Open Hearts. Open Minds. Open Doors.
What United Methodists Believe
Our Greenville Church
Our Taylorsville Church
Our Chester Church
What United Methodists Believe
On April 23, 1968, the United Methodist Church was created when Bishop Reuben H. Mueller, representing The Evangelical United Brethren Church, and Bishop Lloyd C. Wicke, of The Methodist Church, joined hands at the constituting General Conference in Dallas, Texas.
The United Methodist Church is not a creedal church. We do not ask that church members assent to a particular set of doctrines. But, along with other Christians, we do hold to a fundamental body of doctrine - ‘essential truths’, as our founder John Wesley called them. With other Christians, we confess a belief in the triune God, affirming God's activity in creation and gracious presence in the dramas of history. We have a faith in the mystery of salvation in and through Jesus Christ and proclaim the power of the Holy Spirit to transform personal lives and, thus, the communities in which we live.
John Wesley believed that the core of the faith was revealed in Scripture, illumined by tradition, vivified in personal experience, and confirmed by reason. Each United Methodist is obligated to reflect critically on all issues of faith, using these four guidelines. This individual responsibility means that we are a church of great diversity and variations. We are intentionally inclusive of variety in terms of theology, heritage, and life-style. Following in the Christian teachings of John Wesley, today's Methodists are actively involved in the world, knowing that a faith must be lived to be real. We gather for worship and study to be nourished and to go out into the world to be of service, as we work for peace and justice and mercy.
As United Methodists, we have an obligation to bear a faithful Christian witness to Jesus Christ, the living reality at the center of the Church’s life and witness. To fulfill this obligation, we reflect critically on our biblical and theological inheritance, striving to express faithfully the witness we make in our own time.
The United Methodist Church has a long history of concern for social justice. Its members have often taken forthright positions on controversial issues involving Christian principles.
The organization of each unit in the church is carefully spelled out in the Book of Discipline. All members are at least acquainted with the local church. It includes those who have professed their belief in Christ, have been baptized, and have taken the vows of membership.
Gold was the metal that economically anchored Greenville and Indian Valley’s foundation from the 1850s to the turn of the century. Placer yields at Wolf and Lights Creeks were encouraging during the 1850s and a hard rock mine named the Bullion was discovered near what later became the town of Greenville in 1851. An entrepreneurial woman by the name of Mrs. Green knew that because of the influx of miners, various services were required. She served the miners tasty, home-cooked meals at her log cabin in the northwestern corner of the valley. Her meals were so appreciated that her residence was soon known as Green’s Hotel.
In the spring of 1860, two transient miners named Palmer and Newlands found an extremely rich placer field at Round Valley. The news of their good fortune spread like wildfire and miners from all over swarmed to the site. John Ellis added to the excitement when he found an outcropping that warranted construction of a 24-stamp mill. Nearly 400 miners tossed up canvas and log dwellings. Soon, a hotel; four saloons; three stores; gambling dens; and a livery stable followed. Almost immediately, these were augmented by two sawmills; a Wells, Fargo and Company express office; and a school. Round Valley blossomed into a real town.
In order to create enough water for mining, it was decided to build a dam at the outlet of Round Valley at the head of North Canyon. In 1861, the first dam was built, but broke. A second dam built in 1862 also broke, but the third dam, built in 1864, was substantial enough to hold. Because of Round Valley’s location high on the mountain, it was inconvenient for wagon traffic. It wasn’t long before businesses moved down the mountain and located near Green’s Hotel, giving birth to the town of Greenville. The exact year of this event is not clear and little is known of the Green family. However, Greenville’s birth; settlement; and economic prosperity were all direct results of Round Valley’s mineral riches.
Erection of the county’s first Methodist church was begun in June 1873 and services were soon being held there. Despite a brutal fire in April 1881, Greenville could still boast one large hotel; three stores; restaurants; saloons; a market; barbers; a boarding house; a soda factory; a dentist; a physician; a foundry; a flour mill; a sawmill; a livery stable; blacksmiths; a shoemaker; a wagon maker; an upholstery shop; a school; telegraph service; a post office; an express office; a newspaper; water works; several fraternal organization; and, of course, its Methodist Church. Members of the Greenville Community United Methodist Church currently run a thrift shop, which is located next to the church.
For church location and hours information, see the navigation bar at top-left.
Pastor: Reverend Tana McDonald
The Greenville Community United Methodist Church is a church in the Nevada-Sierra District.
District Superindendent: Reverend Jerry D. Smith
Mailing Address:
PO Box 2915
Reno, NV 89505
Phone: (775) 786-2332
The Nevada-Sierra District is in the California-Nevada Annual Conference. Mailing Address:
PO Box 980250
West Sacramento, CA 95798
Phone: (916) 374-1500
The California-Nevada Annual Conference is served by the San Francisco Episcopal Area.
Bishop: Most Reverend Beverly J. Shamana
Mailing Address:
PO Box 980250
West Sacramento, CA 95798
Phone: (916) 374-1510
The San Francisco Episcopal Area is in the Western Jurisdiction.
The town of Taylorsville was founded in the fall of 1852 by Job Terrill Taylor, a native of Pennsylvania who was born in 1811 and died in Taylorsville in 1878. Initially “Taylor’s Place”, the town’s name changed to Taylorville as its population increased, then in 1863 changed to the present Taylorsville. Taylorsville is a quiet mountain town that has the distinction of being the longest continually occupied town within Plumas County’s history.
The Blood brothers and E. D. Hosselkus opened the first store in Taylorsville in 1857. A private school opened in 1859 and a post office began operations in 1861. By the year 1861, Taylorsville had two general stores, a butcher shop, a fruit store, a blacksmith shop, a livery stable, eight or ten houses, two taverns, several barns, a sawmill, a gristmill, Taylor’s hotel, and the Vernon House Hotel. Although without a minister or church, all of the stores closed; the taverns closed; and billiard tables were covered on the Sabbath.
Indian Valley’s first public school opened at Taylorsville in 1863 and a brick schoolhouse that is still standing today was built in 1864. Sunday school services began in 1864 and the brick store that would later become George Young’s Market was also built that year. A Masonic Lodge opened in 1867 over Young’s store and the Independent Order of Oddfellows (IOOF) Lodge hall was completed that same year over the brick store known as Rosenburg’s.
During the early 1870s, water was brought to Taylorsville from Montgomery Creek, 2.5 miles away, for the purpose of fire protection. That improvement arrived just in time, for in March 1875, a destructive Saturday night fire caused $5,000.00 in damage. Among the buildings destroyed was the one used for church purposes. A subscription was quickly taken up and the Methodist-Episcopal Church building was finished in December 1875. The Taylorsville church has the distinction of being the second-oldest church in the county and the longest still standing.
For church location and hours information, see the navigation bar at top-left.
Pastor: Reverend Tana McDonald
Conference Lay Minister: Tom Sartwell
The Taylorsville Community United Methodist Church is a church in the Nevada-Sierra District.
District Superindendent: Reverend Jerry D. Smith
Mailing Address:
PO Box 2915
Reno, NV 89505
Phone: (775) 786-2332
The Nevada-Sierra District is in the California-Nevada Annual Conference. Mailing Address:
PO Box 980250
West Sacramento, CA 95798
Phone: (916) 374-1500
The California-Nevada Annual Conference is served by the San Francisco Episcopal Area.
Bishop: Most Reverend Beverly J. Shamana
Mailing Address:
PO Box 980250
West Sacramento, CA 95798
Phone: (916) 374-1510
The San Francisco Episcopal Area is in the Western Jurisdiction.
In 1894, a post office was established at the farmhouse/hotel/stage stop of dairy rancher Burwell "Burt" Johnson, who lived at the northern end of Big Meadows (the present-day Chester/Lake Almanor area). The name 'Chester' was chosen for the post office by two early pioneers to the area, Burwell Johnson and Oscar Martin. Burwell Johnson was a native of Chester, Missouri and Oscar Martin was a native of Chester, Virginia. The town of Chester was not really formed, however, until December 1909, when some of the land was subdivided and offered for sale. Today, residents and visitors alike enjoy boating, fishing, golfing, horseback riding, sitting around a campfire, and exploring the wonders of Mount Lassen.
A Presbyterian church was built in 1898 by John and Annie Bidwell. The church stood on their summer home property about a mile from the center of present-day Chester. Services were held only in the summer months, when vacationing pastors came to preach. In the late 19th century, the post office and the church were the only visible evidence of what would later become the town of Chester.
In 1943, immediately following the establishment of Collins Pine Company, Mr. Truman Collins and Mr. Elmer Goudy sought to make available Methodist Church preaching services and religious work to the mill employees and the community of Chester. On December 16, 1950, the two gentlemen applied for a religious survey, which was granted on January 14, 1951. An application for Allocation was granted on March 6, 1953 and the Rev. Eugene D. Alexander was appointed as the first pastor of the Community Methodist Church of Chester on August 1, 1953. Group meetings were held in the parsonage and the first public worship service was held on October 11, 1953 in the Baptist churck. Thirty-two people were present that first day.
The church building blueprints were approved on February 16, 1954 and, in March, a work contract in the amount of $43,107 was awarded to the Modern Building Construction Company of Chico. On March 28, 1954, a ground breaking ceremony was held amidst the snow banks. The cornerstone laying service was held on June 14, 1954 and on September 5, 1954, the first service was held in the conference-social wing of the building. The first service held in the completed sanctuary was on October 3, 1954.
For church location and hours information, see the navigation bar at top-left.
Pastor: Reverend Tana McDonald
The Chester Community United Methodist Church is a church in the Nevada-Sierra District.
District Superindendent: Reverend Jerry D. Smith
Mailing Address:
PO Box 2915
Reno, NV 89505
Phone: (775) 786-2332
The Nevada-Sierra District is in the California-Nevada Annual Conference. Mailing Address:
PO Box 980250
West Sacramento, CA 95798
Phone: (916) 374-1500
The California-Nevada Annual Conference is served by the San Francisco Episcopal Area.
Bishop: Most Reverend Beverly J. Shamana
Mailing Address:
PO Box 980250
West Sacramento, CA 95798
Phone: (916) 374-1510
The San Francisco Episcopal Area is in the Western Jurisdiction.