, that Jesus was and is Teacher, Healer, Savior, Friend, and Way, and that the Holy Spirit enlivens, guides, inspires, and empowers. The Bible is taken seriously and not literally, and personal and communal experience of the Holy Spirit is valued over doctrinal litmus tests. Members describe the church as a Beloved Community in which people of all ages and backgrounds are cared for and valued, and they are committed to creating a space where all people are welcomed, valued, and encouraged to grow in faith.

Accessibility and Visiting

The Katonah building has a ramp and a doorbell at the entrance, with assistive listening devices, large print materials, and an accessible bathroom inside. The Purdys building has an entrance ramp and an accessible bathroom as well. Those attending for the first time are welcome to come as they are; the church is informal and welcoming, and nursery care is provided during Sunday worship.

Katonah-Purdys United Methodist Church continues to grow into its calling on Bedford Road, combining a long Methodist heritage in northern Westchester with a present-day ministry that reaches well beyond the walls of the sanctuary.