Timeline and Pastors of the Berwick United Methodist Church
First, some history of the United Methodist Church
1703 - John Wesley born, fifteenth child of Susanna and Rev. Samuel Wesley, a
priest in England's Anglican Church.
While John attends Christ Church College in Oxford, he organizes a "Holy
Club" which devotes certain time segments of the day to different devotional
methods. Classmates make fun of his highly-structured system and coin the word
"methodist" in derision. John accepts the name in good fun.
1735 - John Wesley, now an Anglican priest, and his brother Charles travel to
America briefly as missionaries.
1738 - John Wesley becomes disillusioned with Anglicanism. Influenced by the
faith of his Moravian friends, Wesley begins to preach a new message - based on
the Biblical words "You must be born again". He preaches that being good
"churchmen" is not enough - action and service to a living God is required; a
radical concept for the complacent Anglicans. He gains followers and is banned
from preaching in the Anglican churches. The Methodist movement spreads.
1766 - Methodist meetings begin in the United States in New York, Maryland,
and Virginia.
1768 - The first Methodist Church in America is dedicated: Wesley Chapel on
John Street in New York City.
1771 - Francis Asbury comes to the US from England.
1773 - First Methodist conference held in the US.
1784 - Thomas Coke, under authority from John Wesley, formally organized the
Methodist Episcopal Church in America.
1791 - John Wesley dies peacefully at age 88, having organized a new church
movement, delivered some 400,000 sermons, most of which extant, and donating
$150,000 to charitable causes.
Some history of the Berwick United Methodist Church
The Berwick United Methodist Church is the town's oldest standing building,
dating back to 1876; in fact, the building is actually even older, having been
built originally in 1838 at Mathew's Mills and later moved and expanded at its
present location.
1810 - Methodists began holding meetings in Cranberry Meadow section of town.
Berwick became part of the Norway Plains circuit (later to become the Rochester
circuit).
1820 - The Missouri Compromise is passed by the US legislature. Under its
terms, slave and free states are to be added in equal number to the Union. On
March 15, 1820 Massachusetts splits into two states: the new one, Maine, enters
the Union as the 23rd state - a free state. Berwick is no longer in
Massachusetts. The following year, Missouri will enter the union as a slave
state.
1830 - Berwick and South Berwick become a full time appointment of the Maine
Annual Conference.
1837 - The first church building, exact location unknown, is destroyed by
fire.
1838 - A second church building is constructed at Mathew's Mills. The site is
now 37 Cranberry Meadow Road, across from Noble Middle School, next to an
abandoned section of state Route 9. (The state of Maine straightened out route
9 in the 1940's, abandoning this dogleg section, as well as several other
meandering sections between Berwick and North Berwick.) A home was built on the
site in 2003.
1839 - The new church building is dedicated, and a formal society is formed.
1876 - The building is moved to its present location (37 School Street), and
then expanded.
1877 - The building is dedicated.
1902, April 16-21: Maine Conference of the Methodist Episcopal church meets
here.
1910 - The church's centennial year was marked by two fires, only several
days apart. Not much is known about the origin of the first fire, other than it
was relatively minor. The second fire started when a workman's torch was upset
during repairs from the first fire, and this fire was much more extensive. The
organ was damaged beyond repair. A new Hook & Hastings tracker organ was
purchased and installed. Evidence of the fires is still clearly visible in the
attic over the sanctuary, where many of the original rafters show extensive
charring.
1963 - Irvin Koelker is appointed pastor.
1965 - The education building is constructed.
1968 - The church name changes. "United" is inserted into "The Berwick
Methodist Church" to reflect the merger of the The Methodist Church and The
Evangelical United Brethren into The United Methodist Church.
1971 - Roy Moody is appointed pastor.
1976 - Al Doran is appointed pastor. Roy Moody retires.
1979 - James Daniels, Jr. is appointed pastor. Al Doran retires.
1983 - Clergy couple Rev. Andrew and Shirley Buehl are appointed in a dual
role: They co-pastor the Berwick charge and the Sanford/West Kennebunk charge.
The Buehls would be the last pastors to live in the parsonage at 33 School
Street. James Daniels, Jr., is appointed to serve as a military chaplain.
A different building is purchased for use as a parsonage. The former Spence
home at 8 Wilson Street placed the parsonage adjacent to the church, and
allowed access to a long-isolated piece of church property, which now serves as
the parking lot. The former parsonage is purchased by Prime Tanning.
1989 - Rev. Joan-Anne Westfall, a citizen of Canada, is appointed to her
first pastorate. She is the first pastor to live in the parsonage at 8 Wilson
St.
1998 - Rev. Christopher Chanbae Lee, a citizen of Korea, is appointed pastor.
Joan-Anne Westfall is appointed to Camden.
2001 - Dr. Peggy Dunn, a Quaker, is appointed interim pastor.
2002 - In a district realignment, Berwick and several other southern Maine
churches are moved (administratively) from the Southern Maine district to the
Southern New Hampshire District.
Aug 29 2009: Parsonage at 8 Wilson St. is sold.
pastors who served in Berwick
pastor
from
to
comment
various
1810
1820
preachers from Norway Plains (present-day Rochester NH) circuit: Hezekiah
Field, Abner Clark, Leonard Frost, James Jaques, J. B. White, John Lord, &
others
Rev. Lindsey Wallace
1820
Paul C. Richmond, M. Rollins
1830
James Warren, Ebenezer Eunis
1831
Ebenezer Eunis, C. Mugford
1832
G. Gerry
1833
Daniel Crockett, Paskall P. Morrell
1834
G. D. Strout
1835
Levi S. Stockman
1837
"Reformation" John Adams was a frequent preacher during these
years.
Paul C. Richmond, John W. True
1838
A. F. Barnard, H. Butler
1840
Mark R. Hopkins
1841
Moses Palmer
1843
Moses Palmer, Charles Caples
1844
James Harrington
1845
John L. Frazier
1846
J. W. Atkins
1847
J. Clough
1849
J. Stone
1851
J. Hooper
1852
S. S. Cummings
1853
James Cushing
1854
F. C. Ayer
1855
C. Philbrick
1857
L. B. Knight
1858
R. C. Bailey
1859
H. B. Mitchell
1861
W. N. Richardson
1862
A. R. Sylvester
1863
Joseph H. Downs
1864
1866
and other local preachers
John E. Baxter
1867
1869
A. Turner
1870
1872
Isaac Lord
1873
1875
Charles A. Wilson
1876
D. B. Randall
1877
1878
J. A. Corey
1879
1880
S. F. Wetherbee
1881
1882
Elwin. W. Simons
April 1883
April 1885
Thomas F. Jones
April 1885
April 1887
S. Hooper
April 1887
April 1891
Francis Grovenor
April 1891
May 1895
W. P. Merrill
May 1895
April 1899
B. C. Wentworth
April 1899
April 1903
F. R. Griffith(s)?
April 1903
April 1904
J. H. Irvine
May 1904
April 1905
T. P. Baker
April 1905
April 1910
C. W. Wallace
April 1910
April 1911
Miss Adams (supply)
May 1911
June 1911
H. P. Ivey
July 1911
1913
Wilbur F. Holmes
1913
April 1917
Ernest F. Doughty
April 1917
April 1923
M. Gerry Plummer
April 1923
October 1928
Joseph Griffiths
October 1928
April 1942
Ralph J. Barron
April 1942
November 1944
Alexander H. Graham
November 1944
April 1950
Mrs. Helen Overman
1949
April 1950
served as pastor the last year of Rev. Graham's life
Dwight H. McMahon
May 1950
November 1955
Paul Youngholm
November 1955
July 1958
James Barr
July 1958
June 1961
Bertram F. Wentworth
June 1961
June 1963
died 1999
Irwin E. Koelker
June 1963
June 1971
currently serving Saco, ME
Roy Moody
June 1971
June 1976
retired from BUMC, died Jan 10 1986
Albert J. Doran
June 1976
June 1979
retired from BUMC, died May 13 1994
James W. Daniels, Jr.
June 1979
June 1983
retired
Andrew & Shirley Buehl
July 1983
June 1989
co-pastored Berwick and Sanford/West Kennebunk. Shirley currently serves
Wesley UMC in Marion, MA. Andy passed away on September 19, 2002.
Joan-Anne Westfall
July 1989
June 1998
currently serving South Hamilton, MA
Christopher Chanbae Lee
July 1998
August 2001
no longer in ministry
Dr. Peggy Dunn
August 2001
June 2004
Currently pastor at Gardiner UCC, Gardiner ME
Les Pettit
July 2004
June 2009
Pastored both Berwick UMC and Crossroads UMC, Sanford. Now
retired.
Susan Walker
July 2009
June 2012
currently pastor at St. Luke's UMC,
Derry NH
Skip Smith
July 2012
home
© 2012 Berwick United
Methodist Church
Revised June 26
2012
1703 - John Wesley born, fifteenth child of Susanna and Rev. Samuel Wesley, a
priest in England's Anglican Church.
While John attends Christ Church College in Oxford, he organizes a "Holy
Club" which devotes certain time segments of the day to different devotional
methods. Classmates make fun of his highly-structured system and coin the word
"methodist" in derision. John accepts the name in good fun.
1735 - John Wesley, now an Anglican priest, and his brother Charles travel to
America briefly as missionaries.
1738 - John Wesley becomes disillusioned with Anglicanism. Influenced by the
faith of his Moravian friends, Wesley begins to preach a new message - based on
the Biblical words "You must be born again". He preaches that being good
"churchmen" is not enough - action and service to a living God is required; a
radical concept for the complacent Anglicans. He gains followers and is banned
from preaching in the Anglican churches. The Methodist movement spreads.
1766 - Methodist meetings begin in the United States in New York, Maryland,
and Virginia.
1768 - The first Methodist Church in America is dedicated: Wesley Chapel on
John Street in New York City.
1771 - Francis Asbury comes to the US from England.
1773 - First Methodist conference held in the US.
1784 - Thomas Coke, under authority from John Wesley, formally organized the
Methodist Episcopal Church in America.
1791 - John Wesley dies peacefully at age 88, having organized a new church
movement, delivered some 400,000 sermons, most of which extant, and donating
$150,000 to charitable causes.
Some history of the Berwick United Methodist Church
The Berwick United Methodist Church is the town's oldest standing building,
dating back to 1876; in fact, the building is actually even older, having been
built originally in 1838 at Mathew's Mills and later moved and expanded at its
present location.
1810 - Methodists began holding meetings in Cranberry Meadow section of town.
Berwick became part of the Norway Plains circuit (later to become the Rochester
circuit).
1820 - The Missouri Compromise is passed by the US legislature. Under its
terms, slave and free states are to be added in equal number to the Union. On
March 15, 1820 Massachusetts splits into two states: the new one, Maine, enters
the Union as the 23rd state - a free state. Berwick is no longer in
Massachusetts. The following year, Missouri will enter the union as a slave
state.
1830 - Berwick and South Berwick become a full time appointment of the Maine
Annual Conference.
1837 - The first church building, exact location unknown, is destroyed by
fire.
1838 - A second church building is constructed at Mathew's Mills. The site is
now 37 Cranberry Meadow Road, across from Noble Middle School, next to an
abandoned section of state Route 9. (The state of Maine straightened out route
9 in the 1940's, abandoning this dogleg section, as well as several other
meandering sections between Berwick and North Berwick.) A home was built on the
site in 2003.
1839 - The new church building is dedicated, and a formal society is formed.
1876 - The building is moved to its present location (37 School Street), and
then expanded.
1877 - The building is dedicated.
1902, April 16-21: Maine Conference of the Methodist Episcopal church meets
here.
1910 - The church's centennial year was marked by two fires, only several
days apart. Not much is known about the origin of the first fire, other than it
was relatively minor. The second fire started when a workman's torch was upset
during repairs from the first fire, and this fire was much more extensive. The
organ was damaged beyond repair. A new Hook & Hastings tracker organ was
purchased and installed. Evidence of the fires is still clearly visible in the
attic over the sanctuary, where many of the original rafters show extensive
charring.
1963 - Irvin Koelker is appointed pastor.
1965 - The education building is constructed.
1968 - The church name changes. "United" is inserted into "The Berwick
Methodist Church" to reflect the merger of the The Methodist Church and The
Evangelical United Brethren into The United Methodist Church.
1971 - Roy Moody is appointed pastor.
1976 - Al Doran is appointed pastor. Roy Moody retires.
1979 - James Daniels, Jr. is appointed pastor. Al Doran retires.
1983 - Clergy couple Rev. Andrew and Shirley Buehl are appointed in a dual
role: They co-pastor the Berwick charge and the Sanford/West Kennebunk charge.
The Buehls would be the last pastors to live in the parsonage at 33 School
Street. James Daniels, Jr., is appointed to serve as a military chaplain.
A different building is purchased for use as a parsonage. The former Spence
home at 8 Wilson Street placed the parsonage adjacent to the church, and
allowed access to a long-isolated piece of church property, which now serves as
the parking lot. The former parsonage is purchased by Prime Tanning.
1989 - Rev. Joan-Anne Westfall, a citizen of Canada, is appointed to her
first pastorate. She is the first pastor to live in the parsonage at 8 Wilson
St.
1998 - Rev. Christopher Chanbae Lee, a citizen of Korea, is appointed pastor.
Joan-Anne Westfall is appointed to Camden.
2001 - Dr. Peggy Dunn, a Quaker, is appointed interim pastor.
2002 - In a district realignment, Berwick and several other southern Maine
churches are moved (administratively) from the Southern Maine district to the
Southern New Hampshire District.
Aug 29 2009: Parsonage at 8 Wilson St. is sold.
pastors who served in Berwick
pastor
from
to
comment
various
1810
1820
preachers from Norway Plains (present-day Rochester NH) circuit: Hezekiah
Field, Abner Clark, Leonard Frost, James Jaques, J. B. White, John Lord, &
others
Rev. Lindsey Wallace
1820
Paul C. Richmond, M. Rollins
1830
James Warren, Ebenezer Eunis
1831
Ebenezer Eunis, C. Mugford
1832
G. Gerry
1833
Daniel Crockett, Paskall P. Morrell
1834
G. D. Strout
1835
Levi S. Stockman
1837
"Reformation" John Adams was a frequent preacher during these
years.
Paul C. Richmond, John W. True
1838
A. F. Barnard, H. Butler
1840
Mark R. Hopkins
1841
Moses Palmer
1843
Moses Palmer, Charles Caples
1844
James Harrington
1845
John L. Frazier
1846
J. W. Atkins
1847
J. Clough
1849
J. Stone
1851
J. Hooper
1852
S. S. Cummings
1853
James Cushing
1854
F. C. Ayer
1855
C. Philbrick
1857
L. B. Knight
1858
R. C. Bailey
1859
H. B. Mitchell
1861
W. N. Richardson
1862
A. R. Sylvester
1863
Joseph H. Downs
1864
1866
and other local preachers
John E. Baxter
1867
1869
A. Turner
1870
1872
Isaac Lord
1873
1875
Charles A. Wilson
1876
D. B. Randall
1877
1878
J. A. Corey
1879
1880
S. F. Wetherbee
1881
1882
Elwin. W. Simons
April 1883
April 1885
Thomas F. Jones
April 1885
April 1887
S. Hooper
April 1887
April 1891
Francis Grovenor
April 1891
May 1895
W. P. Merrill
May 1895
April 1899
B. C. Wentworth
April 1899
April 1903
F. R. Griffith(s)?
April 1903
April 1904
J. H. Irvine
May 1904
April 1905
T. P. Baker
April 1905
April 1910
C. W. Wallace
April 1910
April 1911
Miss Adams (supply)
May 1911
June 1911
H. P. Ivey
July 1911
1913
Wilbur F. Holmes
1913
April 1917
Ernest F. Doughty
April 1917
April 1923
M. Gerry Plummer
April 1923
October 1928
Joseph Griffiths
October 1928
April 1942
Ralph J. Barron
April 1942
November 1944
Alexander H. Graham
November 1944
April 1950
Mrs. Helen Overman
1949
April 1950
served as pastor the last year of Rev. Graham's life
Dwight H. McMahon
May 1950
November 1955
Paul Youngholm
November 1955
July 1958
James Barr
July 1958
June 1961
Bertram F. Wentworth
June 1961
June 1963
died 1999
Irwin E. Koelker
June 1963
June 1971
currently serving Saco, ME
Roy Moody
June 1971
June 1976
retired from BUMC, died Jan 10 1986
Albert J. Doran
June 1976
June 1979
retired from BUMC, died May 13 1994
James W. Daniels, Jr.
June 1979
June 1983
retired
Andrew & Shirley Buehl
July 1983
June 1989
co-pastored Berwick and Sanford/West Kennebunk. Shirley currently serves
Wesley UMC in Marion, MA. Andy passed away on September 19, 2002.
Joan-Anne Westfall
July 1989
June 1998
currently serving South Hamilton, MA
Christopher Chanbae Lee
July 1998
August 2001
no longer in ministry
Dr. Peggy Dunn
August 2001
June 2004
Currently pastor at Gardiner UCC, Gardiner ME
Les Pettit
July 2004
June 2009
Pastored both Berwick UMC and Crossroads UMC, Sanford. Now
retired.
Susan Walker
July 2009
June 2012
currently pastor at St. Luke's UMC,
Derry NH
Skip Smith
July 2012
home
© 2012 Berwick United
Methodist Church
Revised June 26
2012
