Our History
Sharon Church circa 1950
Sharon Church Sunday School circa 1950
Parishioners of what was then called First Evangelical Church, which later became Salem United Methodist Church, established a new church congregation called Second Evangelical Church. This church later became Sharon United Methodist Church and had its beginning on March 12, 1911. There were eight charter members and the first Sunday School Class was held at 3 p.m. on the aforementioned date. For nearly two years, the congregation gathered at Lincoln School and the fee to rent the school was $3.00 per Sunday, which was paid by the Iowa Conference.
A suitable site to erect a new church was secured in 1912 when a lot on the corner of Eighteenth Avenue and Ninth Street was selected on the southwest side of Cedar Rapids. Trustees from the First Evangelical Church borrowed the sum of $640.00 to purchase the site from the Iowa Conference Mission Board. A structure measuring 38 feet by 28 feet was erected in 1913 at a cost of $2,800.00 and the church was dedicated on December 30, 1913. A basement was dug under the church in 1915 and during the following several years, additions and modifications were made to the church through the loving hands of those who dedicated countless hours to assist.
In 1946, the Evangelical and United Brethren denominations merged to form the Evangelical United Brethren Church (E.U.B.). At a congregational meeting held on February 21, 1947, the name was changed to Sharon Evangelical United Brethren Church. A building addition was started in 1951 to provide classrooms for the church and was completed and dedicated in 1955. A new sanctuary was completed and dedicated in 1958 at a cost of $40,000 and the new parsonage was completed in 1964.
The Evangelical United Brethren and Methodist denominations merged in 1968 to form the United Methodist Church and the church changed its name to the current Sharon United Methodist Church. The old sanctuary was remodeled and converted into classrooms and office space in 1973 and in 1986, the property to the east of the parsonage was acquired.
