Clemmons United Methodist Church sits on Clemmons Road across from the Village Hall, at the center of the small Forsyth County town that grew up around the Clemmons family homestead. The congregation has been gathering on its present site since 1874 and marked 150 years of continuous ministry there in October 2024. With three Sunday morning worship services, a full weekday preschool, a music program that fills the sanctuary each week, and a network of food, furniture, and mission ministries that reaches from the neighborhood to Guatemala and Jamaica, the church is known in Clemmons as a multi-generational congregation with a deep bench of community partnerships.
Worship on Sunday Morning: Three Services and a Full Sunday School Hour
The church keeps a Sunday morning rhythm built around three services and a connecting Sunday school hour. Traditional worship is offered at 8:30 am and 11:00 am in the Sanctuary, with the Chancel Choir leading music at the later service. The Connect Contemporary service meets at 9:00 am in the Ministry Center, led by the church's Praise Team. Between the second and third services, at 10:00 am, Sunday school classes gather for every age group from nursery through adult.
A live-streamed recording of both the Traditional and Connect services is posted each week for those who cannot attend in person. Worship care is available for children birth through Pre-K during the 9:00 am and 11:00 am services; after a Children's Moment in worship, those children are escorted to Room C-105, while Kindergarten through fifth graders move to the Family Room in the Ministry Center.
Attenders come in everything from jeans to suits, and the church asks only that guests wear whatever makes them comfortable. Designated guest parking spots are reserved beside the Sanctuary and Ministry Center, with additional parking on the other side of the buildings. Visitors are encouraged to use the front Sanctuary entrance for the traditional services and the Ministry Center entrance for Connect.
150 Years on Clemmons Road, and a Story that Goes Back Much Further
In October 2024, Clemmons United Methodist Church celebrated 150 years of worship at 3700 Clemmons Road. The story behind that anniversary stretches back nearly three centuries. Methodist meetings began in the 1700s in camps along the Yadkin River and the early wagon roads, with preachers riding a circuit of churches on horseback.
By the 1760s, George McKnight's home, on land bought from England's Lord Granville in 1739, had become the first recognized meeting place of the local Methodist congregation. (Part of the original McKnight land is now Tanglewood Park, and the Asbury and McKnight street names in Clemmons still echo those early gatherings of Methodist Bishops Coke and Asbury.) In 1809 the congregation built Mt. Pleasant Methodist Episcopal Church, known today as Tanglewood Chapel, and in the 1830s a group began meeting at the Clemmonsville Academy established by Benton Clemmons in front of his family home. Foundation stones are all that remain of the academy, adjacent to current CUMC property.
In 1839, Benton Clemmons sold the land at 3700 Clemmons Road to the Methodists for $1. Construction was delayed by the Civil War, and the first church building went up in 1874 as Clemmonsville ME, South. It was destroyed by storms twice in 1901, sending the congregation back to worship in homes. A new sanctuary was built in 1920, an education building followed in 1963, a second sanctuary in 1979, and an expanded education facility and chapel in 1985. The house next door was purchased from the Hunter family in 1990 to serve as the church office, and the Garden of Remembrance behind it now holds a columbarium, a prayer trail, and a historic Clemmons cemetery where Henry Eccles, builder of the Mt. Pleasant church, is buried.
In 1939 the word "South" was dropped from the church's name, and in 1968 a merger with the United Evangelical Brethren produced the present name, Clemmons United Methodist Church. The 150th anniversary in 2024 was marked with a video collection chronicling the congregation's history in chapters from 1750 to the present day.
What Clemmons UMC Believes
The congregation's stated mission is to create disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world and to equip the saints for the work of ministry. The church teaches that God is the Creator and Ruler of the Universe, eternally existing in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It affirms that Jesus Christ is God wrapped in human flesh, who lived a sinless life, offered himself as the perfect sacrifice on the cross, rose again after three days, ascended into heaven, and will return to judge the living and the dead and to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
The Holy Spirit is described as co-equal with the Father and the Son, present in the world to make people aware of their need for Jesus Christ, and living in every Christian from the moment of salvation to provide power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. The church believes in the full expression of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
The Old and New Testaments are held to be God-inspired, eternal and true, preserved and protected by the Holy Spirit in the church today. Clemmons UMC looks for the bodily resurrection of all persons, final judgment to eternal reward or eternal punishment, and the establishment of a perfect kingdom in a new heaven and a new earth.
Together with other Methodists around the world, the church claims the historic distinctives of Wesleyan faith: prevenient grace, free will, personal and social holiness, assurance of the believer, and a connected church.
Children, Youth, and the Weekday Preschool
Children's ministry at CUMC is led by Director of Children's Ministries Kathleen Timbinaris and reaches from infants through fifth grade. Sunday School classes meet at 10:00 am in the Children's Building: nursery through Pre-K in Room C-105, Kindergarten through second grade in Room C-202, and third through fifth grade in Room C-203. Children's Choir, called Kid Khords, is open to children age 3 through fifth grade and includes musical instruments, singing, and beginning music theory. Worship carts stocked with Christian-themed books, drawing activities, and fidget objects are available in the narthex and in the small commons area near the front of the sanctuary.
The Children's Building is locked at all times, and parents needing an entry code can contact the Director of Children's Ministries. All volunteers and staff working with children are background checked and Safe Sanctuary trained.
Youth ministry gathers middle and high school students in the Youth Room in the Ministry Center. Sunday School for youth meets from 10:00 to 11:00 am, and Youth Group meets on Sundays from 4:00 to 6:00 pm for worship, games, teaching, and small groups. Youth leaders include Emily Ruiz, Lory Schamay, and Kathleen Timbinaris. Students take part in mission work each year, both in the local community and beyond, and the church hosts the Cross Connection mission trip each June or July.
Clemmons United Methodist Preschool and Kindergarten (CUMP/K) operates as part of the church's Weekday Children's Ministries. It is a half-day program serving infants through Pre-K and Kindergarten, coordinated by Tammy Clapp, who has been with the preschool ministry for 21 years.
Music and Worship Arts
Music is woven through every Sunday at Clemmons UMC. Dr. Bryon Grohman directs the program as Director of Music and Worship Arts. He also serves as an Associate Professor of Music at Wake Forest University and has performed with ensembles such as the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Winston-Salem Symphony, Opera Theatre St. Louis, and Seraphic Fire, Miami.
The Chancel Choir presents musical offerings weekly at the 11:00 am Traditional service and at Christmas and Easter, rehearsing Wednesdays from 7:00 to 8:30 pm. A newly formed Handbell Choir performs several times a year at the 11:00 am service and rehearses Wednesdays from 6:00 to 6:45 pm, September through May. The Praise Team leads music at the 9:00 am Connect Contemporary service and rehearses Wednesdays from 6:00 to 7:00 pm. Vocal and instrumental small ensembles rehearse as needed and contribute to worship throughout the year, including during periodic Unity Services where the three Sunday services come together for shared worship.
Children's music offerings include Kid Khords for ages 3 through fifth grade. The church also runs an Audio/Visual Team, coordinated by Media Ministries Coordinator Ed Fisher, providing audio and visual support for both the Connect and Traditional services using live video cameras, ProPresenter software, and a fully digital soundboard.
Adults: Sunday School, Bible Study, and Small Groups
Six adult Sunday school classes meet at 10:00 am on Sunday mornings in the Education Building:
- Anchors in Christ (ages 60+, Room A-201), led by Suzanne Hess and Donna Odom, with interactive Bible and book studies.
- Crusaders Class (ages 70+, Room A-202), led by Fred Scherle, with in-depth Bible study and monthly social gatherings.
- Upper Room Fellowship Class (ages 70+, Room A-204/209), led by Alita Semones, with Bible-focused studies and quarterly fellowship.
- Reflections Class (intergenerational, Room A-205/208), with rotating leadership and discussion tied to the weekly sermon.
- Family Journeys (ages 40s and 50s, Room A-211), with DVD and book studies and monthly mission projects.
- Adult Forum (ages 60+, Room A-212), led by Joel Kimball, with book-by-book Bible study and periodic outings.
Rev. John Fitzgerald's weekly Bible Study meets on Tuesdays at 7:00 pm via Zoom between Labor Day and Memorial Day. Rev. Jennifer Rogers coordinates Small Group Studies that meet via Zoom on weekday afternoons for five- or six-week sessions. Sisters in Christ, a women's fellowship that has met on Wednesday mornings from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm since 2002, studies the Bible together and supports Easton Elementary, local families, assisted-living facilities, and Crossnore/Children's Home in Winston-Salem with meals, supplies, and treats.
50+ Young at Heart
Older Adult Ministries, directed by Barbara Turner since January 2003, supports adults over fifty with spiritual, social, and service opportunities. The Golden Needles quilt each Tuesday morning from 9:00 to 11:30 am in Room 210, welcoming knitters, crocheters, and anyone who would simply like the fellowship, with proceeds going to missions and the Food Pantry. DOWGS (Dining Out Wednesday Group) meets at 5:00 pm each Wednesday at a local restaurant. The ministry also organizes road trips to quilt shows, the beach, the mountains, and local theaters, and operates a Visitation Team that reaches out to those needing company.
United Methodist Men
The United Methodist Men meet quarterly on Sunday mornings at 7:30 am in the Ministry Center, with breakfast provided. The group supports a range of service projects through the church and partners with the Rotary Club of Clemmons in chartering Scouting America Troop 731, which meets on the CUMC campus.
Missions: Near and Far
Clemmons UMC sends people on mission trips to Jamaica, Guatemala, Western North Carolina, and beyond each year. The Jamaica Building Mission Team travels annually in January or February. The Guatemala Building Team, led by Bart and Cheryl Shaw of God With Us Charity, travels in the latter part of October to advance God's kingdom by touching families, building relationships, and changing lives. Cross Connection, an annual summer mission in June or July, and a Disaster Response Rebuilding Team that deploys as needed round out the foreign and domestic work. A Missions Committee oversees grants, scholarships, and fundraising policies for all mission teams and partner agencies.
The church also partners with Samaritan Ministries in Winston-Salem, whose volunteers serve lunch at the Samaritan Soup Kitchen and dinner at the homeless shelter.
Outreach: Food, Furniture, and the Streets
The Clemmons Food Pantry, which began in 2004 when a Sunday school class adopted a family at Christmas, became an independent non-profit in 2012 and now operates its own 6,000-square-foot facility on Neudorf Road, on land leased from CUMC for $1 per year. In 2025, volunteers logged 18,900 hours and distributed 590,027 pounds of food, serving 11,323 households and 42,118 individuals.
The CUMC Furniture Ministry has been providing furniture and bedding to families in the Winston-Salem and Clemmons area for over ten years, particularly to those moving out of homelessness or shelters. Volunteers pick up donations, organize the warehouse, and deliver to families in need.
Watchmen of the Streets, a homeless outreach of Habit Missions directed by Al and Bonnie Burchett, works to improve the plight of the homeless in Forsyth County by providing camping equipment and other supplies and partnering with the CUMC Furniture Ministry and GreeNest Ministry to help people transition into housing.
PAL (Parents of Addicted Loved Ones), a support program founded by Michael Speakman, LISAC, meets Wednesdays at 7:00 pm in Room A-203 of the Ministry Center and is open to anyone in the community seeking hope for a child struggling with substance use disorder. The Zoe Lenten Challenge works with child-headed households and their families impacted by the global orphan crisis.
Come to the Table is a midweek fellowship meal and prayer service held several times a year, with a volunteer team that prepares and serves dinner for the congregation and the wider community.
Safety, Hospitality, and Accessibility
The sanctuary is equipped with a hearing loop system that transmits sound directly to hearing aids equipped with a t-coil (set to the "t" setting). Assisted listening devices are available on a table in the narthex for those without t-coil-equipped hearing aids; the loop system works on the main level of the sanctuary except for pew rows 4, 5, and 11, and is not available in the balcony. Three automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are located at the Ministry Center entrance, the Commons area, and the Children's Ministry hallway.
Leadership and Staff
The church is led by Senior Pastor Rev. John Fitzgerald, an ordained Elder in the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church, appointed to Clemmons UMC in 2020. Rev. Jennifer Rogers leads Contemporary Worship and Spiritual Formation and is pursuing ordination as a Deacon in the United Methodist Church while studying at Candler School of Theology. Chuck Smith, retired from local ministry in the Florida Conference, joined the staff in January 2025 as advocate for Congregational Care. Dr. Bryon Grohman directs Music and Worship Arts. Kathleen Timbinaris directs Children's Ministries. Barbara Turner directs Older Adult Ministries, a position she has held for more than two decades. Tammy Clapp coordinates Preschool Ministries, Ed Fisher serves as Media Ministries Coordinator, Waynette Adamczak serves as Office Manager, and Amy Griffin serves as Office Assistance. A Leadership Board oversees the church's ministry and finances.
Worship Boldly, Serve Joyfully, Lead Courageously
Whether a guest arrives on Sunday morning at 8:30 am for the early traditional service, at 9:00 am for Connect in the Ministry Center, or at 11:00 am for the later traditional service with the Chancel Choir, the goal is the same: to be a welcoming church family where people of every age and stage can grow in Christ. That same conviction carries into the preschool hallways, the Wednesday night handbell and choir rehearsals, the Food Pantry warehouse on Neudorf Road, the Furniture Ministry warehouse, the streets of Forsyth County, and the building sites in Jamaica and Guatemala. At Clemmons United Methodist Church, members describe their calling in three phrases: Love Boldly, Serve Joyfully, Lead Courageously.