General Info

History of the Church Center United Methodist Church has been serving the Fawn Township area for over 140 years. The congregation began with the vision of several area families, who wished to have a place to worship in this community. The founding members met on March 30, 1867 to bring their dreams to reality. Plans for a building commenced. By the early 1870's a charter had been received, land purchased and a church building erected. The Union Centre Methodist Episcopal Church began its long tenure as a Christian presence in the Fawn Township community. Over the succeeding decades the church's name changed several times, and the church grew with the community. For over 80 years the community remained a rural area, Center Church existed as a small rural congregation, usually sharing a pastor with one or more larger congregations. However, in the 1950's the community was growing and so was Center Church. Several milestones were reached. In the late 1950's, under the leadership of Revs. Paul Meuschke, and James Breakiron, a new building was planned. This new church building ( which is the ground floor of the current building ) was completed in 1960, and a parsonage was completed in 1961. Continued growth of the church made it possible Center Church to cease sharing pastoral leadership with larger churches. Rev. Clifford Buell became Center's first full-time pastor in 1960. The church has never looked back. Center Church continued to be a vital part of the community through the 1960's, with excellent leadership, and more and more members joining. In fact, the congregation began to out-grow its brand new building! In 1971, under the leadership of Rev. John Ross Thompson, the present sanctuary was constructed. In 2008 Center Church celebrates 141 years of ministry to this community. Now, however, our members come from Fawn Township, Natrona Heights, Freeport and the Buffalo Township/Sarver area. The membership of almost 500 people serve these communities with a wide variety of ministries and services. And, like so often in the past, our growth has brought us to the point of planning a new addition. Also in 2008 Center Church is dedicating its new addition - with new basement level classrooms, nursery, an elevator, new entrance way and gathering room as well as a ground level social hall ( to be finished at a later date ). Our goal is to use this new addition to expand our ministries as we spread the word of Jesus Christ our risen Lord!