Due to declining membership, resources and energy, Morgantown United Methodist Church will take the next step toward merger with Elverson United Methodist Church, by holding it final worship service at 3002 Main Street on May 22. Members of Morgantown UMC voted on Feb. 7 to merge with Elverson UMC. On March 6, Elverson UMC members voted and agreed to the merger.
Its final worship service at its present location will celebrate its legacy of 185 years of ministry in the community. Pastor Les Groves will preach about the seasons of ministry and God’s grace. Elverson UMC’s members and the District Superintendent Rev. Dr. Anita Powell will attend Morgantown UMC’s final worship service at a time yet to be determined. Past pastors will be informed of the merger and invited to attend the final worship service. A reception will follow the final service in the church’s social hall.
Morgantown United Methodist Church was established in 1832 as an outgrowth of the former Springfield (now Elverson) Congregation. The land on West Main Street in Morgantown was deeded April 1, 1832, from James Good for $250 and the church was constructed in 1836.
The small, one-story stone building, 38 feet by 40 feet, was used until the present church took its place. Built in 1877, the two-story structure was dedicated Nov. 3, 1878. It was 50 feet long with a full basement; the length did not include the vestibule in front. The bell tower was not added until about 1899. The cost of the building was $8,000. The first pastor was Reverend Edward Devine. The church was renovated in 1958 for a church school. The carillon was added in the 1970s. The carillon in the steeple is heard throughout most of Morgantown, striking at every hour and playing several hymns at 12 noon and 6 p.m.
A visible and active part of Morgantown United Methodist Church’s legacy continues in the Twin Valley Food Pantry. The food pantry began in the basement of the church until the community need outgrew the facility in 2009. When the need of the community outgrew the facility, Conestoga Mennonite Church stepped in to assume the leadership and provide a facility adequate to the challenge of the community’s changing economy and the needs of area families in the Tri-County area.