A Cornerstone on Roan Street
Munsey Memorial United Methodist Church sits at 201 South Roan Street in the heart of downtown Johnson City, Tennessee, a few steps from the shops, restaurants and offices that line the city's central corridor. With its motto of "Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors," Munsey has welcomed generations of worshipers and downtown neighbors since 1871. Members describe themselves as Christians who are "excited to be part of the United Methodist Church," and the congregation is known locally for its music, its preschool, and the Melting Pot, a weekday meal ministry that grew out of a community tragedy.
From Circuit Riders to a Copper-Domed Sanctuary
Munsey began in 1871 as East Market Street Methodist Church, a building of handmade bricks erected at a cost of $4,000. The young congregation was part of the heritage of the early Methodist circuit riders who carried the gospel to the pioneer settlements of the American frontier. By the turn of the century the church had outgrown that first home and purchased its present location at the corner of Roan and Market. A magnificent new sanctuary rose on the site, a circular building crowned by a copper dome ninety feet high and filled with stained glass windows.
In 1908 the congregation renamed the church in memory of the Reverend William E. Munsey, a Virginia-born, largely self-taught preacher who was the son and grandson of Methodist ministers. Munsey retired in nearby Jonesborough, where he died at the age of 44. After the renaming, the membership doubled in only three years. Young people were drawn to the modern gymnastic equipment that the church installed, and men liked to visit to take advantage of the new invention - the shower - after their Saturday haircuts.
The church expanded again in 1949 with a wing that included an indoor swimming pool, a community feature so beloved that Munsey was still known for it decades later. The pool was closed in 2001 because of structural issues, but the building continued to grow. In 1955 the sanctuary once more became too small, and the round copper-domed church was demolished to make way for the present sanctuary, whose stained glass windows tell the stories of Jesus, John Wesley and Munsey Church. Several windows from the original round sanctuary survive in the chapel. In 1950 the church started a preschool program that continues to thrive and is today the oldest state-accredited preschool program in Tennessee.
Four Sunday Morning Services
Munsey offers four Sunday morning worship services in two venues, giving visitors a choice of style and pace without leaving the building. At 9:00 AM, the Melting Pot Service gathers in the downstairs Melting Pot space. The attire is casual, the atmosphere is informal, and the goal is to meet and love downtown neighbors. Communion is observed on the first Sunday of the month.
Also at 9:00 AM, a brand-new 45-minute Sanctuary Service is held in the main sanctuary, designed for early risers who want a meaningful worship experience with weekly communion. This service is onsite only.
At 11:00 AM, the Traditional Service fills the sanctuary with great hymns, anthems from the Munsey Choir and the music of the organ. It is the most formal of the four services, though "all are welcome, and you can come as you are." Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of each month. This service is offered onsite and is also livestreamed.
Across the building, in the Christian Life Center Gym, the 11:00 AM Contemporary Service features the Praise Band and modern worship music in a casual setting. Communion is observed on the first Sunday of the month, and the service is also available online.
Children, Sunday School and the Safe Sanctuaries Promise
Children are welcome in every Munsey worship service. Childcare is available on the second-floor Children's Hallway for children six weeks old through kindergarten during both worship hours, and children in first grade and above are encouraged to participate in worship with their families. Activity packs are available outside each worship venue, and a Children's Time moment with the pastor or Director of Children's Ministries is offered during the Contemporary and Sanctuary services.
Three "Nest" rooms are reserved for parents with babies and toddlers who want a quieter space: one in the Parlor outside the Sanctuary, one in the library, and one in the Christian Life Center lobby. The Parlor broadcasts the Contemporary service, while the library and lobby broadcast the same service so families can step out and still follow along.
Sunday School meets from 10:00 to 10:45 AM and offers classes for infants through sixth grade, youth, and adults. Amplify Media and a Munsey library of study kits (each containing a leader guide, participant guide, DVD and other materials) are available for small groups and Sunday School classes to check out and use.
Safety is taken seriously. Munsey follows a Safe Sanctuaries policy that requires at least two qualified, non-related adults at every children's and youth activity, appropriate adult-child ratios, and background verification for all staff and volunteers. A police officer is on duty during Sunday morning and Wednesday evening programs. The preschool wing's parking lot doors are kept locked, and visitors are asked to use the Sanctuary entrance when arriving from the Market Street side.
Music in Many Voices
Music is at the heart of worship at Munsey. The Chancel Choir sings anthems and liturgical music each week at the 11:00 AM Sanctuary service and rehearses on Wednesday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 PM in the Lower Level Choir Room. The Munsey Handbell Choir rehearses on Sunday evenings at 6:00 PM. Both ensembles welcome new members.
The Carol G. Transou Choral Scholars program draws college students from area schools to sing with the music ministry, an arrangement that connects the church to the wider academic community and lets students share their gifts in worship.
A separate Children's Music Ministry rounds out the program, giving young singers a place to learn and perform. Throughout the year, Munsey also hosts several "Special" concerts featuring both in-house and visiting ensembles; dates are announced on the church's social media pages.
The Melting Pot and the Shepherd's Breakfast
The Melting Pot is one of Munsey's most visible ministries and one of the most personal. It began in the wake of the 1989 Christmas Eve fire at the John Sevier Center, a low-income residential high-rise across Roan Street. The fire killed sixteen residents, and Munsey became a triage center for those escaping the smoke and flames and a place where families could be reunited. Christmas Eve services were cancelled so that the congregation could bring food and blankets to victims and first responders, and the days that followed brought housing, supplies and ongoing help for the displaced.
Out of that response came a Saturday morning breakfast for the residents of downtown Johnson City, the Shepherd's Breakfast, which is still served each weekend. Before long, Munsey and Good Samaritan Ministries began a cooperative daily lunch program in the same space. Today, lunch is served five days a week and breakfast is served every single morning.
In 2004 the church launched the Open Door worship service inside the Melting Pot as an outreach to its downtown neighbors. The 9:00 AM Melting Pot Service that worshipers attend today grew from that seed. Volunteers are always needed to cook, serve, and welcome guests, and donations to either the Shepherd's Breakfast or the broader Melting Pot Ministries can be designated online.
A Preschool That Grew Up With the City
Munsey's preschool began in 1950 and is now the oldest state-accredited preschool program in Tennessee. It serves two-, three- and four-year-olds in half-day classes with options of two, three or five days a week, plus a half-day state-accredited Kindergarten and a multi-age class for children starting at eighteen months. Most class times run from 9:00 AM to 11:55 AM, with early care available from 7:30 AM and extended care offered until 5:30 PM.
The program emphasizes creativity and exploration, with daily music and movement, art and self-expression, weekly inter-denominational chapel devotions, and plenty of indoor and outdoor play. The calendar follows Johnson City Public Schools. Two teachers staff each classroom, and the preschool maintains a welcoming, nurturing environment where, in the words of the church, "God's love is experienced each day." Information is available at preschool@munsey.org or 423-283-6916.
Local and Global Missions
Munsey keeps an active missions calendar at home and abroad. Locally, the church supports the Holston United Methodist Home for Children; partners with North Side School to provide volunteers, administrative help and food boxes for families in need; sends volunteers and financial support to the ETSU Wesley Foundation and to Johnson City's annual Habitat for Humanity build; and walks alongside Alexandria Memorial UMC in Bandy, Virginia, providing resources for recovery from severe flooding and ongoing poverty. The church also responds to UMCOR, conference and district disaster relief requests, sending financial support, supplies and hands-on volunteers after hurricanes, tornadoes, fires and floods.
Globally, Munsey supports Freedom Global and the Brad Brown ministry, helping girls attend Uhuru Academy in Limuru, Kenya. The church provides financial and volunteer support to Willow United Methodist Church in Alaska, a Holston Conference missionary pastor's community. Each July a team from Munsey travels to Litomerice in the Czech Republic for ten days to run a softball camp and Vacation Bible School, with the church helping to offset travel, housing and food costs.
Justice, Creation and Prison Ministry
The Social Justice ministry is anchored by Munsey's partnership with Kairos Prison Ministry International, which sends volunteers into prisons to walk alongside inmates in Christian ministry events, similar to an Emmaus Walk, and trains inmates to minister to one another and to the prison administration. The broader Church and Society Team focuses on reducing hunger and poverty with special attention to children, working through Bread for the World, Fair Trade, immigration awareness, care for creation and climate change, human trafficking awareness, mass incarceration, and the reduction of nuclear weapons. Each spring the team hosts a Blessing of the Animals service to thank God for the creatures that bless our lives and need our care.
The Columbarium and Weddings
The Courtyard Columbarium at Munsey is a sacred space on the church grounds set aside as a final resting place for members of Munsey Memorial and their immediate family. Initiated with funds given in memory of the Reverend Nancy C. Eastridge, it revives the early Christian tradition of the church as a permanent resting place for those whose faith journey has been lived within its body. Niches in the columbarium are available for $2,200, with an additional $200 for a companion niche.
Munsey also hosts weddings for both members and non-members, with policies and applications available through the church office.
Getting Connected
First-time visitors are greeted at the main entrance off Roan Street, where guest parking is conveniently located. Greeters can answer questions about childcare and direct worshipers to the right venue. Sunday School runs from 10:00 to 10:45 AM, and small groups meet throughout the week for study, fellowship and hands-on projects. Midweek offerings include the Pastor's Bible Study, a women's study group, the Wednesday Night program, the Chancel Choir rehearsal, and a free book study with the associate pastor. A parish nurse is on staff, and a "How can we help?" form on the church's contact page routes questions to the appropriate staff member within two to three business days.
Giving is supported through offering plates, online giving, text-to-give, electronic bank transfers, gifts of stock, and planned gifts. The 11:00 AM Traditional and Contemporary services are livestreamed, and recorded services are available on the church's YouTube channel. Munsey's monthly newsletter, the Munsey Messenger, carries the story of a spotlighted family or member and keeps the congregation informed about the life of the church.