A Church on Center Ridge Road
Westlake United Methodist Church sits at 27650 Center Ridge Road in Westlake, Ohio, a Cleveland suburb where the congregation has worshipped continuously for nearly two centuries. Founded in 1825 as Dover Methodist Episcopal Church, when the area was still the township of Dover, the congregation is one of the oldest Methodist bodies in Cuyahoga County. Today it offers two weekly worship services, a food ministry that reaches hundreds of families across the region, and a long list of mission partnerships stretching from Cleveland's near west side to Ukraine.
Two Centuries on the Same Ground
The first members of what would become Westlake United Methodist Church met in homes and barns for nearly twenty-eight years. In 1853 the congregation raised enough money to erect a small frame sanctuary, which still stands on Center Ridge Road just a few hundred feet from the present church. A church bell dated 1854 rang daily at noon and 6 p.m., served as a fire alarm, and was tolled for the deceased until about 1878.
Early pastors were circuit riders who served several churches in the area. In the first 125 years, more than sixty different preachers were assigned to the congregation. Around 1930 a Sunday school addition was built; later a kitchen and full basement were added on the west side and the original building was moved atop the new foundation. When Dover Village was renamed Westlake in 1940, the church became Westlake Methodist Church.
The first full-time pastor, Dr. Edwin Brown, was assigned in 1951. In 1955, with membership at 450, the cornerstone for the current sanctuary was laid; the first service in the new building was held on November 4, 1956. An education wing and steeple were added in 1969, and the parking lot was expanded in 2012. Since 1951 the church has had eight full-time pastors; the senior pastor is Rev. Abby Caseman.
Classic Worship on Sunday Morning, Informal on Wednesday
Sunday morning worship at WUMC is a classic service held at 10:00 a.m. in the sanctuary. The service features the Schantz-Ellenberger pipe organ, choirs, favorite hymns, and a sermon rooted in the Biblical lectionary. Communion is celebrated at the 10:00 service on the first Sunday of each month, and is also offered in the Narthex from 9:30 to 9:45 a.m. on the second through fifth Sundays. The church uses unfermented grape juice and offers gluten-free and dairy-free bread so that all can participate.
A second, more casual service takes place at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday evenings in Fellowship Hall. This informal style of worship centers on sing-along music, prayer, and communion.
Worship is livestreamed each Sunday morning, with the bulletin, scripture readings, and hymns available online.
What to Expect When You Visit
WUMC welcomes people of all ages, races, social and economic backgrounds, sexual orientations, and gender identities to full participation in the life of the church. People arrive on Sunday morning dressed up, dressed down, and every which way; visitors are encouraged to come as they feel comfortable.
Visitor parking spaces are reserved near the front entrance. The sanctuary sits at the front of the building facing Center Ridge Road. Ushers can direct first-time guests to classrooms and answer questions, and a gift is offered to those who identify themselves as first-time visitors. No one is put on the spot, and sharing contact information is entirely optional.
The building is wheelchair accessible from the front circle drive via a ramp into the main lobby. Handicap parking is also available at the rear of the building with elevator access through the education hallway. Accessible bathrooms are located opposite the elevator on the basement level. Large print bulletins and audio equipment for those with hearing impairments are available from the ushers. Office signs are printed in both Braille and standard print, and an extra wheelchair is kept in the parish nurse's office.
After the service, the congregation gathers in Fellowship Hall on the lower level for coffee, light refreshments, and conversation. During the summer months, coffee hour moves to the east lawn when weather permits.
Children on Sunday Morning
Children are a visible presence at WUMC, and every volunteer working with children and youth is background-checked and trained in Safe Sanctuaries.
On Sunday morning, infants and babies are welcomed in Room 203, which is always open as a quiet room for parents and babies. Toddlers and preschoolers gather in Rooms 201 and 202 for Bible stories, music, dancing, and creative play. Children in kindergarten through sixth grade begin in worship, then move to Rooms 102, 103, and 104 after the children's message for big-group and small-group faith-based fun. On the first Sunday of each month, children remain in worship with their families and the congregation celebrates communion together. A sensory safe room is available for children with special needs and is staffed by a trained coordinator and volunteers.
EnsemBOOM!, a Boomwhacker choir for ages seven through thirteen, rehearses on Sunday mornings from 9:15 to 9:55 a.m. in Room 104.
Mission: Possible is a hands-on mission program for families with children in sixth grade and younger, designed to help children experience "doing faith" together.
During the summer, toddlers and preschoolers continue meeting in their rooms while children in kindergarten through sixth grade meet together for one combined class and go outside to experience God on the church grounds.
Youth Ministry
Youth ministry at WUMC is built around the Sunday night Youth Group, which meets from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. during the school year. Middle and high school students gather for games, worship, dinner, and discussion, with separate discussion periods for each age group and combined dinner and games.
Confirmation classes for students in seventh through twelfth grade meet on Sunday afternoons from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m., October through May, and culminate in a Confirmation Sunday service. The confirmation cohort also gathers with other local United Methodist churches for a February retreat.
Throughout the year, the youth ministry hosts lock-ins, local trips, the 30-Hour Famine, and varied fundraisers. Summer is reserved for service and mission through Vacation Bible School and the annual mission trip.
Adult Education and Small Groups
Two adult Sunday morning classes precede worship. Faith Matters meets at 8:45 a.m. in Room 207 and on Zoom, examining contemporary issues from a spiritual perspective. Deeper Dive with Pastor Abby meets at 9:00 a.m. in Room 100 and goes deeper into the scripture themes of Sunday worship; all ages are invited.
Small group studies meet on different days throughout the week, covering books of the Bible, contemporary spiritual writing, and the United Methodist Social Principles. Recent offerings have included "Praying with Jonah" on Wednesday afternoons and a study of Amy Jill Levine's "Genesis" on Thursday mornings. A monthly Moms Night Out gathering meets on the fourth Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.
WUMC also offers a Spiritual Gifts Discovery Process open to members and visitors alike. The four-part process explores Spiritual Gifts, Work Style Preferences, and Spiritual Passion, ending with a discussion of service and study opportunities that match the individual's profile.
Music at WUMC
Music is central to life at Westlake United Methodist Church. The Schantz-Ellenberger pipe organ anchors the music ministry, with organist Anna Judkins leading hymns and providing service music and anthems.
The Chancel Choir, made up of singers from tenth grade through adult, specializes in choral classics across genres. Rehearsals are held in the sanctuary on Thursday evenings at 7:00 p.m., September through May. The choir has sung the national anthem at Cleveland Monsters hockey games and at Progressive Field, and presents an annual Choral Cantata.
The Food Ministry
Food ministry is one of the most expansive outreach efforts at WUMC. The congregation now operates five food pantries, supported by a monthly investment of two to three thousand dollars in food purchased from the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, a grant from the Community West Foundation, and gifts from the congregation.
The flagship is the drive-through Choice Food Pantry at the church on the third Saturday of each month from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m., open to income-eligible residents of Cuyahoga, Ashtabula, Geauga, Lake, Ashland, and Richland counties. A walk-in pantry operates at the LGBT Community Center of Cleveland in Gordon Square on the first Friday of each month from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Twice-monthly doorstep delivery of food bags serves elderly and homebound income-eligible residents in zip code 44102 and a limited area in 44111. Two building-based pantries serve residents of senior housing on West 70th on the first Tuesday of each month and residents of a low-income housing building on Detroit Avenue on the first Wednesday of each month.
A free community meal is offered in Fellowship Hall on the fourth Wednesday of each month from 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. The meal is drive-up and take-out only, served by volunteers who bring the meal to each car. The menu changes monthly; no reservations are required.
Mission Partnerships Near and Far
The WUMC Mission Team connects members to hands-on service opportunities locally, nationally, and internationally. Current partnerships include Flat Rock Homes and Care Center, a United Methodist-affiliated residential facility where the church has "adopted" the Westlake Cottage, a residential unit with six female residents whom the church supports with birthday and Christmas gifts and special treats. Love In the Name of Christ of Cuyahoga County partners with the church for emergency needs. OhioGuidestone provides behavioral health, parenting, and job services throughout Northeast Ohio. Nehemiah Mission of Cleveland serves low-income residents and refugees on the near west side. University Hospitals Chaplaincy receives prayer blankets and Angel gowns made by the congregation for patients at Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital and MacDonald Women's Hospital.
The church also supports United Methodist efforts to help Ukrainian refugee families arriving in Lorain County, with financial assistance coordinated through the Wesleyan Senior Living Foundation.
Volunteers regularly undertake "Volunteer in Mission" work projects in Ohio, around the country, and overseas.
Caring Ministries
WUMC maintains a confidential prayer chain for prayer requests and operates Stephen Ministry, a one-to-one lay caring ministry in which trained Stephen Ministers provide confidential Christ-like care to people who are hurting.
What United Methodists Believe
Westlake United Methodist Church holds to the historic doctrines of the Christian faith while emphasizing a personal faith lived out in the world with direction and purpose. Members affirm belief in God as the eternal source of life and love, and receive the Bible as inspired and instructive for life and faith. Jesus is understood as the one who reveals God, invites people to follow him, and reconciles the world to God through his life, death, and resurrection. The Holy Spirit is believed to be at work in the world today, and prayer is understood as a means of connecting with God and others.
The congregation does not ascribe to a narrowly defined creed. In the spirit of founder John Wesley, the church "thinks and lets think," recognizing that no single belief system can adequately express the totality of God. United Methodists tend to be fierce about inclusiveness, regarding men and women as equally gifted and called, and holding all persons as individuals of sacred worth regardless of age, class, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.
Weddings at Westlake UMC
Westlake United Methodist Church hosts weddings for both members and non-members, at the discretion of the Senior Pastor. The sanctuary seats guests in forty-four pews, twenty-two per side. The church's organist is available for music and consultation; the organ remains the more traditional instrument for ceremonies, though recorded music is sometimes used. Couples may bring their own pastor to co-officiate at the senior pastor's discretion. The church does not provide an aisle runner (a 100-foot runner is required if desired), and the throwing of rice, birdseed, or similar products is not permitted. Alcoholic beverages and smoking are not permitted on church property. A Wedding Liaison coordinates logistics and current published fees cover facility use, custodial care, organist, pastoral services, AV and streaming, and the Wedding Liaison.
Office Hours and Location
The church office is open Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on site, and is offsite on Wednesdays and Fridays. WUMC sits at the corner of Center Ridge and Glenmore Roads, just west of the Dover Center and Center Ridge intersection, easily reached from I-90, I-480, I-71, I-77, the Ohio Turnpike, and Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.