Putting God's Love into Action Since 1799
Christ United Methodist Church sits at 301 Wooster Street in Marietta, Ohio, a few blocks from the Ohio River in the oldest permanent settlement of the Northwest Territory. The congregation's tagline, "Putting God's love into action since 1799," points to a continuous Methodist presence on this street for more than two centuries. Today the church describes itself as part of a global denomination that "opens hearts, opens minds and opens doors," and the rhythm of the week - early morning fellowship, Sunday school for every age, a blended worship service with communion once a month, evening choirs, weekday Bible studies, and a Wednesday after-school program - shows what that statement looks like in practice.
What to Expect on Sunday Morning
Sunday begins early at Christ UMC. At 8:30 a.m., a gathering called Share and Serendipity meets before the day's activities. Children's Choir members step into Room 105 at 8:45 to rehearse, and at 9:00 a.m. Sunday School opens across the building for children, youth, and adults. The main worship service gathers in the sanctuary at 10:00 a.m., with Holy Communion observed on the first Sunday of each month. The church practices an open table: all who come are welcome to participate.
Visitors are told to come as they are and dress however they feel most comfortable. After the children's message during worship, children in kindergarten through fifth grade are invited to walk to Children's Church in Room 106. Infants through preschoolers stay in the nursery and preschool rooms (102-103), which are open from 8:45 to 11:15 a.m. and also serve as a place for diaper changes or feeding. Christ UMC is a Safe Sanctuary compliant ministry, and background checks and training are required for any adult working with children or youth.
Worship itself is blended. The Sanctuary Choir sings a range of music from traditional to contemporary, the Cathedral Handbell Choir rings about once a month, and the Junior Choir takes its turn in worship about once a month as well. The preaching rota includes the lead pastor, Rev. Dan Jackson, alongside guest preachers who have included Rick Stuhmer, Suzanne Walker, Mark Miller, Mark Duckworth, and others.
What United Methodists Believe
The church sits squarely in the Wesleyan tradition. The beliefs page is brief: The United Methodist Church is a global denomination that opens hearts, opens minds and opens doors through active engagement with the world, and its mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. John Wesley and the early Methodists placed primary emphasis on Christian living - on putting faith and love into action. That emphasis on what Wesley called "practical divinity" remains a hallmark of the congregation.
Children at the Heart of the Building
Children are woven through nearly everything that happens at Christ UMC. Sunday School for kindergarten through twelfth grade runs from 9:00 to 9:45 a.m., with classes that use biblically sound material and aim to give kids a clear picture of Jesus and the gospel. Younger children under five play in the Nursery/Preschool rooms during Sunday School and again during worship.
Children's Choir, directed by Jordan Futrell, rehearses at 8:45 a.m. each Sunday from mid-September through May. Children of all ages are welcome, and the Junior Choir (kindergarten through eighth grade) sings in the 10:00 service once a month. Children's Church, led by a rotation of teachers, gathers children in grades K-5 during worship after the children's message, with crafts, stories, and activities tied to the morning's Scripture.
On Wednesdays, the church hosts an after-school tutoring program for first and second graders from Washington Elementary School. Each week volunteers welcome students for a healthy snack, a thirty-minute tutoring session, and an activity. The church calls this an intergenerational ministry - adults, youth, and other children serve alongside one another. Volunteers must complete Safe Sanctuary training before working with the children.
Adults in Study and Conversation
Sunday School for adults runs at the same 9:00 a.m. hour. The Open Door Adult Class, led by Andy Hanes, meets on the second floor in Room 206 and uses "The Adult Bible Study" curriculum from Cokesbury; it bills itself as a great drop-in class, with the door open from 9:00 to 9:55 a.m. The Fellowship Class, led by Director of Christian Education Laura Warren, gathers in Room 200 and works through books of the Bible together; a recent study took the group through Melissa Spoelstra's "Elijah." The Explorers, led by Klaus Himmeldirk, meets in the library and has recently walked through Will Willimon's "The Last Supper," a Lenten study of table parables along the road to Jerusalem. The Philathea Class and The Seekers Adult Class, led by Carl Carpenter, round out the options; the Seekers have been working through "Calling on Fire," a look at key moments in Methodist history by Ashley Boggan and Chris Heckert. A second-floor class in Room 208, led by Candy Green, doubles as the Thursday Noon Book Study group.
Beyond Sunday morning, a Weekly Bible Study meets Monday evenings at 7:00 p.m. The group decides together which book of the Bible to study. A Prayer Gathering meets in the library each Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. to pray for the church and its clergy through what the congregation describes as a transition period. A Thursday Noon Book Study, led by Candy Green in Room 208, has been working through "Life in Year One" by Scott Korb, a look at everyday life in first-century Palestine and the customs that shaped Jesus' message and the early church. Small groups are member-led and open to anyone in the community; the church encourages new groups and new leaders.
Music Ministries
Music is a defining ministry of Christ UMC. Beth Payton has directed the Sanctuary Choir and Cathedral Handbell Choir since 2004, a few months after she and her daughter Faith settled in Marietta. A graduate of Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey, she sang with several of the college's ensembles and performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, and the New Jersey Symphony. She also serves as the congregation's treasurer. In her time off she rings with the Mid-Ohio Valley Ringers.
The Sanctuary Choir welcomes singers from eighth grade through what Beth calls "88th grade" - a long stretch, in other words. The choir sings in the 10:00 service from mid-September through May, rehearsing on Thursday evenings at 7:00 p.m., and offers music from traditional to contemporary to supplement the morning worship. The Cathedral Handbell Choir blends youth and adults, beginners through experienced ringers, and rehearses on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. in the sanctuary from September through early May. The handbell group rings in worship once a month, takes part in the Marietta Area Spring Ring with other area churches, and attends area festivals with Handbell Musicians of America. Junior Choir, for kindergarten through eighth grade, rehearses from 8:45 to 9:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings during the school year and sings in worship about once a month. Steve Brown, a general music, band, and choir teacher with Marietta City Schools, has served as the church's organist and pianist since 2016.
A Week of Mission: Tutoring, Meals, and Blood Drives
Mission and outreach shape the week at 301 Wooster Street. The Wednesday after-school program for first and second graders from Washington Elementary is a flagship ministry, supported by a separate Missions support fund. Once a month, on the first Friday, the church hosts a Free Community Meal from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., serving a hot meal to anyone who would like one. Volunteers arrive at 9:30 a.m. to prepare, cook, and serve, working closely with Harvest of Hope - a community nonprofit that actually began at Christ UMC and reclaims and redistributes surplus food throughout the region. Christ UMC periodically hosts blood drives with the American Red Cross, and members donate time as well as blood.
Two other ministries extend the church's reach. Serenity House, located near the church, hosts multiple recovery communities and offers a number of 12-step meetings each week for people living with addiction. The church points people to Serenity House as a partner and a presence in the neighborhood. Fabric Ministries gathers volunteers who sew, knit, and crochet items including sleeping bags for people without housing, dresses and shorts for children, prayer shawls, and face masks. Anyone with skill at a sewing machine, knitting needles, or a crochet hook is welcome.
Christ UMC is also a sponsoring church of the Mid-Ohio Valley Emmaus Community, a bi-annual weekend retreat offered each fall and spring. Anyone interested in the Walk to Emmaus can apply with the support of a sponsor. A church softball team, open to players from multiple Methodist congregations including Christ UMC and Sandhill UMC, gathers at the diamond for recreation and fellowship. And the church's Youth-Led Grants program funds young people in the community who have an idea for a service project; applications are accepted through the church office.
A Pastoral Team in Transition
Four primary leaders serve the church. Rev. Dan Jackson serves as Lead Pastor. A native Ohioan and graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University, Dan spent the first eighteen years of his career in financial services and franchising before answering a call to ministry. He earned his Master of Divinity from The Methodist Theological School in Ohio (Methesco), graduating in 1994, and was ordained an Elder in the West Ohio Conference in 1996. His ministry has included small and large congregations in West Ohio, an appointment as Executive Pastor at New Covenant United Methodist Church in The Villages, Florida, and senior leadership roles with the Florida Conference of The United Methodist Church - Director of New Church Development, Director of the Vital Church Initiative, and Superintendent of the Southwest District. He is the author of "Generative Leadership for the New Expedition" and has served as a visiting professor at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis. He and his wife Patti, who have five children and twelve grandchildren, reside in Columbus, Ohio.
Laura Warren, the Director of Christian Education, teaches first grade at Salem-Liberty Elementary in the Fort Frye Local School District and brings that classroom experience to her Sunday School work. She and her husband Brent have two sons and two grandchildren. Beth Payton directs the music program and serves as treasurer. Steve Brown, the church's organist and pianist, teaches general music, band, and choir to elementary students with Marietta City Schools and lives in Marietta with his wife Libby and son Aaron.
The Tuesday evening Prayer Gathering asks members to pray specifically for the church and its clergy through this transition period, an acknowledgment that the pastoral season is shifting. A series of guest preachers - among them Rick Stuhmer, who preaches most weeks; Suzanne Walker; Mark Miller; and Mark Duckworth - keep the pulpit active while the congregation discerns its next chapter.
Joining In
Anyone who wants to be part of what happens at Christ UMC has many doors to walk through. Sunday School classes welcome drop-ins. Small groups - Bible study, prayer, book study, and others - are open to anyone in the community, and the church encourages members to start new ones. Music groups welcome singers from eighth grade up and ringers of all experience levels. Volunteer slots open regularly for the Wednesday after-school program, the First Friday community meal, blood drives, and Fabric Ministries. A weekly email update keeps members and friends informed of what is coming, and giving can be made online.
For those who simply want to visit, the address is 301 Wooster Street, Marietta, Ohio 45750, the phone is 740-373-1512, and the general email is info@christumcmarietta.org. Worship is at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday. Come as you are.