About Us

 

Peoples United Methodist Church who are you? Who are you in the body of Christ? For 108 years Peoples has been a pillar not only to the African American Community but to theentire community in Colorado Springs as well. The founding fathers of this church had a vision to do God's work. In particular, a man named Frank J. Loper served as an important participant in the building of the church in. Frank J. Loper was born in Mississippi, on the plantation of Jefferson Davis. Mr. Loper came to Colorado Springs in 1886, when the daughter and son-in-law of Jefferson left Mississippi and moved to Colorado Springs. While in Colorado Springs, Mr. Loper connected with a small group of former slaves and the children of former slaves who were said to be loyal and dedicated to God's work, and they began to meet on a regular basis. While they met, they organized and interfaced with individuals who would make their dream of building a church come true.

Sometime later C. W. Holmes was sent to Colorado by the Central Jurisdiction of the Methodist Church to establish Black churches in the area. Rev. Holmes would eventually establish three churches in the Front Range: a church in Pueblo, our own Peoples United Methodist Church, and Scott United Methodist Church in Denver. In 1903, Peoples Methodist Episcopal Church was built.
Throughout the years, the church was blessed and continues growing. During the 1940's, Rev. Mamie Jackson, one of the members, was the only woman to receive her minister's license from the congregation at a time when there were only two women ministers in the Conference. In 1929, Rev. Jackson came to Colorado Springs and wanted to continue her studies to become a schoolteacher, but Blacks were denied teaching privileges in Colorado Springs. While she spent her time at Peoples, Rev. Jackson focused on tithing and taught the importance of seeking God first and giving him your “First Fruits”.
Beginning in the 1950's, Peoples Church began to receive more communal recognition because of the talents and devotion of its members. In 1952, Rev. A.L. Reynolds became the first Black minister to participate in the national radio broadcast of the Eastern Sunrise Service at the Garden of the Gods. A few years later, Rev. R.H. Powell was the minister to have the Air Force Academy Choir sing at the church, and the event was a success. Rev. R.H. Powell served the longest pastorate in the church's history, serving from 1953 to 1962.
In 1965, Peoples Methodist Episcopal Church moved from its original location to 828 E. Boulder St. In 1968, the Evangelical United Brethren Church and the Methodist Church combined, thus creating the United Methodist Church. Peoples Methodist Episcopal Church then became part of the Rocky Mountain United Methodist Church.
In 2001, Peoples United Methodist Church took the initial steps to create and establish a new vision for itself. A strategic plan was created to help the church work towards the fulfillment of the vision, which included finding a new church location. In February of 2006, P.U.M.C's prayers were answered when PUMC purchased a new church on 5 acres at 5110 Tamlin Road Colorado Springs, Co. 80938.
“Building a Brighter future” is a vision statement used by the congregation of Peoples to help stimulate church growth and spiritual development. Peoples' history has been exciting, renewing, transitional, successful, confusing, trying, hopeful, insightful, and strong. We praise God for Peoples and its members, and for its glorious past and what surely will be a great future.