History of our Church

The exact date of the origin of the first Methodist Society in Elmer is difficult
to determine.  The activity in our area of the people called Methodists dates
as far back as the year 1772.  The history of our church is inseparably
connected with that of the old Salem Circuit and the Friendship Society.
In 1843, Broad Neck (now Olivet) and Friendship were set off from the Salem
Circuit and called the Pittsgrove Charge.

Years before there was any church property at Elmer there were several
Methodist Societies and an organized Sunday School. We do not know
for sure where these groups met but past records imply it was in some
public building or the homes of members. By 1834 there were five Sunday
Schools within the area: Friendship, Pittstown, Hitchnertown, Broad
Neck and New Freedom.

In 1844, a half‑acre of ground in Pittstown was purchased from Ellis Pedrick
and a parsonage was erected and deeded in trust to the joint board of
trustees of the Pittsgrove Charge.  Apparently, this was the first property
owned by the Pittstown Society.

In the year 1862, the first church building was started. It was dedicated on
January 26, 1863.  Rev. Willis Reeves was the pastor of the Circuit at
this time. According to a clipping from "The Elmer Times", the first floor was
the only part completed due to lack of funds. This was used for worship
until 1868 when the main structure was erected and the cornerstone
laid.  (Another account indicates the building was started in 1868 but
not completed until 1870.)
 

On July 15, 1868, the first Trustees of the Pittstown Methodist Episcopal
Church were elected.  Our one‑hundredth anniversary is therefore
dated from these significant events that took place in 1868.

In the early 1870's, a decision was made to change the name of Pittstown
to Elmer, in honor of Judge Jonathan Elmer, a prominent Bridgeton lawyer.
The church then assumed the name Elmer Methodist Episcopal Church.

At first the church was in a circuit with Olivet and Friendship. In 1889, Elmer
was separated from the circuit and made a separate charge. The Rev.
Pennington Corson became the pastor.

At the Annual Conference in 1896, the Rev. Alfred Wagg was assigned to the
Elmer church. On his first Sunday, the church was so full that in spite of
extra seats in the aisle, some were forced to stand.

It was quite evident that a new church must be built. After much discussion,
plans were made for a fundraising campaign, after which a building
committee was appointed. An architect was engaged and after
looking at several churches, it was decided to model the new church
after the Berean Baptist Church in Bridgeton.

On October 1, 1896, Governor Griggs arrived by special train to
take part in the cornerstone service.  The dedication of the new church
was delayed due to the furniture being mistakenly shipped to
Pennsylvania.  On an extremely hot July 11, 1897, Bishops Foss and
McCabe and District Superintendent Wright preached at
the three services held in the morning, afternoon, and evening to
dedicate the stone edifice. With the addition of a heating plant, fixtures,
and carpet, the church was completed at a cost of slightly over $29,000.
At no time were services disrupted during the moving and building processes.
The parsonage was moved to Church Street and Ira Hughes was given the
contract to build a new one.

Through the years, many improvements have been made.  Two organs have
been purchased. Extensive renovations have been made under the sanctuary
that enabled an entire new area to be opened up for classrooms and a parlor.
We have replaced the slate roof (1993), had the stained glass windows
re‑leaded (1994), and renovated the kitchen (1995). 

The Cornerstone Campaign to raise money for maintenance and improvements
to the church was launched in 1996. The money was raised over a three‑year
period and allowed the membership to go forward with many new projects.
The nursery and library were moved and renovated. A handicap bathroom was
installed on the second floor. Two new offices were created for the minister
and church secretary. The church sanctuary was painted, drapes were
replaced, and new lights were placed over the entryways and choir loft.
New carpet was installed in the sanctuary and chapel. The church steeple
and tower were
repaired and painted and new steps were built on the Church Street side, On
the ground floor new tile was installed in the Fellowship Hall and hallways. The
parlor was redone with new furniture and flooring. Improvements of the parsonage consisted of replacing the roof and floors in the kitchen and basement. We also purchased a 15‑passenger van to be used by all the various groups in the church.
In 2004, a parking lot was constructed in conjunction with the Christy Adams
Funeral Home and a new state‑of‑the‑art sound/projection system was installed
in the sanctuary.

The Elmer Methodist Church is continuing to move ahead in the new millennium.
We have grown to our present position from beginnings of our forefathers and
are providing spiritual needs to our community. We accept this rich heritage
with gratitude and desire to do our part in serving Christ through various
groups and ways of worship, such as Sunday School, the YCW Class, and
numerous youth ministries:
 
Middlers (3rd through 6th grade), Junior and Senior High, Pioneer Club, WINGS,
the Youth in Missions Team, Children's, Junior, and Middler Church. We have
both men and women's Bible Studies as well as college‑age Bible Study groups.
Women's Retreats and Conferences, Promise Keeper's for the men, individual
Bible studies, Junior, Senior and Cherub Choirs, Malaga Camp and Vacation
Bible School are many of the ways we have fellowship and worship. Many
people in our church and community, with God's help, make this possible.

The Elmer United Methodist Church is here today because our forefathers had
a vision and because of the revival fires that burned in the yesterdays. The
church will only continue as we keep that vision alive and as we allow the
revival fires to be kindled today.