Denominational History

The United Methodist Church traces its roots back to the life and ministry of John and Charles Wesley, Anglican priests in 18th century England. Though neither left the Anglican Church, they began a movement to reform that church which eventually became its own denomination and spread to the United States where it split from the Anglican Church in their lifetime. Read more...

For more information on the history of the denomination go to www.umc.org.

Our Pastor

The Reverend Derek McGuckin, Pastor at Moscow First United Methodist Church, loves to work with others in living out the Kingdom of God. He is passionate about relationships: with God, his family, the church, and the community.
Prior to coming to Moscow First UMC, Pastor Derek served as pastor to several United Methodist churches in Washington beginning in 2000. The son of missionaries, Pastor Derek grew up in Costa Rica and Argentina before returning to the United States. He is a graduate of the University of California: Davis and has a masters degree in divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary.

Guidelines For Faith There are many things which guide our faith.  As United Methodists we look in particular at four things to help us understand God and grow in our relationship with God. 
Scripture:  is the primary source of our faith.  The 66 books of the Old and New Testament contain all that is necessary for salvation.  We believe that Scripture is best interpreted in the believing community.
Tradition:  the wisdom of those who have gone before us, though not 100% true for our day, is another useful guide in our faith.
Experience:  our individual experiences of God ‘s grace and the cumulative experiences of our lives which give each person a unique and valued insight into faith.
Reason:  God gave us minds and expects us to use them and to think through not only what the Bible tells us in light of the world in which we live but also how to live out that faith.  Read more...

Worship Gathering together with other Christians to pray, sing, and praise God is an important expression of our faith and avenue for growth.  At Moscow First United Methodist Church worship is both casual and informal, traditional and contemporary, reflective and passionate.  You will find people here in suits and dresses, and in t-shirts and jeans.  You will hear classical, gospel, jazz, and light rock music.  You will hear our pipe organ, the piano, and banjo and guitar.