Methodist Church

The Bullock family were members and attended the East Bloomfield Methodist Church from 1934, when they moved to East Bloomfield from Waterloo, NY, until Mary died in 1973.  Bob still is a member and sings in the choir here. 

Ruth and Pete were married here in 1943.  Here they are leaving the church after the ceremony.

Bob and Gwen were married here in 1948.  Here the parents of the bride and the parents of the groom are standing outside the church.  They are: Mary Bullock, Gertrude Webber, John Webber, and Homer Bullock.

Photo of Hilda and John Hamlin in their choir robes standing in front of the church.  Hilda was choir director and pianist and John, president of the Hamlin National Bank, sang tenor in the choir.

Newspaper Article: Rochester Democrat and Chronicle - Thursday, November 24, 1955

First Methodist to Mark Anniversary
East Bloomfield Church Nears 125th Year
By MAE MC CARTHY
EAST BLOOMFIELD, Nov. 23

    First Methodist Church here will celebrate its 125th anniversary next week.  
    The Rev. Carlyle Boynton of Rochester, treasurer of the Genesee Conference of Methodist Churches, will address a special 10:30 a.m. service Sunday, with the congregation of Allen's Hill Methodist Church as guests.
    At 7:30 p.m. the new church organ will be dedicated, with a recital by Arthur Taylor of Rochester.
    The anniversary dinner next Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the church social rooms will be a family supper for members and friends.  The Rev. Paul Huyett of Tonawanda, a former pastor, will speak.
    On the planning committee are the Rev. Glen S. Brewster, Ray Thomas, Mrs. Leslie Bennett, Mrs. Walter Phillips, Mrs. Albert Webb and Lyle Brown; publicity, Lyle Brown, Mrs. Brown, Mrs. George Burrell, Harry Norton, Mrs. Ray Hinds and Mrs. Robert Glady; special music, Mr. and Mrs. John Hamlin and Mr. and Mrs. Robert Bullock. Mrs. Ben¬jamin Eckler heads the dinner committee, and the reception committee comprises Mr. and Mrs. Ray Thomas, Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Bennett, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Glider and Mr. and Mrs. William Teall.
    The church was incorporated as the Second Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church of East Bloomfield Nov. 30, 1830.  This was the beginning of the present church organization, but not of Methodism in Bloomfield.  Soon after this area was opened by the Phelps and Gorham Purchase in 1769, itinerant preachers began serving the area. In 1803 the Ontario Circuit served the area, and in 1813 a separate Bloomfield Circuit was organized.
    This was a period marked by Classes incorporating into churches.  The First Society of Bloomfield also was incorporated in November, 1830.  In the western section of town, it eventually merged with the West Bloomfield Congregational Church.  The Second Society was organized at Mud Creek, a settlement two miles east of the present village of East Bloomfield. The first trustees were William B. Hamlin, David Norton, Wion (sic) Speaker, Russell Johnson and Ralph Wilcox. The society was reincorporated as the First Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church of East Bloomfield when the town was divided into East and West Bloomfield in 1834.
    The society had a meeting house but no church building until 1840 when one was built under the leadership of the Rev. Robert Burch.  It was just west of Mud Creek on the north side of the road which is now Routes 5 and 20.
    In 1858, when Jonathan Watts was pastor, plans were made to move the church to the village of East Bloomfield.  After moving only a short distance the attempt was abandoned. The building was taken apart and the lumber was used to build the house north of the present church. Services were held in the Town Hall until the Episcopal Church was purchased July 11, 1859 for $2,000.  This building had been erected by the Universalists in 1832 and bought by the Episcopalians in 1839.  It was known as Zion Church.  It was dedicated in 1842 by Bishop
William DeLaney.  In 1845 the rectory was built attached to the church and is now the parsonage.
    The church was extensively repaired under the leadership of the Rev. A. E. Morey and rebuilt again when the Rev. A. H. Shurtiff was pastor.  A second story was added to the sanctuary and the old church proper made into a Sunday School and social rooms.  The old church was of Gothic style with stained glass windows and a pipe organ.  For some reason the windows were sold and replaced with plain glass, and the pipe organ replaced with a smaller one.
    The first bell was acquired in the 1860s.  The present bell has been calling the congregation to service since 1886.  In 1893 a second pipe organ was purchased.
    In December 1905 the 75th anniversary of the church was celebrated with the Rev. L. M. Bristol, as pastor.  A bequest by Miss Harriet M. Goodsell in 1915 made possible extensive renovation of the sanctuary.  Memorial windows replaced the plain ones and a large window with the head of Christ was added above the pulpit.
    The church became the First Methodist Church, dropping the word Episcopal in 1939 when the three main branches of Methodism in the United States united.  In the past few years the sanctuary and parsonage have been renovated and new divisions of the church school have been made.  Last year the church kitchen was completely modernized and a new organ was purchased.
    Besides the Church Society and the large Sunday School the church has a number of active organizations, including the Wom¬en's Society of Christian Service, organized in 1876; the Church Youth Fellowship; the Men's Brotherhood, organized in 1905; the Burrell Class and the Young Adult Club.

The Burrell Class Birthday Calendar

    For several years in the 1930's and 1940's the Burrell Class (the women's Sunday School class at the church) sold birthday calendars as a class project.  The 1940 calendar has been scanned and can be viewd by clicking on the calendar below.

 

This bird's eye view is from 2009 Bing Maps.  Elton Park is shown with the Methodist Church in the upper right and the East Bloomfield Cemetery in the upper left.  Homer, Mary, Ruth, Lois, and Gwen are buried in the cemetery.

PDB
June 2001 - Revised: October 9, 2009