Where Pittsboro's First Church Still Stands
Pittsboro United Methodist Church holds a quiet claim in Hendricks County, Indiana: it was the first house of worship built in town, with roots that reach back to October 1834. Simon T. Hadley, one of the town's founders, offered a lot on what is now Lot 2, Block 2 to any denomination willing to put up a building. Archibald Alexander, one of the charter members, cut the lumber at his own water-powered mill south of town. The first sanctuary was a small log room with greased-paper windows and pews made of split logs with peg legs, warmed by a great fireplace. Brother Pointer, the first preacher, served the congregation as a circuit rider and came through about once every three months. Funerals, weddings, and christenings waited for his visits. Reverend Enoch Wood became the first full-time minister.
Today the church sits at 227 East Main Street, where it moved in 1975 after outgrowing its earlier home. Its mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world, and its vision is to make God real by loving, connecting, and serving as Jesus did. A blended Sunday morning service at 10:00 a.m. pairs a long-running choir with a contemporary praise band, and the service is livestreamed through Facebook, YouTube, and an online.church platform so members can worship from home.
Three Buildings and Nearly Two Centuries of Movement
The 1836 log room gave way to a new building in 1868 on the northeast corner of North Maple Street and Main Street, remodeled at a cost of $2,000. The 1870s and 1890s brought revivals that left a mark on the church's memory: a 1878 revival under Rev. Isaac Patch, and another under Rev. Horace Ogden in 1891. In 1919, the building was remodeled again at a cost of $6,000 during the pastorate of Rev. S.A.P. Reakes.
In 1936, the church observed its centennial with services of remembrance, including a re-enactment of the dedication and sacrifices of the early members performed by the women of the church, and a final homecoming service. In April 1968, when the Evangelical United Brethren Church and the Methodist Church merged to form the United Methodist Church, the congregation took its present name. By the early 1970s, growth had pushed the church beyond its original site, and in 1975 a new sanctuary was built on East Main Street. The 1990s brought a remodel and a substantial addition - a fellowship hall, Sunday school classrooms, and preschool classrooms - to keep up with a growing congregation. The church hired its first full-time youth director in 1994.
In 1983, the church welcomed its first female minister, Reverend Kathy Kinser, who served until 1987. The pastoral line now includes more than three dozen pastors across nearly two centuries of ministry in the same small Indiana town.
A History Around the Tables
The church's fellowship has long been tied to long tables and full plates. The first signature event was the annual Pioneer Supper, which began in 1918 at the close of World War I in remembrance of Armistice Day. The ladies of the church planned and prepared the meal, dressed in old-time dresses, and served the food family-style. The men cleared the tables, washed dishes, and helped in the kitchen. When the dinner grew beyond the church building, it moved to the old high school, where the food was prepared in the home economics rooms. The menu was a harvest spread: pan chicken, homemade chicken and noodles, fresh ham, potatoes, turnips, slaw, Great Northern beans, cooked cabbage, applesauce, homemade pies and cakes, Bob Groover's homemade bread, homemade butter, apple butter, and jellies and jams. The Pioneer Suppers faded out in the early 1970s and gave way to the Fall Harvest Smorgasbord, a smaller-scale carryover with the same spirit.
Alongside the Pioneer Supper, the women of the church organized Rural Mail Carrier Dinners, held on the second Monday of each month for the rural mail carriers of the county. The menu changed monthly and typically served 15 to 36 carriers. Election Days in the 1970s brought three meals to the church - breakfast, lunch, and supper - for the township outside of town. The income from those meals paid for much of the church's dishes, silverware, cookware, and long tables. The congregation was also known for its annual Fish Fry and monthly Crusader Class dinners.
Sunday Mornings at Ten
Sunday morning worship gathers at 10:00 a.m. Eastern in the sanctuary. The order of service blends traditional and contemporary elements, with the PUMC Choir singing weekly and the PUMC Praise Band leading the congregation in more contemporary pieces. Each week includes a liturgist - often a lay member of the congregation - and a sermon from Pastor Stacy Downing. The service is livestreamed through Facebook, YouTube, and an online.church platform that allows viewers to chat with moderators, request prayer, and interact with others during worship. Sermon recordings are kept online and can be watched on demand.
Children are part of the Sunday flow. They begin worship with their families and are dismissed partway through to their own classrooms. Children's Church, for preschoolers through fifth grade, gathers every Sunday except the first Sunday of the month, when communion is served. The third Sunday of every month focuses on musical activities, with the children performing in the sanctuary three or four times a year. The nursery, in Room #9, is staffed during worship for infants through four-year-olds. All adult volunteers follow the Safe Sanctuaries child protection policy, including background checks, interviews, and special training.
Communion is observed on the first Sunday of each month.
Thursday Nights in the Choir Room and Sanctuary
Music ministry at Pittsboro UMC is built around two weekly groups. The PUMC Choir sings every Sunday in worship and welcomes singers of varying experience. Rehearsals are held on Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. in the choir room.
The PUMC Praise Band leads the congregation in more contemporary pieces every Sunday, with instrumentalists and vocalists performing solos and full-band arrangements. Praise Band rehearsals are held on Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. in the sanctuary. New musicians and singers are always welcome. Music Director Joanna Nunley - a math teacher at Ben Davis High School who has been involved in music ministry at the church since 2008 - leads both groups.
Children, Youth, and Vacation Bible School
Children's Church uses age-appropriate Bible lessons, activities, crafts, and games designed to invite attention and curiosity. On the third Sunday of every month, the focus shifts to music, with children performing in the sanctuary several times a year. A weekly Bible Blast lets families follow along at home.
The Youth Group is open to students in grades six through twelve and meets on the second and fourth Sunday of every month from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. Communication runs through a GroupMe group text for parents and students, with separate channels for middle school and high school. Volunteer leaders and Student Ministries Chair Kelly Cain help coordinate the program.
Vacation Bible School is a free, three-day summer program for children in kindergarten through fifth grade. It combines themed activities, crafts, music, snacks, and games, and closes with a family cookout. The program is designed both for church families and as a community outreach to those who do not typically participate in a church setting.
Night to Shine is the church's signature special-needs event, hosted through the Tim Tebow Foundation network. Held on a Friday evening each February, the evening turns the building into a prom-like celebration for honored guests, supported by a large team of adult and minor volunteers.
The Preschool on East Main Street
The PUMC Preschool is a ministry of the church and a fixture in the life of Pittsboro families. It was started in 1979 by John Crick, April Boyer, and Linda Scherer with twelve children. Today, the preschool serves 135 to 140 children each year through three programs run by a director, an office assistant, and four teachers:
- The Pre-K Program meets Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. for children who are four years old by August 1. Class size is limited to sixteen.
- The Beginners Program meets Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for children who are three years old by August 1. Class size is limited to sixteen.
- The Little Tots Program meets Tuesday and Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. as a mixed two- and three-year-old class. Class size is limited to ten.
Tuition is $375 a month for Pre-K, $210 a month for Beginners, and $140 a month for Little Tots. A non-refundable $125 registration fee is due at enrollment. The preschool serves every child regardless of gender, ethnic background, socioeconomic status, or church affiliation.
Outreach Across Town and Beyond
Outreach ministry at Pittsboro UMC is built around partnerships with other organizations. The church is actively engaged with Indiana United Methodist Children's Home, Sheltering Wings, United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), the Pittsboro Parks Department, Pittsboro Christian Church, Calvary United Methodist Church, Northwest Hendricks School Corporation, Metro Ministries, and The Society of Saint Andrew. The church shares special worship services with the Pittsboro Christian Church at Thanksgiving and Easter and collaborates during Vacation Bible School.
Outreach Chair Brenda Schultz helps coordinate the church's outreach work, and Amy Mohney maintains the current critical-needs list for ongoing donation drives. Together with the church's other ministries, outreach is part of the vision to make God real by loving, connecting, and serving as Jesus did.
What We Believe
Pittsboro UMC is a United Methodist congregation within the Indiana Conference of the United Methodist Church. The congregation's statement of belief centers on the historic Christian confession: one God who exists in three distinct persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - equal in being, essence, character, power, and eternal qualities.
The Bible is received as the inspired word of God, with the Holy Spirit guiding human authors to create a written means of communication that reveals God's love and plan to be in relationship with all of humanity. Jesus is confessed as the Christ, the Savior who came in the flesh, conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, both fully human and fully God. He lived a sinless life, died willingly on the cross for the salvation of all humanity, and physically rose again. He ascended into heaven, where he rules as Lord and advocate, and will return to establish God's perfect peace and justice.
The Holy Spirit is present within each follower, empowering a life that reflects the lifestyle, values, and character of Jesus, illuminating Scripture, and progressively transforming each follower into the image of Christ. The Church is the Body of Christ on earth, made up of all who are in personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Pittsboro UMC embraces the priesthood of all believers: everyone in relationship with Christ is gifted, empowered, and called to serve within God's mission to reach the world.
Pastor, Staff, and Lay Leaders
Pastor Stacy E. Downing, an ordained Elder in the Indiana Conference of the United Methodist Church, was appointed to Pittsboro UMC in the summer of 2024 and has served Indiana United Methodist churches since 1998. She also chairs the conference's Children Matter Most Team. Her ministry is shaped by a passion for prayer, community, and the intersection of the two. She and her husband John have two children.
Julie Mardis has been the Office Administrator at PUMC since 1993, working alongside six pastors across her tenure. Joanna Nunley serves as the Director of Music Ministry and leads the choir and praise band. Julie Stanley directs the PUMC Preschool and oversees its staff of teachers and assistants. Cathy Derrick serves as Secretary of the Leadership Team and leads the Youth Ministry Team. Kelly Cain chairs the Discipleship Team and coordinates Student Ministries. Brenda Schultz chairs the Outreach Ministry and has taught Children's Church since 2005.
Ric Miller chairs the Leadership Team, Cindy Newell serves as Treasurer, Tara Hendrey as Finance Chair, Alan Esko as Trustee Chair, and Teresa Lucas on the Parish Relations Committee. Ed Cummings serves as Lay Leader. Throughout the week, the East Main Street building hosts choirs, preschoolers, students, and a sanctuary full of worshipers who trace their congregation back to the town's first log church.