About Our Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church was founded in 1885 on the current site of Aitkin United Methodist Church. This faith family has continued to be a Christ centered, community orientated congregation, who is in service and welcoming to all people. MinistriesGiveTraditional Service Every Sunday
We are adhering to Covid-19 protocols by recommending facemask, physical distancing.
Our Traditional Service is at 10 a.m. in the Sanctuary each Sunday
and is livestreamed to Facebook
and can be viewed on our YouTube channel (Aitkin UMC).
Bible & Brew
Bible & Brew is on a hiatus.
Our Mission & Vision
God’s abiding love brings us together in the heart of Aitkin County.
In opening our hearts and welcoming all, we celebrate God’s love.
Our Beliefs
We believe that God loves us. God sent Jesus Christ into the world, who died on the Cross to save us from our sins.
We believe that through our faith in God through Jesus Christ, and in his death and resurrection, our sins are forgiven and we will have life everlasting.
We believe we are Christ’s disciples, called to love one another and to make disciples of others.
We believe that with the guidance of the Holy Spirit we can continue to grow spiritually and encourage others to do the same.
“The art window, depicting the resurrection of Christ, was given in 1914 when the new brick building was erected. The window is in memory of Horace Osterhout who came to Aitkin at about the turn of the century. The glass in the window is not stained, but each section is painted and then these sections are leaded together. This is an art which no longer exists. The window is made with a double layer of glass with an outer layer of protective glass, so in daylight you can see the window on the inside and at night, when we have lights turned on you see the window from the outside.”
–History compiled by Floyd I. Holden
CHURCH HISTORY
On July 3, 1885, the Aitkin Methodist Episcopal Church was organized with only nine charter members. The first minister was the Rev. J. J. Edwards and the meetings were held in a downtown building.
Ground was cleared from virgin forest and with the help of lumberjacks, a frame church was built in 1885-87. The erection of the current brick church building was done by N. J. Holden in 1914 along with the parsonage in 1922.
An education wing has been added along with renovations and updates to the interior of our church.
During the elapsed time from the year 1885 to the present time many ministers have served the Aitkin Church, the Cutler and Morrison Charges, some remaining for as short a time as 1-1/2 years and others longer.
During the 1950’s, Rev. Allyn Hanson conducted special services at the Garrison drive-in theatre. Our current pastor, Rev. Dawn Houser holds Wednesday night Bible & Brew services at the Block North Brew Pub.
Who We Are
Our Team & Leadership
Dawn Houser
Pastor
Laura Thornbloom
Administrative Assistant
Laura has been serving Aitkin United Methodist Church since 2011 as our Administrative Assistant. Laura is a major link to the congregation, community and staff. She engages in the major administrative functions of the church.
Dani Gordon
Coordinator for Children, Families and Youth
Dani was hired in 2018 to coordinate ministries that involve children, families and youth. Dani assists the congregation in reaching out to the community. She has her finger on the pulse of the community. Dani leads our Kids For Christ (KFC) program, Vacation Bible School and Trunk-or-Treat. If there is an outreach opportunity, chances are Dani is coordinating that effort. Dani has a degree in Music Education and loves children. She and her family are huge Green Bay Packer, Milwaukee Brewers and Milwaukee Bucks fans. She is an enthusiastic member of the staff that brings life and vitality to the congregation with all of her projects. Dani is mom to Jackson and Gabriella.
Neil Kruse
Custodian
Resources
Aitkin United Methodist Church
104 2nd St NW, Aitkin, MN 56431
Phone: (218) 927-3242
Email: aumc@aitkinunitedmethodist.org