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About us
Who are we?
Brainerd United Methodist Church is a traditional church for contemporary people. We offer traditional worship every Sunday at 10:00 A.M. with wonderful music and inspiring messages. Brainerd United Methodist offers a variety of ways for you to serve each other and our community. Our mission is to demonstrate the love of Jesus by welcoming our neighbors, growing disciples, and serving those in
need.
our Staff:
Rev. Tim B. Bracken
Carmen Swigart
Jeff Scofield
Director of Music Ministry
Organist
Debra Wise
Business Manager
Jenny Bacon
Executive Assistant
OUR HIstory
Our Beliefs
Early Beginnings:
The roots of Brainerd United Methodist Church trace back to the 1840s, when small Methodist groups began gathering in the Brainerd area of Chattanooga. In 1895, a congregation that had been meeting in a local schoolhouse purchased land for its own building. This first wood-frame church was known as McFerrin’s Chapel.
As the congregation grew, a new brick building was completed in 1925. By 1955, the church had built a new sanctuary with seating for 1,000 to serve its expanding membership.
Architectural Growth and Additions:
Brainerd UMC’s campus evolved in stages between 1923 and 1961. Highlights include:
1955: Completion of the 1,000-seat sanctuary.
1965: Installation of a Moller organ, along with interior updates such as a new stained-glass window.
1987 & 1991: Enhancements to the organ system, including the addition of the State Trumpet and III Cymbale.
1994: Installation of a new console and conversion to a solid-state action system.
2003: Chancel renovation with stepped seating for the choir and expanded space for musicians.
Mergers and Name Changes:
Over the years, the church has been known by several names, including:
McFerrin Chapel (1896)
Belvoir Park Methodist Episcopal Church, South (1924)
Brainerd Methodist Church or Brainerd Methodist Episcopal Church, South
The current name, Brainerd United Methodist Church, was adopted when the Methodist Church merged with the Evangelical United Brethren, adding “United” to the title.
Community Engagement:
Brainerd UMC has a long tradition of community service, including:
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Hosting a food pantry in partnership with the Chattanooga Food Bank on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month.
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Collaborating with Girls Inc. to offer after-school programs and camps for local girls.
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Providing recreational opportunities such as pickleball and other activities in the church gym.
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Offering event space for family gatherings, complete with a kitchen and dining facilities.
OUR BELIeFS
Our Beliefs
God
There is only one true God who exists eternally in three Persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He lived, died on the cross and rose again. Jesus will come again and make all things new.
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is given by the Father so that believers may have power to live the Christian life. Through the Spirit, the church is unified and empowered to make disciples of all nations.
The Bible
The Bible is God’s word and is the authority for determining our beliefs as Christians. Only in the scriptures do we find a way back to a relationship with God.
Human Beings
God created human beings in His image – male and female. We believe each person is of sacred worth and has the potential for great good. However, we are all in need of God’s grace because of our self-centeredness, which the Bible calls ‘sin’, and which separates us from God and each other.
Salvation
Being restored to a right relationship with God is what the Bible calls salvation. Salvation is a free gift to us – it can never be earned or achieved.
Baptism
Baptism is our initiation into the church and it identifies us as part of a community of faith. Baptism is a sacrament through which we receive grace. We believe that infant baptism is as valid as ‘believers baptism’ because baptism is the work of God. We do believe, however, that each person must choose for themselves to receive the free gift of God.
Holy Communion
The Church has been charged to remember the sacrifice and new life that is ours in Jesus Christ each time we gather at His table. Everyone is welcome at God’s table.
The Christian Life
As Christians in the Wesleyan branch of Christianity, we believe that not only are we to devote ourselves to God in worship, prayer and reading of the scriptures but also we are to do ‘good works’. We are to love our neighbors as we love ourselves and our church. We do these good works not so that we can ‘go to heaven’ but out of gratitude for God’s love for us.
Grace
Grace is God’s free gift to every human being so that we can know God and respond to God’s offer of salvation. Grace is also given so that we can live the life of Jesus in this world.