Emphasis should be made on the part lay persons of First United Methodist Church in Warren had in starting this church.

The text used at the first service should be used so that the 50th anniversary congregation will be able to see how true it is that when a church begins with God, the results are "very good."

Our 50th anniversary service should close with the same hymn that was sung at the closing of the first service, "Lead on, O King Eternal, the Day of March Has Come."

Under Rev. McFadden's leadership, plans for a church building were developed. Ground was broken for the first unit of the Howland Methodist Church in 1965, which became the first physical building of a Methodist church in Howland. The first unit was ready for use in February, 1966 and the congregation held its first service in the Fellowship Hall on February 20, 1966. On Palm Sunday, April 3, 1966, Bishop Frances F. Kearns, Bishop of the Northeast Ohio are of the Methodist Church, consecrated the building. Included in this unit was the Fellowship Hall, classrooms, kitchen, offices, and utility rooms.

Four additional classrooms were added on the east side during the spring and summer of 1968. This unit was consecrated on December 12, 1968, with Dr. D. I. Dixon, the Youngstown District Superintendent, officiating at the service.

In 1968, the word "United" was added to the name, making it Howland United Methodist Church, reflecting the action of the April General Conference which united the former Methodist and Evangelical United Brethren Churches.

On June 18, 1972, ground was broken for the third and most recent construction phase. This addition houses the sanctuary, new offices, two classrooms, and the narthex. The cornerstone was laid on October 8, 1972, and the first worship service was held in the new sanctuary on May 20, 1973 with Bishop Kearns presiding.

Dr. Thrash continued to lead the church in growth in many areas. Adriel preferred to purchase his own residence and the original parsonage on Niles-Cortland Road was then sold. Toward the end of his tenure at HUM, Adriel fell seriously ill with cancer, but then made a full recovery. The church family pulled together in a very supportive community throughout this time. The Rev. Bill Hogg, who still visits and has preached at HUM in subsequent years, provided additional pastoral leadership.

Rev. Snyder continued to develop and expand the church program. The present church parsonage, located on Briarbrook Drive, was purchased with the arrival of the Snyders. In 1987, the position of Program Assistant, a part-time position, was established and was filled by Laurie Mitchner.

A new Allen Classic organ was purchased and installed in the sanctuary in the Fall of 1989. In January, 1990, Laurie Mitchner resigned as Program Assistant to raise her family and was replaced by Lannie Mease, who is now Christian Education Director and Administrative Assistant. The church grew rapidly under Dave Palmer's strong leadership. He received his doctorate degree while serving HUM. In 1994, Dave sponsored a Holy Lands tour to Greece, Turkey, and Israel with twenty-five HUM members and friends participating. Dave also married Mavis Gizzi, one of our own church family, in June of 1995. Dave and Mavis left on July 1, 1995 to serve the Kent United Methodist Church.

During his tenure, Rev. McFarren especially reached out to serve the elderly, the "shut-ins", the hospitalized, and the congregation as a whole. It was while Tom was our pastor that our mortgage was paid off in 1997.

Since coming to HUM, Scott has initiated the Logos program, intentionally started small groups called Tender Loving Care groups (TLC), and worked very hard to reach the unchurched in our community. A second service was started in January 2003, designed to meet the spiritual needs of those wanting a more contemporary service. Early in Scott's tenure, the church adopted its current mission statement: To know Christ and to make Him known.

In July 2006, Rev. Ron Spore was appointed to HUM. Since that time, he has simplified our administrative structure to include Nurturing, Outreach, and Witness Teams under the direction of the Church Council. He has taught and co-taught several short-term classes on World Religions, Christmas traditions, Social Principles of the United Methodist Church, and significant book discussion groups. Pastor Ron also invited the Rev. Graham Locking to speak for several days in May. More detailed information about Ron's ministry is available in the Pastor Page section of this website.