A story as old as the city itself
First United Methodist Church of Sarasota holds a remarkable distinction: it is the only Sarasota organization still in continuous existence since 1891. Our story is woven into the very fabric of this city — from its earliest days as a small village on the Gulf Coast to the thriving community it is today.
What began with a circuit-riding preacher, a borrowed schoolroom, and twelve charter members has grown into a congregation that has weathered real estate booms and busts, two World Wars, the Great Depression, and the relentless change of a growing city — and has come through each chapter with its faith and mission intact.
This is not just institutional history. It is the story of thousands of ordinary people across generations who chose to show up, build something together, and serve the community around them in the name of Jesus Christ.
A journey through the key moments and eras that shaped who we are today.
- 1891Founding Era
The Church is Born
In October 1891, the Methodist Episcopal Church South was formally organized in the small Village of Sarasota, Florida. The first services were held in a little schoolhouse on Main Street, led by Rev. E. F. Gates — a circuit rider who traveled on horseback to serve scattered frontier communities across the region.
The Reverend Will Tresca was sent to formally organize the congregation, gathering twelve charter members in a Main Street storeroom for the signing of the Church Charter. The price of a home: a plot of land on the southeast corner of Pineapple Avenue and Main Street at Five Points, purchased for $40.
- 1893
The First Church Building
The first permanent church building was erected at Five Points — in the heart of the city, as it was then described. A modest but meaningful structure that gave a young congregation a physical home and a visible presence in the village.
- 1914GROWTH ERA
A Grand New Home on Pineapple Avenue
As Sarasota grew, so did the congregation. In 1914, an impressive brick Greek temple-style church was built at the church's current Pineapple Avenue location — a striking architectural statement that signaled the congregation's permanence and its confidence in the future of this city.
The building would carry the congregation through some of the most turbulent decades in American history, including the Florida real estate boom of the 1920s and the devastating bust that followed, and then the grinding years of the Great Depression. Through every upheaval, the congregation continued to gather, worship, and serve.
- 1945Post-War Growth
Boom Years and a New Sanctuary
The years following World War II brought rapid growth to both Sarasota and First UMC. The congregation expanded so quickly that by 1953 and 1954, Sunday services had to be held at the city's Municipal Auditorium — the small sanctuary simply could not hold everyone who wanted to worship.
The solution was to build something worthy of the moment. On Christmas Day, 1955, the congregation gathered for the first time in a new colonial-style sanctuary — beautiful, spacious, and full of hope. In a testament to the generosity and commitment of the membership, the mortgage on the building was paid off in just five years.
- 1970
Education Building & Fellowship Hall
A new education building — complete with a fellowship hall — was added to the campus in 1970, expanding the church's capacity to serve not just Sunday worshippers, but the full breadth of community life throughout the week.
- 1983
Office Complex, Youth Hall & Chapel
The campus grew again in 1983 with the completion of a new office complex that also included a dedicated youth hall and chapel — giving the congregation distinct spaces for administration, youth ministry, and smaller, more intimate worship gatherings.
- 2010Renewal Era
Build on This Rock — A Sanctuary Reborn
In the fall of 2010, First UMC embarked on the Build on This Rock campaign — a significant renovation of the sanctuary, its entrances, and gathering spaces. The goal was to honor the building's historic character while equipping it for another century of ministry and community engagement.
On Thanksgiving Sunday, November 27, 2011, the congregation gathered for the first service in the newly renovated sanctuary — its historic grandeur now paired with modern attributes that make it both a reverent place of worship and a welcoming space for outreach.
The renovation also added a prayer garden courtyard with columbarium, connecting the church's sacred interior spaces to the community around it and providing a peaceful setting for memorial services and outdoor gatherings
- 2016
125th Anniversary
First SRQ celebrated its 125th Anniversary with a renewed commitment to its future — not just as a place of worship, but as an active participant in the life of the Sarasota community. The anniversary became a milestone of dedication: to continue doing what this congregation has always done, and to do it with greater reach and deeper impact than ever before.
- TODAYPRESENT DAY
Rooted, Open, and Looking Forward
Today, First United Methodist Church of Sarasota continues the work that those twelve charter members began in a storeroom on Main Street more than 130 years ago. In a season when some United Methodist churches have chosen to leave the denomination, First SRQ has reaffirmed its connection with the wider United Methodist community across the country and around the world.
While it may carry the legacy of an old Southern church, today's membership and leadership have pledged to welcome people from all cultures and backgrounds — because the mission has never changed: Love God. Love People. Make Disciples of Jesus Christ. And God loves all people. So do we.
- 2020MILESTONE
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Still here. Still building.
The congregation that began with twelve members and a borrowed schoolroom now touches the community through worship, music, missions, education, and care. Here’s a glimpse of what First SRQ looks like today.
Vibrant Sunday Worship
Two distinct Sunday services — the intimate 8:30 am Chapel service and the full-choir 11:00 am Sanctuary service — offer different expressions of worship within the same community of faith.
Music & Fine Arts
A long tradition of exceptional choral and instrumental music — pipe organ, choir, guest ensembles — alongside inspiring Fine Arts performances that draw the broader Sarasota community into the life of the church.
Community Outreach
From local missions in Sarasota to international partnerships in Cuba and Venezuela, First SRQ is a congregation that believes faith without action is incomplete — and lives that out week by week.
A Welcoming Church for Everyone
Rooted in 130+ years of history, First SRQ looks forward with open doors. Whatever your background, wherever you've been — you are welcome here. God loves all people. So do we.
"While it may carry the legacy of an old Southern church, today's membership and leadership have pledged to welcome people from all cultures and backgrounds to worship within its chapel and sanctuary."