A lot can happen in that period of time, and a lot certainly has happened here! Our story began in 1836, when Groveville was a small village with only about ten homes. A group of people believed their community needed a place to worship, and on May 25 of that year, they met to begin making that hope a reality. Just a few months later, on December 2, 1836, the new Methodist church was dedicated. It is not every year that a church gets to say this: we are turning 190!
Think of how many Sundays have passed since those first families gathered together. How many sermons have been preached, hymns sung, meals shared, children baptized, couples married, loved ones remembered, and prayers offered within this community. Think also of all the people whose names we may never know, but whose generosity, work, faith, and stubborn determination kept this church going so that almost two centuries later, we could call Groveville UMC our church home.
Our history has also been woven into the history of the community around us. Groveville has been connected with local traditions for generations, including the Groveville-Yardville Memorial Day Parade, whose beginnings go back to 1868, and our Thanksgiving Breakfast, a tradition that began in 1922 and has brought people around the table for more than a century.
So, 2026 gives us a wonderful opportunity to look back, to reconnect with people who have been part of this congregation, to tell some of those old stories again, and perhaps to discover a few we have forgotten. But it is also an opportunity to look around at the church we are today and ahead to the story that is still unfolding.
And there is one date we especially want everyone to save: Sunday, December 6, 2026, at 11:30 a.m.
That morning, we will gather for a special worship service marking the 190th Anniversary of Groveville United Methodist Church, almost exactly 190 years after the dedication of the church in December 1836.
There is much more to come between now and then, but for now, save the date and start spreading the word! Call someone who used to sit in the pew beside you, tell former members, reach out to friends and neighbors, invite your children and grandchildren. If you know someone who has been part of Groveville’s story at any point along these 190 years, let them know that December 6 will be a Sunday to come home. After all, 190 years belong to a lot of people.
And we would love to have as many of them as possible with us!
Warmly,
Rev. David Gaitan
