OUR HISTORY
In the Heart of St. Petersburg Since 1889
For more than a century, St. Pete First has grown alongside the city we call home—worshiping, serving our neighbors, and sharing the love and grace of Jesus Christ.
Our story began before St. Petersburg was incorporated as a city. In June 1888, a small group of Methodists began gathering for worship in local homes. In January 1889, Rev. J. M. Dieffenwierth was authorized to organize a new church and became its first pastor.
Those small gatherings planted the seeds of what would become St. Pete First.
A Growing Church in a Growing City
In 1891, under the leadership of Rev. Ira S. Patterson, the congregation built its first church near 7th Street and Central Avenue.
As both the city and congregation grew, the church relocated in 1902 to the corner of 2nd Avenue and 3rd Street North. Early members recalled that the existing church building was literally “moved on rollers” to its new home.
In 1905, a larger brick church replaced it. But St. Petersburg's remarkable growth during the 1920s soon required an even larger sanctuary.
The congregation responded by constructing the Gothic Revival church and bell tower that remain landmarks in downtown St. Petersburg today. Completed in 1925–26, the new church included beautiful stained glass, a soaring bell tower, and a new pipe organ.
DID YOU KNOW? The present sanctuary is the congregation's fourth church home—and the third church building constructed on this site.
Faith Through Difficult Times
Soon after the new sanctuary was completed, the Florida land bust and Great Depression brought enormous financial challenges.
Church membership declined and the congregation struggled under significant debt. Members sacrificed personally, borrowed funds, and launched repeated campaigns to save their church.
A pivotal gift came from Ruel B. Gilbert, whose generosity helped eliminate the remaining debt. On April 5, 1936, the congregation celebrated its hard-won financial freedom with a Mortgage Burning Service.
The church soon began growing again. By the end of the decade, membership, Sunday School attendance, and ministries for women, children, and youth were flourishing.
Serving Through War and Growth
During World War II, St. Petersburg became an important military training center, and St. Pete First found new ways to serve.
Church groups organized activities for servicemen, offered friendship and spiritual support, and kept Fellowship Hall open several nights a week. The congregation also remained connected to its own members serving overseas through letters and spiritual resources. By May 1944, 231 men and women from First Methodist were serving in the Armed Forces.
The postwar years brought another season of growth. With a generous gift from Ruel B. Gilbert and contributions from others, the Ruel B. Gilbert Memorial Chapel was completed in 1951. Air conditioning was added to the Sanctuary and Fellowship Hall the following year.
By 1954, St. Pete First had grown to more than 2,900 members.
MAKING HISTORY — On February 26, 1956, the area's first televised church service was broadcast from the St. Pete First Sanctuary.
Growing and Changing
As St. Petersburg changed, St. Pete First continued to adapt its ministries and facilities.
A major renovation transformed the sanctuary in 1971, creating a more flexible chancel, a wide center aisle and narthex, and new arrangements for the choir and organ.
New chapters in ministry followed. In 1976, Anne Burkholder became the first woman ordained from the St. Pete First church family. In 1986, First United Methodist Church Preschool was established as a ministry to children and families.
Through the years, the sanctuary has also welcomed an extraordinary variety of guests and speakers, including Billy Sunday, Helen Keller, E. Stanley Jones, J. C. Penney, and Dr. Norman Vincent Peale.
And there's even a little Hollywood in our history: a wedding scene from the 1985 film Cocoon was filmed in the St. Pete First Sanctuary.
Still the Heart of the City
Much has changed since a handful of Methodists first gathered in homes in 1888. St. Petersburg has grown around us, generations have come and gone, and the ministries of the church have continually evolved.
Yet the heart of St. Pete First remains the same.
Generations have worshiped here, raised families here, celebrated baptisms and marriages, mourned loved ones, served their neighbors, and carried their faith beyond these walls into the community.
Today, our vision is to be the heart of the city of St. Petersburg, where people are transformed into disciples by the love and grace of Jesus Christ and empowered to solve the unmet needs in our community and beyond.
And our mission says it simply:
LOVE. ST. PETE.
More than a century after our story began, we're still writing the next chapter.