The first Methodist service in Columbia Township took place in 1818 in the home of the Widow Burke, and Methodists continued meeting in homes until 1830, when the first dedicated house of worship in Lorain County was completed on this spot. That building was replaced by the existing structure in 1905. Religion played a vital role in the lives of Lorain County’s first pioneers by providing much-needed spiritual guidance and social gatherings, and in the early days circuit-riding Methodist preachers braved the wilderness and the elements to serve these pioneer communities, continuing 200 years of Methodism in Columbia Township.