Mandarin United Methodist Church in Jacksonville will celebrate its 150th anniversary (1874-2024) on Sunday, Nov. 17. Located at 11270 San Jose Blvd., Mandarin United Methodist Church is the second oldest continuously operating church in the Mandarin community and among the oldest congregations in Jacksonville.
The celebration will be held during the 11 a.m. worship service and carry over to an old-fashioned dinner on the grounds at about 12:30 p.m. Lunch attendees are asked to bring side dishes and desserts and RSVP their participation to the church.
Various singing groups will also perform. The performance will include the debut of a special 150th anniversary song. A short film covering the history of the church will also be shown.
“This anniversary provides an opportunity to give thanks for many generations who have faithfully worshiped God and served this community,” Mandarin United Methodist Church Senior Pastor Britt Gilmore said. “As we remember past challenges and accomplishments, we witness afresh the resilience, creativity and compassion of those who have gone before us. We hope this anniversary celebration may inspire us to love God and neighbor in a new season."
Mandarin United Methodist was formed in 1874 at a similar time to when famous author Harriet Beecher Stowe had a home in the Mandarin community. The first pastor, Dr. Theophilus Wilson (T.W.) Moore, rode by horseback to the first church site and would go on to discover the nearby Fruit Cove community, became an expert on citrus and become the fourth president of Florida Southern College.
The congregation worshiped in three Mandarin locations during this time: just south of its current location at San Jose Boulevard and Loretto Road; north of I-295 at the intersection of San Jose Boulevard and Old St. Augustine Road; and at its current location since 1960.
With this history, it is evident that Mandarin United Methodist Church has always been at the “heart” of the thriving Mandarin community. This church precedes the formation of the international United Methodist Church (1968) and the completion of the essential Buckman Bridge (1970) across the neighboring St. Johns River.
The congregation currently meets at the 10-acre location and has had a membership of 3,000-plus for much of the last two decades. There have been nearly 60 pastors serving this community, from Dr. Moore to Rev. Gilmore.
In addition to weekly services and five years of worship at the sister church, Longleaf in St. Johns County, an assortment of activities has been vital to Mandarin, most prominently Upward Sports at the gymnasium and fields, the pumpkin patch and crafts festival each fall, Christmas tree lot and Learning Ladders preschool.
The motto for the anniversary event is: “150 Years and Our Story is Still Unfolding.”
For more information, go to www.mumc.net. For more on the church history, go to www.mumc.net/150th-anniversary-celebration.
