In the year 1830, when Medina was more or less an open spot in the surrounding woods, a Methodist Circuit Rider came through the wilderness of Northern Ohio. His name was John Hazzard. At the invitation of Linas Taylor and his wife, “Aunt Mary,” he organized a class of five people.

They met at various places, a school house, the court house, and in private dwellings. In 1826 a little frame church was built on the corner of South Court Street and Lafayette Road. The new church was well established by 1834, and by 1840 there were 80 members. In 1844 “130 precious souls” were added to the church.

By 1859 the church building was too small to house the increasing membership. The trustees bought the property on which our building now stands on January 18, 1859, for the princely sum of $600. Unfortunately, we have no picture of this church. What is known is that there were cushioned seats and clusters of kerosene lamps hanging from the ceiling. There was a gallery across the back, a library, and a steeple over the front entrance. The cornerstone was laid in September 1859 by the Medina Lodge of the Freemasons. The copper box installed in the cornerstone held a Bible, hymnal, membership roll, discipline, and (for some unknown reason) two bottles of homemade wine were included!

In the new church a difference of opinion arose concerning the use of instrumental music. One group preferred no instrumental music other than a pitch pipe. The other group wanted an organ – but since this was considered an instrument of the devil, there was dissention. Then, one Sunday morning, the congregation found a small reed organ within the church. Evidently once it was there, it was allowed to remain because this small organ was one of the few items saved in the big fire that occurred in 1896.

The cause of the fire was never determined, but it was one of the most spectacular fires Medina had ever seen. The little church burned to the ground. Very little was saved – the church bell, the pulpit Bible, pulpit chairs, and the little reed organ. But the members began at once to plan for a new church to be erected on the site. While the bricks were being laid the members met in the old court house. The church was rebuilt in 1897 at a cost of $12,500. When the church was dedicated there was a debt of $3500 that 250 members pledged to pay off. The mortgage was finally paid off in 1903.

By the 1930s the church had grown dramatically, especially the Sunday School. In 1932, the rest of the basement was dug out, mostly by hand. Out of this toil came our kitchen, the fellowship hall, and the furnace room.

In 1956 a new $134,000 educational wing gave us more room for Sunday School classes, a more modern kitchen, and new offices. Snyder Memorial Chapel and the Clare House Memorial Fireplace (Fireside Room) were consecrated. In 1957 a new electronic organ was dedicated. The sanctuary was redecorated in 1959, a library was organized and given to the church by Winifred Oberholtzer. In 1967 the narthex, or Gathering Area, was added, the office space doubled, and a new façade graced South Court Street.

During 1970 the Medina Weekday Nursery School was established under the guiding hand of Rev. and Mrs. David Freeman. It has become one if the most successful ventures of the church, guiding preschool age children along Christian lines. Currently the average enrollment is approximately 200 children.
The south parking lot was purchased in 1983 for $125,000.

In May 1988, a new Schantz pipe organ was introduced to the congregation in a recital by Sara Ritter, a former organist.

The building just north of the church, which formerly housed Medina Radio and TV, was purchased in 1995 to add additional space for children’s worship, youth meetings, Disciple classes, etc.

As we look to the future, our ability to provide ministries will be greatly improved by addressing many of our building challenges.

Although several changes have been made to the heating system, proper climate control remains very difficult in winter and summer. Classrooms on the upper floor cannot be used in the hot summer months. Air conditioning of the sanctuary is not possible without great expense. Since the temperature and humidity are unpredictable, the pipe organ as well as the piano must be tuned often.

As our congregation has grown and church activities have increased, the need for adequate parking has had to be addressed. Previously, on weekdays the south lot was leased to First Merit Bank for their employee parking. This left only the small lot on South Broadway for parents picking up or dropping off children at the Weekday Nursery, and it was also used by parents of Garfield Elementary School children.

In 2001, it was decided to discontinue the lease agreement with First Merit Bank, making the south lot available to church members and visitors full-time. We now have about 76 on-site parking spaces, some of which are designated for handicapped parking.

In 2004, the driveway and parking lot at the rear of the building were upgraded making the Sanctuary accessible by all persons on the first level.The problem still exists, however, of worshippers having to climb stairs to gain access to the Sanctuary.

The present Building Committee was put in place at the annual Church Conference of November 1997. Since then, this body has expended a great deal of energy and time in the consideration of renovation and expansion plans. Currently, the Building Committee is seeking to acquire land so that a new facility may be built to accomodate the needs of our congregation and to help our congregation better minister to the growing Medina population.