About Us

FUMC Fort Lupton

Our Mission

We desire to bring the Word of God to the world as we seek Christ, join in worship, embrace others, share in community, reach out in love, serve with compassion, and journey with hope and faith.

Seeking God In Worship

First United Methodist Church Fort Lupton is devoted to glorifying God through music, wisdom, Word and Sacrament. We seek to spread God’s holy message of love and redemption for ALL people through Our Savior, Jesus Christ.

We come together each week in worship to celebrate and honor God, who first loved us, through Jesus Christ. In encountering God, God’s Grace shapes us to live our lives sharing joy, hope, wholeness, service and peace.

Growing In Community

We believe when our faith turns into action it engages us in service to our community and the world. When we serve locally; our children, our families and our community are blessed and transformed.

We were created to do life together and that’s why, at FUMC Fort Lupton, people of different genders, ethnicities, ages and backgrounds come together in sacred relationship with Christ. We believe that living together with faith takes action, and brings about transformation in the lives of others and ourselves.

Reaching Out To The World

To grow in faith and share God’s love with the world around us is the heart of Jesus’ message.

Loving and serving our community to lead others into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ gives our lives meaning and purpose beyond the daily grind. “Doing faith” leads to fulfilment and hope, all around.

Our History

First United Methodist Church of Fort Lupton, CO

We have seen that the things we do for our church are built on the plans, labor and sacrifices of those who have gone before us, and as we add our bit, we do so with the knowledge that others are to come this way and what we do for ourselves, we also do for them. A few of the many who have labored and sacrificed for the continuation of His church in our community have been mentioned, but of these others we are not unmindful and regret that neither space nor knowledge of these sacrifices permitted nor competence could record the good deed of all. Only HE, who is perfect, will judge and praise all.

Historical Timeline

All of the historical events of our church are important; we will just highlight a few:

  • With the theme “Go West Young Man”, the area around Fort Lupton was being settled by families coming from the East. The Denver Circuit was formed in July 1863. A Reverend L. B. Stateler of the Methodist Episcopal Church South preached at the home of Mr. Stover on the west side of Platte River, west of Fort Lupton.
  • The famous itinerant preacher Father Dyer preached sermons in homes from 1872 -1874, along with other traveling preachers. In those days there was no town just the Fort, no streets, no railroad.
  • All that began to change when the railroad came and in the summer of 1870 a community began to form.
  • In 1878 the railroad donated properly for a church, at 806 Denver Ave. The first church was built in 1879 at this site.
  • In 1915 Reverend R.R. Adams saw the need of a larger building as the growing membership needed more room.
  • The present church at 305 Park Ave. was completed in 1916. The church bell and the piano were the only items bought over from the old church.
  • Bishop McConnell dedicated the building on August 13, 1916. G. G. Saywell was pastor.
  • In 1935 the celebration of 75 years in Fort Lupton, Reverend Stowell Sandmeyer was pastor during 1949-1954 he was a fine craftsman and built the existing pulpit, lectern, alter and baptismal fount.
  • In 1954, Reverend I.L. Morgan was pastor and it was decided to build an annex to make room for the expanding congregation with Sunday school classrooms in the annex.
  • Reverend Earl Miller, pastor from 1978-1982,  with money from memorial funds, financed the installation of a handicap lift to access the sanctuary and basement from the street.
  • The 120th anniversary was celebrated in 1983 with Rev. Paul Holland.
  • In 1988 we celebrated our 125th anniversary. Bishop Roy Sano and his wife joined the celebration. Reverend Richard Calhoun was here for that celebration and inspired us to buy a church building in town to make a Day Care Center – “Many Blessings” – with cost effective care for families, especially before and after school day care. This is still in existence.
  • Property at 236 Park was bought in 1996, paying the entire amount at closing thus naming it the “Miracle House” it has been used for many uses: Wheels on Meals, Blessings in a Bag (Back Pack Program), Open Arms Pregnancy Center, Hope at Miracle House, and Sunday School Classes.

Our Pastors

A Tradition of Service

Anna Viehland

2022–Current

1863- Charles King
1863-1865 William Autes (Antes)
1865-1866 O.P. Mains
1866-1868
1869-1871 Jay S. Allen
1871-1872 George Wallace
1872-1874 John Dyer
1874-1875 John J. Moffitt, Jr.
1875-1876 F.C. Booth
1876-1877 E.C. Dodge
1877-1878 John Collins
1878-1879 A.N. Fields
1879-1881 H.L. Beardsley
1881-1883 B.B. Dundass
1883-1885 W.M. Greene
1885-1886 I.H. Beardsley
1887 Kent White (Jul-Oct)
1887-1889 W.A. McElphatrick
1889-1890 S.A. Windsor
1890-1893 J.W. Flesher
1893-1895 A.L. Chase
1895-1896  J.R. Rader
1896-1901 C.A. Brooks
1901-1905 H.J. Grace
1905-1907 T.J. Hooper
1907-1909 C.G. Coulter
1909-1912 O.M. Bowman
1912-1915 R. R. Adams
1915-1919 G. G. Saywell
1919-1924 I.L. Morgan
1924-1928 H. L. Elston
1928-1930 C.H. Inman
1930-1933 A.E. Tuck
1933-1936 W.D. Waller
1936-1940 M.B. Beattie
1940-1942 Frances L. Geyer
1942-1945 Ray Orr
1945-1949 O.F. Archer
1949-1954 Stowell Sandmeyer
1954-1959 Richard Lundgren
1959-1963 Gene D. Yelken
1963-1967 Gary L. Arnold
1967-1969 E. Russell Brown
1969-1973 Ralph C. Hines
1973-1978 C. Mack Lovvorn
1978-1982 Earl H. Miller
1982-1985 Paul Holland
1986-1993 Richard Calhoun
1993-2002 Gary Goettel
2002-2006 Freddie Latham Durrant
2006-2011 Hugh Harris
2011-2014 Kirsten Barlow
2014-2017 Kay Palmer Marsh
2017-2018 Andrew Stinnett
2018-2019 Bill Moore
2019- 2022 Steve Warren