HISTORY

 
 
 

On April 5, 1843, the church was organized and became affiliated with the Wesleyan Methodist Connection, a group of abolitionist congregations and clergy who had left the Methodist Episcopal Church in that same year over the issue of slavery. Thus, from the very beginning of the Wesleyan denomination, a Wesleyan congregation has faithfully been worshiping in the community of Columbia Township.

In its early history, the church was located on East River Road, Columbia Township, OH and became a part of the Strongsville Wesleyan Methodist Circuit. Originally the church met in an old slab schoolhouse on the eastern bank of Rocky River. In 1845, the church purchased property less than a mile west of the schoolhouse location and built their first building.

The earliest existing membership roll comes from 1883 with 129 members in regular Sunday morning attendance.

 
 
 
original_church.jpg
 
 
Church2_1_.jpg
        
IMG_0406.jpg                  
 
 
 
 
June 1968 saw the merger of two denominations: The Wesleyan Methodist Church and the Pilgrim Holiness Church. In this way, The Wesleyan Church was born.

 

In the fall of 1974, new property was purchased for the construction of a new building. Construction began in March 1977. The first service was on Christmas Eve 1977. This marked the beginning of the present church location.