First United Methodist Church

First United Methodist Church is a Methodist church at 211 North School Street in Normal, IL 61761. It is one of 45 churches in Normal, and one of 4 Methodist congregations in the city.

Connect all people with Jesus Christ.

Located by the campus of Illinois State University, we are home to the United Methodist Wesley Foundation (MERGE) campus ministry. However, we are more than a campus church. We are people of God serving the entire community with ministries that touch individuals of all ages and from many walks of life as we seek to fulfill the vision of the United Methodist Church of “Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors.”

Hearing assistance

211 North School Street, Normal, IL, 61761

Service times

  • Saturday 5pm
  • Sunday 9:30am
  • Thursday 4pm

Phone: (309) 452-2096 · Website: https://normalfumc.org/

Shares a ministry location with Wesley Foundation Campus.

First United Methodist Church is part of the Methodist family of churches in The American Church Story. 1,033 congregations of the Methodist family gather across Illinois — 25,985 across the United States on The Church Map.

Methodism gave the church the class meeting, the circuit rider, and the Sunday school, and gave America the conviction that grace is genuinely for everyone — carried into prisons, mines, and mill towns by preachers who owned almost nothing. Charles Wesley's hymns are still sung in nearly every tradition, most of them by people who have no idea whose they are.

Ministries at First United Methodist Church

  • Food Pantry
  • School Street Pantry

Find First United Methodist Church on The Church Map, explore nearby congregations, and pray for its community.

Upcoming events at First United Methodist Church

  • Mon, Sep 21 · 4:45 PM: Church & Society Committee — First United Methodist Church, Normal, 211 N. School Street, Normal, Illinois, 61761
  • Tue, Sep 22 · 6 PM: Trustees Committee — First United Methodist Church, Normal, 211 N. School Street, Normal, Illinois, 61761
  • Wed, Sep 23 · 6 PM: Men's Ministry Group — First United Methodist Church, Normal, 211 N. School Street, Normal, Illinois, 61761
  • Wed, Sep 23 · 7 PM: Chancel Choir Rehearsal — First United Methodist Church, Normal, 211 N. School Street, Normal, Illinois, 61761
  • Thu, Sep 24 · 12 PM: Slow & Steady Bible Study — First United Methodist Church, Normal, 211 N. School Street, Normal, Illinois, 61761

From First United Methodist Church's public calendar (https://normalfumc.org/). Times are the church's local time.

Watch

Latest from Normal First UMC's YouTube channel: Preparing for Tomorrow by Pastor Kathy King-Nobles, Sept 13, 2026 (all videos).

The community around First United Methodist Church

Within a few blocks of these doors, more than 3 in 10 renting households pay over half of everything they earn just to keep a roof over them. About 2 in 3 the people here live below the poverty line, and nearly half of adults say they are socially isolated. That is two thousand neighbors — and some of them are already in these pews.

Pray for the families one rent increase away from moving, and for this church to know their names.

  • Poverty Rate: 69.3%
  • Social Isolation: 46.0%
  • Food Insecurity: 40.7%
  • Depression: 32.3%
  • Transportation Barriers: 25.7%
  • Utility Shutoff Threat: 18.3%
  • Fair/Poor Health Status: 26.0%
  • Housing Insecurity: 24.2%
  • Unemployment: 8.4% (3.7–13.2%)
  • Obesity: 37.1%
  • Lack of Social/Emotional Support: 28.2%
  • Uninsured Adults 18-64: 13.2%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, CDC PLACES (2019-2023, 2023), aggregated across 3 census tracts near this church.

Normal town is served by 29 churches — about one congregation for every 1,704 residents.

Churches near First United Methodist Church

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See all churches in Normal, IL · All churches in Illinois