First United Methodist Church of Devils Lake
Our History
​The first congregation of Methodists in Devils Lake was organized with eleven members in
1883. Soon, the congregation moved from a travelling preacher, Rev. John Walton, to a full-time
Pastor, Rev. T.H. Sheckler. In 1885-1886, the first building was built by the congregation,
a wood-frame building on the current site.
​​​​​By 1915, the two-room building was to small to hold all of the ministry of the congregation, and alandmark brick building was planned. The groundbreaking took place in June, with the firstworship service taking place on May 14, 1916. This sanctuary is still the sanctuary in use today.It is graced with a large number of art-glass windows and a beautiful glass ceiling in the “soundwell” in the center of the sanctuary. Like most Methodist Episcopal churches of the time, thebuilding was designed to create a space where the Gospel can be heard. The interior dome actsas a passive sound system, making it easier for all to hear the sermon in the time before electronic amplification systems.
The first parsonage was built by the congregation in 1921, and served the congregation until
1990, and the second parsonage was used until 2018, when the congregation changed to a housing allowance for their pastoral leadership.
Under Rev. Harold Nienas, a Church School addition was completed on the north side of the
original building. It was consecrated on Nov. 26, 1959 as part of the 76th Anniversary of the
congregation. It added education space and our current church office and Pastor’s Study, which
can be accessed best through the door facing west, toward our parking lot across 6th Avenue.
The parking lot across the street was created in 2002 when the congregation purchased the two
older homes to the west, tore them down, and created a new parking lot for our congregation
and the community. This is where we host our annual Trunk or Treat on Halloween night, as
well as an annual rummage sale and other ministry events.
The most recent addition to our building was completed in 2005 which added new entrances on
the east end of the original sanctuary, and, most importantly, added an elevator and handicap
accessible ground-level restrooms to our facility.
We are proud to have two members of our church community enter into full-time ministry as
Ordained Elders: Rev. Randy Atherton in 1980 and Rev. Lori Broschat in 2006. We continue to
call all of our members into ministry in multiple ways.
Through the merger of the northern and southern branches of the Methodist Episcopal Church
in 1939 and the later merger of the Methodist Church with the Evangelical United Brethren, we
have been known as First United Methodist Church of Devils Lake since 1968. We are proud of
all of the ministry that has occurred in our building and throughout our community and world.
We invite you to join us this Sunday, in person or online.
Thank you to the History Committee of FUMC that compiled the histories of the congregation for
the booklet honoring the 125th anniversary of the congregation in 2008.