BELLPOINT UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
4771 S.R. 257 South,  Delaware, OH  43015

Paul McCullough, Pastor

A Brief History

Bellpoint Church has been providing Christian ministry in Jesus’ name at our present site for one hundred and thirty-five years. Over sixty ministers have served our church. From 1873 until 1946, our church was a part of the Northern Ohio Conference of the Church of United Brethren in Christ. In 1946 the United Brethren and Evangelical denominations merged, and Bellpoint Church became an Evangelical United Brethren Church. Forty years ago, in 1968, the E.U.B. and the Methodist denominations merged, and our church became the Bellpoint United Methodist Church.

Bellpoint Church traces its origin to the Oller United Brethren Church, founded in 1846. Until coming to the village of Bellpoint in 1873, the United Brethren congregation met at Oller Church, a modest frame building that was located on the east side of Route 257 by Oller Cemetery. It was built about 1849 and was torn down after 35 years of use.

Our present sanctuary was built in 1872-1873 for the sum of $2,662. About 500 attended the dedication on July 13, 1873. Sunday School classes met in various pews within the sanctuary. There were 69 original members with some descendants among our current membership. It is believed that the church was built using bricks made from native clay and fired locally. The first wedding was performed on January 29, 1874.

Changes in the original church included the addition of a front porch. The porch was replaced in 1963 by the present vestibule.

The stained-glass windows in the sanctuary and vestibule were installed in 1928. On the main wall of the sanctuary, behind the cross and the framed Venetian blind, is a painting titled, "Christ, the Good Shepherd." It was painted in 1945 by Ed Kern, a local artist. It is one of only three church paintings done by Mr. Kern. It is displayed each year during July and August.

A small educational and social activities addition was built in 1958. It was later torn down and replaced by an educational and social activities addition in 1982. Our last expansion was a 2,600 square foot addition in 1995. As their last official act, The Ladies Aid Society voted in June, 2000 to use the last of their monies to establish the Prayer Room. It was dedicated on April 29, 2001.

In 2002, the present parsonage and twenty-six acres of land was purchased. The beautiful two-story parsonage, located at 5303 State Route 257 S., was built in the 1870s. Because the parsonage is located on what was an old military road, some believe it may have been a stage coach stop in its earliest years. A few of our older citizens recall stopping here to purchase homemade maple syrup; the old sugar shack can be seen across the road from the parsonage.

We seek to follow the will of Jesus Christ by welcoming all people with open arms. Our mission is to "Come as you are. Grow in Christ. Go in love and service to the world!" We believe our congregation is not finished growing. To that end, our Building Committee is working on plans for a new church building.

Rev. 30 Oct 2008