Spencer United Methodist Church Celebrates 175 Years

Located just over the northwestern border of Baldwin Borough, the Spencer United Methodist Church has been serving area residents for a memorable 175 years.

And to celebrate that anniversary, the church will host a special two-hour worship session on Sunday, Sept. 16, starting at 10 a.m. at its location on Spencer Avenue in Pittsburgh's Carrick neighborhood. The worship will include guest speakers and will be followed by an open house featuring finger foods, a photo display and activites for children. There is no cost.

According to the Spencer Church's website, the area's Spencer family began to host groups of people in its home in the early 1800s to worship and to study the Bible. The family owned a large area of property from approximately Sankey Avenue on the border of what is now Brentwood Borough to Gensler Road in what is now . The Spencers' log home sat near the top of Sankey.

By 1837, a Methodist society was sufficiently established, the website states, and on Sept. 17 and 18, that year, the Spencers' group of Christians was formally assigned to the Chartiers Circuit of the Pittsburgh Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, giving the Spencer Church its official beginning.

In 1850, a plot of land given by James and Nancy Stewart marked the spot where the Spencer Church still stands today.

In 1857, the church's congregation adopted the name of "Baldwin Chapel" for its place of worship, the website states, but that was changed to "Spencer Methodist Episcopal Church" in the 1860s in appreciation of the financial support offered by church members Jane Spencer Appleton and Alice Spencer.

Some time later, the name was adjusted again to its current moniker.

Click here for a full history of the church.

The church's theme is "Open Hearts, Open Minds and Open Doors."

Are you attending the Sept. 16 celebration? We'd love to see pictures of the event! You can add them here by clicking on "Upload Photos and Videos" above.

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