Seek, Love, Serve at the Crossroads of Downtown Orlando
For more than 140 years, First United Methodist Church of Orlando has stood at 142 East Jackson Street in the heart of downtown. The congregation traces its roots to the Methodist Circuit Riders of the 1840s, and in 1874 Methodists joined with two other denominations to hold regular services in the old red-brick country courthouse in the center of town. By 1882 the Methodists had built their own small church on the west corner of Magnolia Avenue and Jackson Street.
Today the church describes its calling with three words: Seek, Love, Serve. The cross in its logo also resembles the points of a compass, with arrow points directing the congregation outward toward its neighbors. From its downtown block, First Church sits at the intersections of government, the arts, commerce, education and culture, and it treats each of those intersections as a mission field. The late John Wesley's counsel still hangs over the life of the church: "Earn all you can and save all you can, so that you can give all you can."
The Sanctuary and the Ministries Building
The current sanctuary was completed in 1963. With its distinctive architecture and meaning-filled stained glass, the building is included on the official tours of Orlando.
In 2007, the city approached First Church about purchasing its Wesley Building to make way for the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. An agreement was reached, and the congregation built a new Ministries and Education Building on the same block as the sanctuary. It opened in 2012 and houses a contemporary worship center, a chapel, fellowship and learning spaces, classrooms, a library, a cafe on each floor, gathering spaces and offices for church ministries. The building is also regularly open to the downtown community.
An elevator serves all public spaces, and Wi-Fi is available throughout the campus.
Two Sunday Services, One Congregation
First Church holds two Sunday morning worship services.
At 9:30 a.m. the Modern Worship service fills the Contemporary Worship Center on the second floor. A praise band leads the music, and the pastors preach the message. At 11:00 a.m. the Traditional Worship service fills the first-floor sanctuary and blends traditional liturgy with vocal choirs, instrumental ensembles, organ, drama, scripture and sermon. Both celebrate communion on the first Sunday of each month. Both invite worshipers to "come as you are." Both services include an offering each week, framed as a grateful response to God's generosity.
Sunday School small groups meet between the services, with some groups gathering at 9:30 a.m. and others at 10:30 a.m. Adult Discipleship options include McRae, New Covenant, Nu Class, Pendergrass-Turner, and Cornerstone Connection, each with its own character. A Men's Group meets Sunday evenings at 5:30 p.m. in the library.
Sermons are available online in audio and video. The video stream runs through the church's YouTube channel, and audio versions are distributed through Anchor, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.
Children, Youth and the Nursery
Children are welcomed from eight weeks old through fifth grade. The nursery and childcare wing is located at the end of the hallway on the second floor of the Ministries Building. Childcare is provided for all morning worship services from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and on Wednesdays from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. Children are checked in through a digital system, and parents receive a matching name tag for pickup. The nursery is nut-free, and only the adults listed on a child's tag may pick up. The staff is fingerprinted and CPR-certified, and a posted wellness policy keeps sick children at home.
Pre-K and Elementary Sunday School begins at 9:30 a.m. in the Kid's Chapel on the second floor, with singing before children move into their grade-level groups. On Thursday mornings, Mommy and Me runs from 10:30 a.m. to noon for parents with children from newborn to age three.
On Friday nights the children of the church have their own rhythms: CLUB 4/5 meets the first Friday of the month from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. for fourth and fifth graders, and Family Fun Nights meet the second Friday of the month from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. for families.
Pastor Becky Postlewait directs the Children's Ministry. Seasonal programs include Vacation Bible School and Mission Camp 345 for third through fifth graders, plus a week-long overnight summer camp at Warren Willis United Methodist Camp and Conference Center in Fruitland Park, where Pastor Becky drives the bus and stays with the kids.
Youth in sixth through twelfth grade meet Sunday evenings from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on the third floor for dinner, games, discussion and special activities. EPIC Confirmation is offered for eighth graders. A Girls High School Small Group meets Sunday afternoons from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m., and a High School Leadership Team supports the program through communications, service opportunities, music, design and game planning. The Youth Ministry also runs an annual Fall Retreat at Warren Willis Camp and a summer mission trip. Pastor Rushing Kimball directs the Youth Ministry.
Adult Discipleship Throughout the Week
The church's Adult Discipleship ministry keeps small groups and classes humming throughout the week.
On Wednesday mornings at 10:00 a.m. and again at 5:30 p.m., Lead Pastor Vance Rains leads a Bible study through the Old Testament books of Deuteronomy and Ezekiel. The 5:30 p.m. study is also available by Zoom. On Thursday mornings at 9:30 a.m., a Women's Bible Study meets in the library. A Pastor's Book Club meets on the second Thursday of the month by Zoom, with selections chosen to inspire conversation. Past picks have included The Meaning of Your Life by Arthur C. Brooks; upcoming books include How to be a Dissident by Gal Beckerman and Too Precious To Lose by Jason G. Green.
Other recurring offerings include Mommy and Me on Thursday mornings, Narcotics Anonymous on Thursday evenings in Rooms 6 and 7, and PFLAG support meetings on the third Wednesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. in Classroom 1. Senior Friendships meets the first Friday of the month at 10:00 a.m. in the Gathering Space. United Women in Faith meets monthly on the second Thursday at 10:45 a.m., with free childcare provided.
Monday nights bring First Church Yoga at 6:30 p.m. in the third-floor youth space. Thursdays at 7:00 p.m., Theology on Tap gathers at Johnny's Other Side, 1619 East Michigan Street, for casual conversation about faith and life.
FIRST Wednesdays, held from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. on the first floor cafe, brings the whole church together once a month for food, fun and friendship. Soul Lab, a monthly Sunday evening gathering from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m., takes a deep dive into a theological or spiritual topic through discussion, reflection and hands-on experiences.
Care, Stephen Ministry and Prayer
The Care Ministry walks alongside members through every stage of life. Congregational Care Ministers are lay volunteers trained to support members from baptism through end-of-life care. Stephen Ministers are commissioned lay caregivers who offer confidential, one-on-one Christian care for people facing difficult times such as grief, divorce, hospitalization, chronic illness, loneliness or unemployment. The Take Them A Meal ministry delivers comfort meals during life's most hectic seasons.
Prayer requests can be submitted online or through the church's Connection Card. Pastor Rushing Kimball oversees the Care Ministry.
Forward Together and a Welcoming Downtown Church
First Church is a Reconciling congregation within the United Methodist Church, and the Forward Together: All Means All ministry works to make the campus a safe, accessible and healing place for everyone, especially LGBTQ+ neighbors.
The church affirms that all people are created in the image of God and all are worthy of God's love, grace and community. It welcomes and affirms the diversity of people of every sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity, national origin, immigration status, age, faith history, marital status, physical ability, cognitive ability and socioeconomic status.
Nine ministries within the church are designated Reconciling: Forward Together, Flower Ministry, Nu Class, Thursday Women's Bible Study, Chancel Choir, the McRae Sunday School Class, Church Council, New Covenant Class and the Serve Team. Each year the congregation participates in Orlando's Come Out With Pride parade.
Forward Together also maintains a series of resources called "Welcoming Everyone in Welcoming Ways," with guides for Deaf visitors, Blind visitors and visitors with limited mobility. Melanie Lee coordinates the Forward Together ministry, and the church is connected to the Reconciling Ministries Network.
Faith and Social Action
The Faith and Social Action Committee invites members to study and apply the United Methodist Church's Social Principles, most recently revised at General Conference in Charlotte in 2024. The principles are organized into four areas: Community for all Creation, the Economic Community, the Social Community, and the Political Community.
The committee marks the calendar with public witness: National Human Trafficking Prevention Month each January, Holocaust Remembrance Day, Migrant Worker Recognition Day each December, and ongoing advocacy around immigration and worker justice. Members are encouraged to read the principles, contact elected officials and support people affected by unjust policies.
Worship Arts and Music
Music is woven into both Sunday services. The Chancel Choir sings each week at the 11:00 a.m. service, with challenging music from across the centuries, and rehearses Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. The Wesley Ringers, an adult five-octave bell and chime choir, rings for the 11:00 a.m. service on the second Sunday of each month and rehearses Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. The Modern Worship Team rehearses Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and gathers before services to lead the 9:30 a.m. music. A seasonal Concert Choir performs masterworks for Good Friday Tenebrae and the Christmas concert. Linda van Niekerk serves as organist, Mark Becker directs the handbell choirs, Aaron Penfield directs Modern Worship, and Jason Locker directs Traditional Worship. Mason Crain directs Technical Arts for anyone interested in the audio and video side of worship.
Serve, Scholarships and the Wider Community
The Serve Ministry offers many ways to pitch in. Sunday teams include ushers, greeters, communion stewards, pew attendants, plant keepers, the coffee ministry and the flower ministry, which repurposes altar arrangements into small bouquets delivered to members and friends during the week. The audio/video team supports worship and special events. Behind the scenes, office volunteers help with financial processing, data entry and mailings.
In the wider community, First Church serves as a host congregation for Family Promise, providing overnight space, meals and volunteers for three or four homeless families at a time. The Serve Team supports the Christian Service Center, Coalition for the Homeless, Family Promise, IDignity, OCPS Title I schools, Rise Against Hunger, Second Harvest Food Bank and UP Orlando. Sewing for Others, a ministry of the United Methodist Women, meets Wednesday mornings to create clothing, lap robes and school bags for those in need. The Early Response Team helps with yard cleanup, building repair and basic property maintenance after disasters and within the local community.
Members and friends of the church have established endowed scholarship funds in memory of Charles and Adele Whitfield, Morita Clark, and Louise and Phillip Torrance. Undergraduate scholarships support students seeking an associate's or bachelor's degree at any college or university. Ministerial scholarships support students preparing for ministry or church work through United Methodist seminaries and programs. Renewals are available annually for up to four years of undergraduate study.
Facilities, Library and Memorials
First Church offers meeting and event space for outside groups. The Sanctuary seats up to 980, the Gathering Space and Lobby up to 250, the Chapel up to 100, the Parlor up to 30, the Conference Room up to 15, and a series of classrooms can host up to 100. The Contemporary Worship Center holds up to 250, the Choir Room up to 80, and the third floor and outdoor spaces each accommodate up to 250 or 150. The Sanctuary and Contemporary Worship Center are outfitted with d&b Audiotechnik sound systems, Allen and Heath digital consoles and Sennheiser wireless microphones, with Pro Presenter 6 or Keynote driving video. Spaces are available for one-time or ongoing use.
The First Church Library is open every day for browsing, research and quiet reading, and its catalog is accessible online. Members can check out books by signing the sheet in the library or by emailing the library. The library also accepts donations of recent books, CDs and DVDs to support the congregation's spiritual and intellectual life.
A Columbarium in the church courtyard offers inurnment on sacred ground for current and former members and their immediate family. A Memorial Wall alongside the courtyard provides a place to memorialize members buried elsewhere. A Peace Pole, dedicated on June 12, 2017, the first anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting, carries the message "May Peace Prevail on Earth" in multiple languages. The idea for the Peace Pole grew out of the Thursday morning Women's Bible Study and a curriculum called Living the Questions, and it has become a place of prayer and contemplation in response to incidents of violence.
Giving and Connecting
Members can give online through the church's Realm platform, set up recurring donations through the Realm Connect app on iOS or Android, mail a gift to the church office, or transfer appreciated stock and other non-cash assets. Realm also serves as the church's online directory and ministry tool, helping members connect with pastors, staff and one another, register for events and manage their information. The annual Ministry Budget Pledge and special endowment funds allow members to support ongoing ministries and leave a legacy.
What a First-Time Visitor Finds
The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The main Sunday parking option is the seven-floor Seaside parking garage at the corner of Jackson Street and Magnolia Avenue; it closes at 1:00 p.m. Limited-mobility visitors and families with small children may use the underground garage beneath the church (70 spaces) or the Wesley Center surface lot on Jackson Street. On-street parking is metered Monday through Saturday and free on Sunday.
Childcare and nursery care are available during every worship service and on Wednesday evenings. Children are kept active and engaged during their time in the program. Visitors can fill out a Connection Card on Sunday morning or online to share their contact information, request prayer or ask to be contacted by a pastor or Stephen Minister.
For more than 140 years, First Church Orlando has been a spiritual presence in the heart of downtown. From the same corner of Magnolia and Jackson where its members first gathered in 1882, the congregation continues to seek, to love and to serve, with arrow points on its cross pointing outward to every neighbor.