Brunswick United Methodist Church

Brunswick United Methodist Church. . The Rev. Jacob Ward founded the Brunswick Methodist Episcopal Church in April 1817 with 13 members: Rhoda Stow, John and Lucy Stearns, John and Hannah Hulet, Samuel and Sarah Tillotson, Thomas and Phoebe Stearns, Solomon and Polly Harvey, Lydia Crittenden, and Olivia Ashley. In 1830, John and Lucy Stearns donated land for a cemetery, which included space for a church. A new church was completed in 1872. Bricks used for the building were fired locally and the first windows were glazed with clear glass and protected by shutters. In 1916, the church was extensively remodeled and redecorated. Stained glass replaced the clear glass, the church bell was relocated to the newly-added tower, and the main entrance was moved from the center of the building to the vestibule in the tower. , As Brunswick has grown, the church has expanded. The South Wing was constructed in 1958 for Sunday school rooms and a fellowship hall. In 1976, the East Wing was added for more Sunday school rooms and offices. That same year, a steeple was erected on the bell tower that included a carillon. In 2002, a larger sanctuary with stained glass windows and the North Fellows hip Hall was built. In honor of the founder of the congregation, the original sanctuary was renamed Jacob Ward Chapel. Brunswick United Methodist Church celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2017 and continues its charge to take Christ into the world and bring the world to Christ.