Crawford Memorial United Methodist Church sits on a quiet corner at 34 Dix Street in Winchester, Massachusetts, a short walk from the Winchester Center commuter rail station and the historic town center. For more than 150 years, Methodists have been gathering in Winchester, and for the last century they have been doing so in the same brick building that today anchors Crawford's ministry to its neighbors and to the wider world. The congregation describes itself as a Christ-centered and inclusive community that opens wide its doors to all people who long to be a part of a vital congregation, and it is known locally for its progressive, Reconciling stance, its lively music program, its thoughtful adult studies, and a remarkably active network of mission partnerships - including the Micro Pantry that has stood at the edge of the church property since the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
From a Parlor on Winthrop Street to a Sanctuary on Dix Street
The first assembly of Methodist people in Winchester met at the home of John C. and Lucinda Mason on Winthrop Street on a Saturday evening in April 1871. Five days later, the first public Methodist preaching service was held in Union Hall, on the second floor of Sanderson's store on Main Street at the corner of Park Street. In 1875, ground was broken for the first Methodist Church in Winchester. That wooden building was dedicated on June 1, 1876 and stood on the corner of what is now Mount Vernon Street and Converse Place, where it served as the home of Methodism in Winchester for forty-five years.
By 1921 the old church building had been abandoned and a campaign for a building fund went forward to meet the needs of a growing community. For three years, Waterfield Hall - on the second floor of the building at the corner of Church and Waterfield Streets - was rented for Sunday services, while smaller meetings were held in private homes. Under the leadership of pastor Rev. Alliston B. Gifford, the membership continued to grow, and it was in his honor that the parish hall that still anchors much of Crawford's community life would later be named Gifford Hall. In 1920, the Pattee estate at the corner of Church and Dix Streets was purchased, and in 1923 the cornerstone of the present church was laid.
Frank E. Crawford was a moving spirit of the new building with his enthusiasm, active participation, keen business judgment, and generous cash gifts, though he was by no means alone: church members and many townspeople helped to make the building possible. On September 14, 1924, the first Sunday morning service was held in the new building's lower level - later called Osborne Hall, since the sanctuary was not yet complete - and the church was formally dedicated on October 10, 1926. On April 9, 1928, the congregation voted to rename the church Crawford Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church, in appreciation of Mr. Crawford's generosity and as a memorial to his wife. A growing membership soon demanded expanded Sunday School accommodations, and the wing that the church people rallied to build became a reality; on the 90th anniversary in 1961, the mortgage on the wing was burned and the new unit was dedicated. In 1969, with the merger of the United Brethren Church, the name of the church was changed to Crawford Memorial United Methodist Church.
The current minister, Rev. Jen Mihok, is the latest in a long line of forty pastors that begins with David S. Coles, who was appointed in 1874. The pastoral roster includes memorable tenures such as John Snook Jr. (1948-1958), H. Newton Clay (1958-1968), David A. Purdy (1978-1989), Eric Dupee (2006-2016), Hope Luckie (2016-2020), and Anne Robertson (2020-2026), whose leadership guided the congregation through the pandemic years and the early relaunch of Sunday School. Today the building on Dix Street continues to be used seven days a week for worship, study, music rehearsals, scouting, recovery meetings, and the steady traffic of neighbors dropping off donations or stopping at the Micro Pantry.
Sunday Worship at Ten
Crawford holds a single Sunday worship service each week at 10:00 a.m., in person in the sanctuary and online via livestream on both Facebook and YouTube. The service is intentionally blended in style. The chancel choir sings music drawn from classical, gospel, and contemporary traditions; the congregation prays together; the lectionary is followed; and sermons work through extended series that often take a single biblical text and unpack it from several angles, whether the topic is forgiveness, the Sabbath, the resurrection, the Trinity, or - in a recent fall series - the theology of monsters in an age of existential threats. Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of each month, and Crawford, like the wider United Methodist Church, practices open communion: you do not have to be a member of Crawford or of any church to join in at the table. When the weather allows, the service in spring and summer sometimes moves outside under the tent in front of the church, a little closer to creation.
All children are welcome to remain in the worship service for its entirety. During the first half of the service, children are invited forward for a children's message, after which children aged 5 to 10 are invited to join Sunday School teachers for a short lesson (a story, video, game, or craft) followed by free play. For children who would rather stay with their families, activity kits are available each week on the table just inside the double doors leading into the sanctuary from the lobby outside Gifford Hall. Teens have several ways to participate: those with an interest in technology can help the livestream team under IT Director Robert McAlpine; those who enjoy younger children can become Junior Child Care providers in the nursery under Nursery Manager Cindy Slack; strong readers of any age can sign up to serve as liturgist on a Sunday of their choosing (coordinated by Lay Leader Neil Cudmore); and high school students and above can join the Bell Choir under Randie Black-Schaffer.
Immediately after the service the whole community gathers in Gifford Hall for coffee hour. The team that hosts each week is organized alphabetically by last name, and the schedule is published in the weekly Messenger and listed in the Sunday bulletin. One family or person brings a carton of half and half, and the others bring something sweet or savory for adults and children alike. The church supplies coffee, tea, sugar, and napkins. The team's responsibilities include setting out the food, serving, and clean up. New volunteers are encouraged to jump in; the regulars are happy to show first-timers how everything works.
What First-Time Visitors Will See and Hear
Crawford describes itself as a progressive Christian church that grounds itself in the love of Jesus Christ as understood in the scriptures of the Christian faith. The congregation intentionally seeks to live out what it calls the greatest commandment - to love God and neighbor with heart, soul, mind, and strength - and is honest that it is sometimes better at choosing love than others. There is plenty of room here for believers, questioners, and questioning believers. Worship is warm, thoughtful, and theologically engaged, and the dress is whatever makes visitors comfortable.
For those who cannot be present in person, the service is livestreamed on Facebook (facebook.com/crawfordmethodist) and on YouTube (youtube.com/@CrawfordMethodist). A copy of each Sunday's bulletin, including the order of worship, responsive readings, prayers read in unison, and hymn lyrics, can be downloaded in advance. Visitors who would like a follow-up conversation can email Rev. Jen Mihok directly or reach out through the contact form on the church's site.
Children, Youth, and the Sunday School Relaunch
Childcare for children under the age of five is offered during worship in the nursery, downstairs. Every childcare provider and every volunteer who works with children at Crawford must complete a background check, and the congregation adheres to the safe sanctuaries policies and procedures set forth by the New England Conference of the United Methodist Church. The same standards apply to the Sunday School teachers who lead the 5-10 age group after the children's message each week.
After several years in which the program had fallen quiet, Sunday School was officially relaunched on August 16 under the leadership of Pastor Jen, with founding volunteers Kim Burke and Bernadette. The relaunch uses the Mini-Revolutions curriculum from Illustrated Ministry, a lectionary-based program that embraces inclusive theology, centers wonder over fear, and privileges questions over rote answers. Sunday School is open to children from pre-kindergarten through elementary (roughly ages four through ten). On any given Sunday, families are encouraged to use the nursery or Sunday School as best meets their needs that day, and the team is iterating on the format as the program grows. Volunteers are needed even for one Sunday a month; interested adults can speak to Kim, Bernadette, or the pastor.
Teens and older youth can serve as liturgists, help with the livestream team, serve as Junior Child Care providers, or join the Bell Choir. The church's safe sanctuaries and background-check policies apply to anyone working with children and youth.
A Vibrant Music Ministry
Crawford has historically enjoyed a vibrant music program, with a chancel choir, a handbell and chimes choir, and frequent guest musicians. The current Music Director, James Gutierrez, leads the chancel choir. James is an assistant teaching professor at Northeastern University whose work investigates and realizes the potential of music-making as a force for social change, community building, and personal well-being. He is also the managing director of Cambridge Common Voices, a neurodiverse choral collaboration between Harvard and the Threshold Program at Lesley University, and was previously in leadership at the Center for World Music in San Diego, where he helped improve the visibility of refugee communities through the promotion of their musical cultures. Under his leadership the chancel choir sings everything from classical to gospel and contemporary, and the group welcomes singers aged sixteen and older at its Thursday rehearsals at 7:30 p.m. in the sanctuary. Reading music is helpful but not required.
The organist and accompanist, Helena Veranian, has been the devoted organist of Crawford Memorial United Methodist Church since 1995. Helena received her MA in Piano Performance and Choir Conducting from the Erevan Conservatory in Armenia and, before coming to Crawford, served as the organist at St. James Apostolic Church in Los Angeles. She has participated in more than 500 concerts across Russia, Armenia, Georgia, Italy, Austria, Germany, Spain, and the United States. She is married to Maestro Arthur Veranian, and their two daughters are Veronica and Cristina.
The Handbell and Chimes Choir is led by Crawford member Randie Black-Shaffer and plays familiar hymns and new compositions at Sunday services, both alone and in concert with the choir or piano. Rehearsals take place after church on Sundays, with run-throughs before church on ringing days. The ability to read treble and bass clefs and to count in time is helpful. Instrumentalists are also welcome: the organist is available to arrange special ensembles, and Crawford often brings in professional musicians for Christmas, Easter, and other special occasions.
Visitors can see videos of recent performances on the church's YouTube channel, and a back catalog of Music Meditations - essays and recordings selected and commentated by a previous music minister, Logan Henke - remains available online.
Adult Study, Small Groups, and the Tuesday Prayer and Devotion Tradition
Crawford runs an active adult education program. Adult study groups usually meet at 8:45 a.m. on Sunday morning, with volunteer-led sessions running four to six weeks and offered on a rotating variety of topics from Bible study to spiritual growth. Recent offerings have included a multi-week fall study on the book I Never Thought of It That Way by Mónica Guzmán, which focuses on fearless, curious, one-on-one conversations across political and social divides; Tuesday Lectio Lunches in the parlor during the summer, a form of sacred reading built around silence and sharing over a brown-bag lunch; and ongoing conversations through the Wednesday evening NEAC Board of Church & Society series.
Two long-standing small groups meet weekly for prayer, conversation, and devotion. The Women's Prayer Group gathers at 7:00 a.m. on Tuesdays in the parlor, using the Upper Room devotional (copies are available at the church). The Men's Group meets at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesdays in various locations for prayer, devotions, and coffee. Anyone who is interested in either group, or in starting a new one, is encouraged to contact the church office.
On Sunday mornings during the school year, families with young children can also take part in a Storybook Workshop offered in Gifford Hall.
Reconciling, Progressive, and Publicly Inclusive
Crawford is a Reconciling Congregation within the United Methodist Church, working to create a Christ-centered, intentionally inclusive, and loving community. Its public statement reads: God's grace knows no boundaries of age, race, ethnicity, culture, gender identity, sexual orientation, economic status, family structure, marital status, or physical or mental ability. The congregation therefore supports the full inclusion and participation of all persons in the life of Crawford and of the United Methodist Church. Crawford has been linked to the wider Reconciling movement within the New England Conference of the United Methodist Church and has stood publicly alongside LGBTQ+ affirming ministry, including by sponsoring Winchester's annual PRIDEfest on the town common.
The same commitment shows up in Crawford's public Statement on Racial Injustice, in which the leadership cites Micah 6:8 - to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God - and the John Wesley exhortation to do all the good one can, by all the means one can, in all the ways one can, in all the places one can, at all the times one can, to all the people one can, as long as ever one can. The statement names concrete steps: start with oneself in prayer, learn through diverse authors and hard conversations, listen deeply, and be present and active in social justice opportunities.
Crawford's broader theological posture is summed up in the language of beloved community, a concept named by Josiah Royce and built upon by Martin Luther King Jr. Beloved community is grounded in God's agape love - a love strong enough to confront injustice without growing to hate the enemy - and is a place where all can participate and flourish even now. Pastor Jen's fall preaching series after her arrival worked through the vision of beloved community, the obstacles to it, and the practical steps of becoming it.
Reaching Out: Missions, the Micro Pantry, and Service
Crawford is heavily involved in the local community and beyond. The congregation has loaded backpacks for local homeless people, delivered furniture for Mission of Deeds, provided Thanksgiving baskets and Christmas stockings for the Council of Social Concern, donated books for under-served youth and for incarcerated men and women, served dinner at the Dwelling Place, collected clothing for job interviewees, and distributed thousands of pairs of Bombas socks.
Its active mission partners include:
- The Dwelling Place, a free dinner program founded in 1987 and run out of the United Methodist Church in Woburn, where Crawford prepares and serves dinner on the fourth Monday of every month.
- The Council of Social Concern, which runs the regional food pantry serving Woburn and Winchester residents.
- Crawford's Micro Pantry, which Crawford put up in June 2020 in response to the food insecurity that intensified during the pandemic. The original unit now holds donated personal care items; in 2022 an Eagle Scout project expanded the operation, and the larger pantry offers a wider and more varied selection of non-perishable food. Anyone may take what they need at any time. Donations can be placed directly in the pantry or left in the large yellow box in the hallway outside Gifford Hall.
- New England Justice for Our Neighbors, which provides legal services to immigrants.
- Dress for Success / Goodwill Industries, supported through an annual spring clothing drive of gently used business attire.
- Mission of Deeds, which provides beds, dressers, tables, and other household items to people transitioning out of homelessness.
- More Than Words and the Prison Book Program, which get books into the hands of youth and incarcerated people.
- Treats for Troops, through Soldiers' Angels.
- Homeless Outreach, partnering with the Malden Warming Center and other groups.
- HOUSING FAMILIES in Malden, supported with an annual school supplies drive and ongoing Bombas sock deliveries.
Crawford also sponsors two community groups that use its facilities. Alcoholics Anonymous meets in Gifford Hall on Tuesday evenings. Scouting is supported through Cub Scout Pack 507 (boys in grades 1-5) and Scout Troop 507 (boys and girls ages 11-17), both of which meet at the church.
For members who want a more structured way to serve, Crawford Covenants invite members and friends to identify an area of service that intersects with their unique gifts and sense of calling, and the Lay Leadership Committee helps match people with ministries that fit.
Prayer, Pastoral Care, and Membership
The Crawford Prayer Chain is a group of volunteers who commit to receiving prayer concerns as they come in and praying for them on a daily basis. Requests can be submitted through the prayer request form on the church's site or by emailing the Prayer Chain Coordinator; the prayer chain keeps concerns in confidence, and submitters may choose whether they would also like their concern shared by name in the Messenger newsletter and during worship.
A Visitation Group is forming to visit Crawford friends and members who are homebound. Visits need not be long; what matters is showing up.
For those thinking about formally joining Crawford, the pastor leads Membership Information Sessions when enough people are interested, and a New Member class may be offered. Each new member is paired with a sponsor who guides them through the process and introduces them to others. Two to four times a year, a regular Sunday service includes a short ceremony to welcome new members, with sponsors standing alongside. Members, friends, and visitors are all welcome and invited to participate in the services, activities, and missions of Crawford; membership is simply a personal way to commit to oneself and to God.
Getting Here: Parking, Accessibility, and the Building
Crawford Memorial United Methodist Church is located a short walk from the Winchester Center stop on the MBTA Commuter Rail's Lowell Line. Visitors can park on any of the streets surrounding the church or in one of the church's lots. Guest and elderly parking spaces are available in the rear of the church. A small parking lot on the Dix Street side of the church has designated handicap parking spaces; the door from that small lot is barrier free and equipped with an automatic door opener. The sanctuary can be entered through either the front or the rear of the church.
Office hours are Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with other times available by appointment. The office can be reached by phone at 781-729-5056 or by email at office@crawfordumc.org.
The Staff Behind the Welcome
Rev. Jen Mihok is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church who began ministry at Crawford Memorial in July 2026. A Pennsylvania native, Jen has lived in Russia, Germany, Washington DC, and Boston, working in both secular and religious settings, and previously served as pastor at the United Church of Underhill and as coordinating pastor of Binghamville United Methodist Church in northwestern Vermont. She chairs the New England Conference Committee on the Episcopacy and is energized by interfaith collaboration. She and her husband, Chris, met while working at a Boston-area non-profit, and their two children (and two cats) keep them plenty busy.
Stacey Hilliard has been a member of Crawford Memorial UMC since 2001, when she began serving on the nursery school committee. After the UMNS closed in 2020, she took on the role of Communications Manager and ultimately became the full-time Church Administrator. Originally from Northeast Ohio, Stacey lives in Medford with her two sons, a cat, and a dog.
Robert McAlpine, the IT Director, brings experience in audio-visual production, technology support, and creative communication. Outside of work, he enjoys cooking, solving puzzles, and tackling escape rooms, and is focused on enhancing Crawford's livestreams and expanding the church's AV capabilities.
The leadership team also includes Treasurer Doug Marmon, Nursery Manager Cynthia Slack, Custodian Jose Deleon, Church Council Chair Pam Reeve, and Lay Leader Neil Cudmore. Handbell Choir Director Randie Black-Schaffer and a small team of additional volunteers round out the network that makes weekly worship and the broader mission of the church possible.
Giving and Staying Connected
Crawford Memorial United Methodist Church is a 501(c)(3) organization. Donations may be directed to the annual pledge drive, the Christmas offering, or the endowment funds, and may also be designated as honorary or memorial gifts. Members and friends can give electronically through the church's online giving platform, by mailing a check to 34 Dix Street, Winchester, MA 01890, or in person on Sunday morning.
Past sermons are archived and available to watch or read on the church's site, and recordings of full worship services, sermons, and Crawford music videos live on the church's YouTube channel. The Crawford Weekly Messenger, the church's email newsletter, carries the week's schedule, prayer list, and announcements; visitors can subscribe on the church's site. The community can also stay in touch through the church's Facebook page and Instagram feed.