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Mission:

This is His church.

Therefore, whatever we believe or do, we look first to Jesus, “the author and

finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). He is not only our Savior and risen Lord, but

He is our example, our guide and our friend and constant companion. As a faith

community, we want to get to know Him better and seek to do that through

preaching and teaching in the weekly worship service and through small group

men’s and women’s Bible studies. We want to serve Him faithfully, and we seek

do that through youth ministries*, community ministries*, outreach ministries* and

support of several missionaries and ministry organizations*.

We believe, preach and practice the Bible.

We believe, preach and practice the Bible in its gentle, straightforward, life

changing message, unaltered by any denominational clutter, knowing that “all

Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,

for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the child of God may be

complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Jesus

teaches us to understand, rather than interpret, the Scriptures (Luke 24:45); so we

seek to do that, rather than interpreting the Bible to fit some agenda. He is

committed to helping us understand (John 14:26); so that is our desire and

direction as we seek to faithfully follow Him. We seek to live according to the

guidelines found in the Bible, the main one being, “Love God with all that you are,

and love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:36-40). The Bible not only

shows us the way to the Savior, but it shows us the path of life (Psalm 119:105)!

Our relationship with the United Methodist Church:

In the last few decades, the United Methodist denomination in the US has

moved away from its biblical basis, while we strive to stay the course. For us,

things came to a head about twenty years ago, and after serious study and prayer,

we communicated officially with the bishop that our church could not, in good

conscience, contribute financially to the conference agenda. The official response

was basically, “I’m sorry you feel bad. I hope you feel better soon.”

Against that backdrop, we have done two things: 1) We no longer pay

conference “mission shares” and 2) We basically operate as an independent church

within the conference framework. Perhaps because we are a vibrant church, the

district superintendents have given us a free rein and worked with us, saying, as

one recent DS did, “There is room at the table for all of us.” This puts us in a good

position to stay true to God’s Word and handle whatever the future brings, in a

non-contentious way.

History:

A brief history of Albany Methodist Church:

During the period in which the Methodist Church was spreading throughout the American frontier, the Methodist Society was founded in Albany in 1842. In 1878 they purchased the little church in the village from the Baptists, including the lot and the horse sheds. 141 years and 32 ministers later, the church is still going strong.

Through the years the original building has been updated and well maintained. The horse shed was removed when horse and buggies went out of style. A renovation in 1950 saw a new foundation wall, the woodshed removed and two rooms built over the kitchen. A major makeover in 1977 brought an addition to the back of the church which enlarged the kitchen, added two Sunday School rooms, two new bathrooms and a pleasant parlor for meetings. A stair glide was added at the front door to provide access to all. A new roof, new furnace and new sound system were installed in the 1990’s, and fresh paint through the years keeps a historic building looking good.

They had reached a low point at the 150 year mark, with attendance at about 10 and solvency maintained through church dinners. Undeterred, they took a major step of faith, hired a young preacher and pushed on with encouraging results. Good attendance has been steady ever since. Finances have been sound, and the church has been a vibrant part of the community, serving in many ways.

Strange changes in the denomination in the ‘80’s and ‘90’s forced the church to re-examine its relationship with the parent conference, which was providing leadership in directions the church felt was not Biblical, direction they could not follow. In 1994, after a year of study and prayer, the church communicated directly with the bishop that it could not, in good conscience, continue to financially support the conference agenda. The bishop’s response was amiable, accepting our position, which he hoped would change in the future. Since then the church has had a congenial relationship with conference while maintaining a Biblical direction on the local level.

Recently updated technologies have increased access at the church and in the community. A handicap access restroom was installed, as well as hearing assistance capability. Video recording equipment was added to share the sermon via social media, and expanded social media coverage has given access to the church ministry throughout the surrounding area well into the foreseeable future. Motivated and innovative from the start, faithful service in the past built a great foundation for ministry and service in the years ahead.