Church History

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Pastor Warren Beaven came to Bellport Methodist in 1991. Soon thereafter we had a fire, and had to re-build. As it says in Palms: "Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain." The Lord built the house, and the many of us who labored, did not labor in vain. This is what Warren wrote in 2004. He is now pastor of the Huntington United Methodist Church.

 

In 1857 Mrs. Carolyn Young Petty lived in Bellport across from the village dock. She had been traveling to Moriches to worship with a group of Methodists, when she decided that Bellport needed a similar Christian presence. She invited her neighbors into her home for Bible study, song, and prayer. Soon they started serving the physical needs of those who lived around them. What began a century and a half ago continues even today.

 

When we re-built the church building in 2001, we purposely designed a room that had the same southern exposure as Mother Petty's parlor. We called it the Gathering area, and we envisioned a place where newcomers are welcomed. Like Mrs. Petty's contemporaries, we try to meet the physical and spiritual needs of our neighbors. We provide opportunites for people to talk about their faith, and to put faith in practise. We host groups that are helping people develop their bodies, minds, and souls. We have groups of people going out into the community to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, and assist those recovering from alcohol and drug addictions. We pray that the spirit of Christ will come among us and connect us today.