FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 30, 2025
Madison, N.J. – Walk where Francis Asbury walked, sit where the historic Christmas Conference convened and tour the 100-year-old United Methodist Building on Capitol Hill during the inaugural trek of the American Methodist Pilgrimage. A joint initiative between the General Commission on Archives and History (GCAH) and Education Opportunities Tours (EO), the weeklong circuit of U.S. sites important to the early formation of Methodism launches Oct. 12. Prospective circuit riders can register now and view the full itinerary.
“The exciting part of American Methodism is that it follows the same trajectory as our nation, grappling with many of the same issues as we moved from a group of colonies to a young nation that evolved from primarily rural to urban settings,” explains Dr. Ashley Boggan, GCAH general secretary. “When we visit some of the historical Methodist sites, we better understand how churches and Methodists across these centuries not only grew our denomination but also impacted movements within our nation. Traveling in the footsteps (and hoofprints) of Bishop Francis Asbury and his horse, we’ll also travel alongside early Methodists as they struggled with key questions of witness and structure that are still relevant today.”
The 2025 American Methodist Pilgrimage sets off on the historically-significant date of Oct. 12, the anniversary of Barbara Heck famously breaking up a card game by throwing a deck of cards into the fire and challenging the gamblers to start a church, an event that resulted in the formation of the first Methodist society in America. Participants will start their day attending worship services at John Street UMC, America’s oldest Methodist church. Following lunch at the church and tour of the John Street UMC Museum, the group will take a guided walking tour of Methodism in Lower Manhattan.
Days two and three will visit the major sites of Methodism in Philadelphia, including touring Historic St. George’s UMC, Mother Bethel AME and Mother African Zoar UMC. The circuit riders will travel to Barratt’s Chapel in Delaware on the fourth day to visit the oldest Methodist church building in the United States still in use as a place of worship. The tour travels to Baltimore for two days of visits to historic sites, including Lovely Lane UMC and Historic Old Otterbein UMC, where the Evangelical United Brethren branch of the Methodist tree originated in the America. (Fun fact: The Baltimore area has more UM historic sites than anywhere else in the U.S.) The tour ends up in Washington, D.C., with a visit to the United Methodist Building, the only non-governmental building on Capitol Hill, and a tour of other key Methodist sites in D.C.
The American Methodist Pilgrimage was announced during the Postponed 2020 General Conference held in the spring of 2024. At the same time, GCAH announced the creation of new position, Global Ambassador of Methodist Heritage Sites for The UMC. David Worthington, former Global Ambassador at John Wesley’s New Room in Bristol, England, serves in that role. To contact Worthington about his work and speaking opportunities, send emails to [email protected].
“The United Methodist Church’s history is teeming with brick and mortar buildings that, if they could talk, would tell the rich stories of our denomination. At the General Commission of Archives and History, our role is to promote and preserve those stories,” Boggan explained. “Both of these new initiatives will ensure that the stories that are vital to our heritage will continue to be communicated and experienced in person.”
Visit the EO website for all details about the tour, including pricing and optional add-ons. To learn more about the American Methodist Pilgrimage, visit ResourceUMC.org/ArchivesandHistory.
Media contact:
Crystal Caviness
615-306-3401