Our History

In June 1984, two churches with long histories in central Oakland, First United Methodist Church and St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church, merged to create Lake Merritt United Methodist Church (LMUMC).

The two congregations had begun worshipping together at St. Stephen’s following the destruction by fire of First UMC’s building in 1981. Merger conversations soon followed. The Rev. Don Cunningham officiated a “marriage” ceremony between the two congregations on the first Sunday of June 1984, (a congregational photograph from this day is included in the History Photo Gallery on this page). The new name “Lake Merritt United Methodist Church” was selected for the merged congregation, and the property at 1330 Lakeshore Ave on the eastern shore of Lake Merritt was purchased. A building which previously housed a Christian Science church at that address was razed before the new building was built.

Serving as the lead pastor and also directing the construction of the new building (in cooperation with the architect and a large building committee) was the Rev. Donald Kuhn. Following his retirement, lead pastors serving were the Rev. Renae Extrum-Fernandez, Rev. Mary Elyn Bahlert, Rev. Jim Walker, and Rev. Pamela Kurtz. Beginning her pastorate on July 1, 2022, is the Rev. Sunae Cho.

During the Covid pandemic, the neighboring congregation of Lake Park United Methodist Church began joint worship with LMUMC. The two congregations merged on May 19, 2024, Pentecost Sunday, under the banner of Lake Merritt United Methodist Church in a worship service presided over by California-Nevada Conference Bishop Minerva Carcaño. LMUMC now operates as one congregation with two campuses, our Lake Merritt campus (the site of our Sunday worship service) and our Lake Park campus (available for community rentals, small group meetings, and events).

Read about some of our predecessor congregations below:

First United Methodist Church (1863-1984)

Oakland’s original Methodist congregation was founded by the Rev. C. E. Rich in 1863, just ten years after Oakland was incorporated. Established in a small building at 6th and Washington Streets, the church subsequently moved to 9th and Washington Streets, 14th and Clay Streets, and finally to Broadway and 24th Street, and became “First Methodist Church”. 

Another Methodist congregation, the Eighth Avenue Methodist Church, merged into the First Methodist Church in 1959, as “one church, two locations”. A few years later, its building was occupied by a Korean Methodist Church.

In 1968, after the merger of the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, First Methodist became First United Methodist Church. 

On July 4, 1981, the First United Methodist Church building caught fire, the cause unknown, and was mostly destroyed. Some of the contents and stained-glass windows were rescued. 

Following the fire, the First UMC congregation was hosted for a few weeks in the First Congregational Church before St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church extended an invitation to begin worshipping with them.

St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church (1913-1984)

In 1913, the Rev. A. J. Hanson and fifteen charter members founded St. Stephen’s Methodist Church as part of the City Church Extension Society. For the first several months, meetings were held in a tent. The main property at Park Boulevard and Thirteenth Avenue, just east of the downtown Lake Merritt district, was purchased in 1914 and a permanent edifice was erected in 1923.

 Lake Park United Methodist Church (1887-2024)

Lake Park was formed from the merger of two churches in 1968, the Lake Park Methodist and West 10th Street Methodist congregations.

West 10th was founded as the Oakland Japanese Methodist Episcopal Church in 1887, and the Rev. Sokichi Doi was appointed as the first pastor. The congregation moved to 10th Street and West Street in 1918 where it remained for the next 48 years. Meander Hall, the church’s educational building, housed the possessions of 135 families during the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans. West 10th began worshipping with Lake Park in 1966 when it sold its property under pressure to the Oakland Redevelopment Agency as part of its plans for West Oakland.

About our Lake Merritt campus facility

Determined to be located in central Oakland, with a ministry planned to serve people from all areas of the city, the LMUMC building faces downtown Oakland on the west side, and faces a multi-ethnic Eastlake community along International Blvd. on the east side.

Architect Terrill Wade, of the firm Gillis, Judson, and Wade, designed the new building (Terry is a current member of LMUMC). Initial funding for the construction was obtained through the sale of two previously owned church buildings on valuable property, and two parsonages. It was complemented by donations through three funding campaigns, and no mortgage was necessary. A donor’s wall in the building names all contributors. The completed building was consecrated on March 21, 1991, at a beautiful ceremony with several guest speakers, the newly organized Oakland Festival Chorus performing, and a large community attendance.

The western main entrance of the building at 1330 Lakeshore Ave., features a colored granite grand staircase. The sanctuary’s floor to ceiling windows frame a beautiful view of the lake and downtown Oakland. The northern wall is nearly completely covered by a triptych of three glass mosaic panels entitled “Te Deum Laudamus” (We Praise You, Lord) constructed under the direction of Louis Comfort Tiffany in about 1920. (Read about the mosaic panels here.)

The 1255 First Ave. entrance on the east side includes a parking lot and is wheelchair accessible. Between two wings is a courtyard children’s playground. One wing is used as administrative offices, and the other wing is composed of children’s classrooms for Sunday School and a weekday preschool which rents the property.

There are several multi-use rooms in the building’s interior: the large Franklin Stark fellowship room with a commercial-grade kitchen, and the Minnie Mae Edwards Room furnished as a parlor with small kitchen attached. Franklin Stark was an Oakland attorney and had been very active in many aspects of First United Methodist Church life. Minnie Mae Edwards was mother of TV personality, Ralph Edwards, who attended church and Sunday school in St. Stephens United Methodist Church.

In the lower floor, there is the Aldersgate Room (octagon-shaped) with serving counter. A large parking garage is also on this level. An elevator makes this wheelchair accessible. The stained-glass windows that are installed in light boxes in the lower level hallway were saved from the mostly-destroyed First UMC building before it was razed. Several of the geometrical design windows are also installed in the Administrative Office hallway.