The community of faith known as Gold Canyon United Methodist Church traces its origins from the Fall of 1987. At that time, Rev. Jim Woods, an associate minister at Velda Rose United Methodist Church began conducting worship services in homes within the community. A year later, in the fall of 1988, an agreement was reached to hold services in the Gold Canyon Elementary School. In early 1989, the fellowship was formally chartered and began holding worship services in the school. On July 1, 1989, Rev. Woods was appointed the first full-time minister to the emerging congregation.
These early times were lean ones for the budding congregation. Attendance at services was sometimes numbered in single digits, and growth was slow and spotty. In 1993, Rev. David McPherson replaced Rev. Woods. At about that time, the congregation suddenly began to grow. It soon became necessary to have two services on Sunday, and participation in church activities burgeoned. The leadership began to envision the church having it’s own building. They started raising money, searching for land on which to build, and consulting with architects on building design.
The experts said it couldn’t be done. “The community is too small and is not wealthy enough to build a new church,” they said. How wrong they were! The money was raised, the land bought, and the new church opened its doors to the first worship service on January 12, 1997. On that Sunday and for several following, the front page of the Worship Bulletin proudly proclaimed, “ No longer meeting at the Gold Canyon Elementary School.” Someone has said, “If we build it, they will come.” And come they did. The first service held in the original building was attended by 420 people with some occupying chairs in the Narthex and some in the kitchen. On the second Sunday that services were held in the new building, January 19, 1997, it was necessary to schedule two services to accommodate the worshipers. Continuing to look to the future, on March 9, 1997, the Charge Conference voted to raise the money needed to purchase additional land to make room for expansion.
Rev. Fred Steinberg succeeded Rev. McPherson in July of 1997 and continued to lead our congregation to greater things. Due to continued growth our church built a new 1,300 seat Sanctuary building in 2004. The first Service that was held in the Sanctuary Building was on Christmas Eve 2004. We continued to hold Sunday services in the building but were not allowed to actually occupy the building until February 2005. We currently hold four worship services on Sundays. Summer worship attendance usually runs about 450 with winter worship attendance frequently exceeding 2,000. Our leadership continues to look forward. God grant that great things lie ahead for the Gold Canyon United Methodist Church.