Mission Statement
- To provide a coherent and shared witness for United Methodism on the Island.
- To strengthen existing ministries and develop new programs for outreach, evangelism and social justice for all ages.
- To provide and foster fellowship and educational opportunities among United Methodists on Martha's Vineyard.
Background
The active clergy, retired clergy and lay representatives from the four United Methodist Churches on Martha’s Vineyard – Christ United Methodist Church, Trinity United Methodist Church, Edgartown United Methodist Church and Chilmark Community Church – have held ongoing meeting to determine the needs and future of Methodism on Martha’s Vineyard.
There is over a 200-year history of Methodist leadership on Martha’s Vineyard, beginning in the early 1700’s. The Tabernacle in the center of the Methodist Camp-Meeting Grounds in Oak Bluffs, surrounded by picturesque cottages, was founded in 1738 as a venue for evangelism, and still brings renowned preachers to the Island each summer.
The four United Methodist Congregations, though small in number, are active and committed to providing an ongoing Christian witness in their respective communities. Contrary to the prevailing misconception of wealth on Martha’s Vineyard, the majority of our members are year-round residents of modest means, elderly, retired on fixed incomes, farmers, fishermen, single mothers, and struggling young families with both parents working two jobs.
The History of Methodism on Martha's Vineyard
Puritans colonized Martha's Vineyard in the 17th century, like most
of New England. They were sustained by the belief that they were God's
chosen people who had been sent to create a New Jerusalem. This belief
gave them the courage to settle on an unknown island in a strange New
World.
By the end of the 18th century, however, their descendents began to
lose their grandparent's passionate convictions and religious beliefs.
At the same time, John Wesley, his brother Charles and a group of
friends in England had begun to work out a new method of approaching
God. Their passionate belief in the love of God for all mankind,
sinners and saints alike, brought a new enthusiasm to religion. The
arrival of Methodism in New England also coincided with the decision by
the Congressional Congress to separate Church and State and so
eliminate the old theocracy of Massachusetts.
According to Jeremiah Pease, an early and passionate convert, "The
first Methodist that visited this island was a coloured man by the name
of John Saunders, who with his wife came to this town in the year 1787.
This first Preacher of Methodism on the island and his wife were slaves
in the State of Virginia and by their extraordinary labor and prudence,
they purchased their freedom and came to this here island". After the
death of Mr. Saunders, however, a series of itinerant Methodist
preachers held services here and made converts. At that time, there
were no resident ministers.
In October 1809 the Reverend Erastus Otis settled here and the
Vineyard got a permanent minister. From that date onward, Methodism
began to take hold on the island although the transition was not always
a peaceful one. Pease reports that "Meetings were disturbed by throwing
stones, mud, dead cats and the howling of dogs.. Notwithstanding,
during the years 1809 and 1810, there were a great many who embraced
religion on this island". During the early 1820's, the growth of
Methodism was supported by the powerful preaching of the Reverend John
Adams, who traveled to the island on a number of occasions.
Methodism's central role in the 19th century can be seen in its
magnificent churches. At the beginning, membership was so small that
services could be held in a one room structure no more than 16 feet
long by 14 feet wide. By 1843, supported by the new wealth created by
the success of the whaling industry, the Edgartown Methodists were able
to raise their fourth church. It was 75 by 62 feet with a 90-foot tower
that still soars above the town. By that time, there were also
Methodist Meeting Houses in Holmes Hole, on the North Shore, in
Chilmark and in Edgartown on the Plains, in Eastville, and on the
Island of Chappaquiddick as well as schoolhouses in Quampechy and
Middle District.
It was also Island Methodists who started the Campground with
one-week revival meetings in 1832. The event was held in a field in
northern Edgartown and proved so popular that it was held again the
next year. After the Civil War, permanent cottages began to replace the
tents in the area. A church was built in 1878 and an open-air
tabernacle in 1879. The Campground later combined with the summer
resort created by the Cottage City Land and Development Company to form
the new town of Oak Bluffs.
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