Who We Are
Riverside exists to make disciples of Jesus Christ. We see this happening in three ways. We connect to God and to other people. We grow in faith, and we serve the community and the world in the name of Jesus Christ.
Church History
Methodism had its start in Moline in 1834 when Rev. Thomas McMurtry, a Methodist circuit rider, helped organize what would later become the First Methodist Episcopal Church in the cabin of Joel Wells, which was located near the current Moline Water Works.
After initially meeting in the Wells cabin, the small congregation met in the nearby Moline House Hotel starting in 1843 and in Moline’s first schoolhouse starting in 1845. In 1848, the congregation erected its first house of worship at the northwest corner of 5th Avenue and 16th Street. This building was sold to the Swedish Methodist congregation when a new church was built in 1871 at the southeast corner of 7th Avenue and 16th Street. In 1922, the 1871 church was torn down and the present structure erected at the same location. In 1960, an educational wing was added on the south side of the 1922 church, including a new office, parlor, and chapel.
Aldersgate Methodist Church was formed on 41st Street in late 1955 through the purchase of five acres of land including a house, a machine shop, a garage and 100 apple trees. With the aid of furnishings donated by other churches, the machine shop was quickly transformed into a chapel. The apple trees were removed to provide for an athletic field and future expansion. A new church was built on the site in 1962 and was expanded in 1971.
Riverside United Methodist Church was formed in July 2000 through the merger of the former Moline First (nee First Methodist Episcopal) and Aldersgate United Methodist Churches.
Although the church buildings have been the outward symbol of Riverside, the lives of its members reflect the church’s outreach over the years. Many of the more recent lives are memorialized on Memorial Boards located inside the church (712 16th Street) and posted online on the Find a Grave website.
Click the button to find links to memorials for deceased past ministers of the church and for 550+ past members and loved ones of members.
1848 First Church
1871 First Church
1922 Church
1960 Education Wing
1955 Aldersgate
1962 Aldersgate
Fun Facts
100 anniversary Fun Facts about the downtown church building.
The Moline Methodist church met at five locations before making the decision to build a new building at the corner of 7th Avenue and 16th Street. The first Methodist meetings in Moline were held in the cabin of Joel Wells in 1834. The small congregation then began meeting in 1843 at the “Moline House” Hotel worshiping on alternate Sundays with a Lutheran congregation. In 1845, meetings were held in the “new brick schoolhouse” at 16th Street and 4th Avenue where services were held on alternate Sundays with the newly formed First Congregational Church. The first building in Moline used solely as a Methodist Church was erected at the northwest corner of 16th Street and 5th Avenue in 1848. When the congregation outgrew this building, it was sold to the Swedish Methodists and a new church built in 1871 at the present location on the southeast corner of 16th Street and 7th Avenue. The 1871 structure was torn down in 1922 to make room for the current building.
Views of the interior of the original 1923 church. Note the main floor with two aisles and the still existing skylight
A renovation program started in 1948 completely altered the front of the sanctuary to near its present appearance. An additional remodeling project in the mid 1970’s resulted in changes in color and pews, as seen in the lower 2 photos.
The congregation worshiped in the Moline Public Library while the new church was being built. The cornerstone (located on the north west corner) laying ceremony for the new building was held on April 15, 1923. It appears that safety railings were not part of the ceremony for this event!
The exterior of the 1923 Church which was built within 18 months of being first proposed. Early recognizing the need to cultivate the youth of the congregation, a gymnasium was included. The photo in the lower right shows the south side of the original structure, which isn’t seen anymore. It was hidden by the Education wing which was built in the early 1960’s.
The church building has changed over the past 100 years to adapt to the needs of the congregation. One of the most significant changes after the 1948 sanctuary reconfiguration was the addition of the Education wing in 1960. The number of classrooms more than doubled to accommodate the “Baby Boomer” generation in Sunday school. The building was even designed to have a bell tower and a second floor added in the future,. Only the basement and first floor were built.
Life Center - 41st Street
Since the merger of First UMC and Aldersgate UMC in 2000, the former Aldersgate church building became the Riverside Life Center which has housed a variety of ministries, such as Contemporary weekend services, high school youth groups, Young Life, and semi-annual Flea Markets. For the past several years, two independent congregations have used this facility to hold their Sunday services. Updated signage was installed in October 2022 to publicize the activities that occur at the Life Center and to publicize it as a part of Riverside church.
