Church History

Denver UMC was organized on January 20, 1884 under the leadership of the Rev. Jesse H. Page, who was pastor of the Rock Springs Circuit. There were 11 charter members, 9 of whom transferred from Bethel, and 2 from Rehobeth, two of the other churches on the circuit.

1895 records of the Rock Springs Circuit of the Methodist Church South listed six churches: Denver, Bethel, Lebanon, Mt. Pleasant, Rehobeth, and Webb's Chapel with a total of 569 members and 44 transferred to Denver and Rehobeth.

In January of 1906, trustees of Denver church were deeded property for the erection of a church building. This was a wooden structure with classrooms upstairs and downstairs. A common staple was the iron stove in the center aisle and the tolling of the bell on Sunday morning. In 1950, the original building was torn down and construction of a new sanctuary began. During the construction, services were held in a store warehouse. Classrooms were added in 1953.

In 1953, Mt. Pleasant and Rehobeth founded the Terrell Charge and Denver, Lebanon, Bethel, and Webb's Chapel made up the Rock Springs Charge. Worship services were held at each church twice monthly until in 1974, a semi-retired minister was hired to preach twice each Sunday so each church could have a worship service every Sunday.

1953 was special in another way. One of our young ladies, Joy Marie Little, answered the call to the mission field and served three years in Brazil.

Acreage for a cemetery was deeded to the Denver Church in 1962. This property joins our church property and is on the opposite side of the road from the Community cemetery.

Additional land on the east side of the church was purchased in 1971 on which a Fellowship Building was erected in 1978.

At the Rock Springs Charge Conference in January 1982, a resolution was pasesd to divide the Charge: Bethel and Webb's Chapel becoming the Rock Springs Charge and Denver-Lebanon Charge. The Denver-Lebanon Charge brought the Rock Springs Charge's interest the parsonage. Responsibility for the Rock Springs Campground was granted to the Rock Springs Charge.

In 1987, offices were established for the pastor and secretary and a parlor at the rear entrance to the church. We also celebrated "Homecoming" for the first time.

Due to the projected growth rate in the Lake Norman area, the Congregational Development Office of the United Methodist Charlotte District advised us to plan for a larger church. In July 1989, Denver voted unanimously to become a station church and consequently bought Lebanon's part of the parsonage.

In 1992, four acres on the west side of the church were purchased on which we built a larger Sanctuary. Cedar Street, between the church and the purchased property was closed and used for additional parking.

In 1999, a beautiful contemporary Sanctuary was built under the Rev. Jim Pyatt. A "Dream Team" Committee was formed in August of 2002. They were charged with the task of discerning where God is leading our church. With our continued growth, there will be a need, in the immediate future, to begin some type of building program. In 2002, the church voted to sell the current parsonage on Forney Hill Road and purchase a new one. The new parsonage is located in a new development called Sailview.