A Hartford Congregation with 150 Years of Roots on Albany Avenue
North United Methodist Church sits at 1205 Albany Avenue on the west side of Hartford, Connecticut, where it has stood since 1914. The congregation itself dates to 1870, when a small group of devoted men and women began holding prayer and class meetings on Clark Street. The church's first Sunday School opened on May 22, 1870, and the chapel at Suffield (now Battle Street) and Wooster Street was dedicated on April 9, 1871, with eighty people in attendance and the Reverend R. W. Jones as its first pastor. After decades in earlier Hartford locations, the church relocated to its current Albany Avenue site in 1914 as the neighborhood was just beginning to develop. The congregation today is proudly diverse, drawing members from more than twenty nationalities, and is anchored by a long-running commitment to the surrounding community.
Sunday Worship in Two Styles
North UMC holds two Sunday services each week. An 8:00 AM contemporary service and an 11:00 AM traditional service share the same historic sanctuary at 1205 Albany Avenue. The traditional service follows the familiar shape of United Methodist liturgy and is supported by the chancel choir, sanctuary singers, and the church's Austin pipe organ. Holy Communion is celebrated periodically, and visitors will find a children's clothes closet, a diaper bank, a food pantry, and a banquet hall on or adjacent to the church campus through the week.
Sunday School meets alongside the services. Children and youth gather for Sunday School at 11:15 AM, and an active nursery is available during the 11:00 AM worship service for infants through pre-kindergarten. Adults who prefer to join by phone can dial into the 9:15 AM Adult Sunday School through a conference call line. Visitors arriving for worship will find parking in the church lot at 1229 Albany Avenue.
Music and the Austin Pipe Organ Centennial
For nearly a century, North UMC's historic Austin pipe organ has been the musical heart of the sanctuary. The Boynton Memorial Pipe Organ was completed on September 18, 1926, after nine months of construction by the Austin Organ Company, at a cost of $6,700, and was donated to North Church as Austin Opus 1412. The instrument has accompanied Sunday worship, baptisms, weddings, funerals, holy days, choir anthems, organ recitals, and community gatherings throughout its life.
The organ sits atop an 8-rank wind chest holding 584 pipes and received tonal renovations in 1987. As part of its centennial, the church is raising funds to restore the instrument so that its sound can continue to lead worship for another generation. The Music Ministry undergirds both the 8:00 AM contemporary service and the 11:00 AM traditional service and includes the Chancel Choir, Sanctuary Singers, Praise Team, and Junior Choir.
Youth Ministry: Nursery through High School
Children and youth are not the future of North UMC in the congregation's eyes; they are the church right now. The Youth Ministry runs a full slate of programs for every age and stage, designed to be safe, Christ-centered, and joy-filled.
Infants through pre-kindergarten are cared for in the nursery during the 11:00 AM service by experienced and loving volunteers. Children and youth meet for age-appropriate Sunday School at 11:15 AM, where Scripture comes alive through lessons, questions, and discussion. Young voices are formed through the Junior Choir and Youth Praise Team, and a Liturgical Dance Ministry gives children and youth who love to move a creative way to worship through dance during special services.
Middle and high school students have a Youth Group of their own, where they build friendships and talk about real-life issues from a faith perspective through games, discussion, service projects, and time together. Confirmation Classes are offered for older students ready to go deeper, exploring what it means to follow Jesus, understand Methodist beliefs, and make a personal commitment of faith.
Seasonal and special programs round out the year. Vacation Bible School is a high-energy week of Bible stories, music, crafts, and games that often serves as a first step for kids new to the church. A Children's Christmas Party celebrates the birth of Jesus with cookies, crafts, and music. An Easter Egg Hunt brings the community together for a kid-friendly message about the hope of the Resurrection. Each summer, children can sign up for Soccer Skills Camp and Cooking Classes. A unique offering at North UMC is Steel Pan Orchestra Lessons, where students learn steel drum in a group setting, growing musically while celebrating Caribbean rhythm and culture. A Backpack Giveaway blesses students with school supplies at the start of the year, and the annual Black History Month Program is a youth-led worship service that has become a highlight of the church calendar.
Families interested in any of these programs can pre-register online through the Youth Ministry page or contact the church office to get connected.
Community Outreach: Food, Clothing, and Shelter
Outreach is woven into the identity of North United Methodist Church. Three ongoing ministries serve the Greater Hartford community from the Collin Bennett Building at 1229 Albany Avenue.
Food Share is a partnership with CT Food Share that distributes fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, and non-perishable foods to residents of the Greater Hartford area on the second and fourth Saturday of each month, from 10:00 AM to noon. Gifts for God's Children is a Children's Clothes Closet and Diaper Bank that provides gently used children's clothing, diapers, and other household items at no cost to families in the community. It is open on Saturdays between 10:00 AM and noon.
The church also runs a Shelter Ministry that provides healthy, home-cooked meals for residents at two Hartford shelters. Beyond these regular efforts, members organize toiletry drives for shelter residents, clothing give-aways for families in need of warm clothes, and Hurricane Beryl and Melissa Relief Collections supporting Grenada, Jamaica, St. Vincent, Haiti, and Cuba. A long-running partnership with Gardner's House accompanies cancer survivors, and the church regularly hosts events such as Soursop Tea fundraisers to support that work.
Bible Study, Prayer, and Small Groups
Bible study and prayer are central to life at North UMC. A mid-week Bible Study led by the pastor meets on Tuesdays at 7:00 PM, and the Adult Sunday School class meets by conference call at 9:15 AM on Sundays.
Prayer groups gather three times a week, reflecting the church's conviction that the effectual, fervent prayer of the righteous avails much. On Mondays at 10:00 AM, a prayer group meets in person. On Wednesdays at 7:00 PM and Fridays at 6:00 AM, additional prayer groups gather by conference call, allowing members from anywhere to join.
United Women in Faith and United Methodist Men
North UMC hosts two chartered United Methodist groups that strengthen the life of the church. United Women in Faith (formerly United Methodist Women) connects and nurtures women through Christian spiritual formation, leadership development, creative fellowship, and education so that they can inspire, influence, and impact local and global communities. United Methodist Men is a core group of men who partner with the pastor to invite and initiate spiritual growth opportunities for all men of the church, providing opportunities to develop relationships and serve in ministry together with other Christians.
The Collin Bennett Building and North Banquet Hall
The Collin Bennett Building at 1229 Albany Avenue is a historic community hub owned and managed by North United Methodist Church since 2010. Named after Collin B. Bennett, a Hartford City Councilman elected in 1965, an Episcopal priest, and a real estate broker, the building houses a wide range of community-based organizations. Current tenants and partners include Access Health, ABLE Clinician, Advancing CT Together, All About Home Care, Attorney Jamaal Johnson, Dr. Alice Farrell, Daily Operating & Consulting Solutions, Gardner's House, Legacy Foundation, Lucas Driving School, Monica's, OMNI Print Plus, Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, The Hartford Parent Trust, and the Upper Albany Neighborhood Collaborative. Together these groups contribute to healthcare, education, legal services, and other community needs in North Hartford.
Within the same building, the North Banquet Hall is available to rent for events. With a capacity of 178 guests, the hall is suitable for weddings, meetings, conferences, and other gatherings, and reservations can be arranged by contacting the banquet hall office.
Rev. Andrea E. Davidson, Pastor
Reverend Andrea E. Davidson was appointed Pastor of North United Methodist Church effective July 1, 2023. She is the first woman to serve as pastor in the church's 150-year history. Her ministry has spanned more than twenty years, including service at both a large congregation of more than three thousand members and smaller churches. She is passionate about worship, spiritual development, outreach, and evangelism. Reverend Davidson is a graduate of Union Theological Seminary in New York and is the mother of two children.
Joining the Church
People interested in being baptized, confirmed, or becoming members of North United Methodist Church can reach out through the Visit page on the church's site or contact the office directly. New members are welcomed into a congregation that has chosen for more than 150 years to root itself in the life of Hartford and to put its faith into words and acts of love.