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REV. JACOB ADRIANCE
AND THE EARLY GOLDEN CHURCH |
History Home | Pastors and Ministers Home | Senior Pastors | Rev. Jacob Adriance The Beginnings of Golden Methodism | Additional Information
| The Beginnings of Golden Methodism! | |
| The Methodist-Episcopal Church in what was then known as Golden City (Golden, Colorado) was founded by Rev. Jacob Adriance and Rev. W. H. Goode on July 17, 1859. Adriance was a pioneer Methodist minister sent to what would become the Colorado Territory following the discovery of gold in Cherry Creek and at Gregory's Diggings (near what is now Central City and Blackhawk). News of these discoveries and reports of a vast army of gold-seekers streaming into the Denver, Golden City, and Gregory's Diggings areas made its way down the Platte River to Omaha where the Fourth Annual Kansas Nebraska Methodist Conference was in session. The conference decided to send Reverands Goode and Adriance into the Rocky Mountain region to care for the spiritual needs of the gold-hungry horde. Adriance and Goode set out for Colorado's gold fields on May 30, 1859, and arrived in Denver on June 28, 1859. |
 Rev. Jacob Adriance |
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"I'm a strange man in a strange country with strange people!" -from Jacob Adriance's diary! |
Their first service was held July 3, 1859 on the streets of Denver where they "sang up" a crowd and Adriance preached. The following day- Monday, July 4, 1859- Adriance conducted the first service in Golden City. Some gamblers kindly allowed the young minister- just 23 years old- to use their combined gambling tent and saloon for one hour. A whiskey barrel served as the pulpit! On July 10, 1859, Adriance and Goode held services in Central City and there organized St. James Methodist-Episcopal Church, the first Protestant Church in Colorado! On the following Sunday, July 17, 1859, they returned to Golden City and organized Golden's Methodist-Episcopal Church! Additional details on the organizing of the Golden church are available here [click]. |
Rev. Adriance wrote in his diary that he was
"...a strange man in a strange country with strange people. Gambling seems to be the big pasttime of the men, seven days a week, with the shooting of a man once in awhile not out of place."A later word from Adriance's diary bears repeating just for the human interest involved. On August 21, 1859, he preached from a big tent at 2:30 in the afternoon. Of this he said, "...good attention, although one whiskey keg turned up for a seat was discharging freely, Brother Pickle, the occupant, thinking it best to let it run."A Great Heritage! What Jacob Adriance established in 1859 has become a great heritage for Golden's First United Methodist Church! Interestingly, one of Adriance's prayers remains a timely prayer for our own time! It lives on at Golden First UMC as we dedicate ourselves to the love of Christ and to the service to others: "Oh that God will bless the planting of His church here! To God belongs the the praise! Yours for the prosperity of Zion, Jacob Adriance." |
| Additional Information The story of Rev. Jacob Adrince is the story of a devout Christian. Learn more about Jacob's childhood, his call to ministry, and his experiences as a Methodist circuit rider in | |
| Rev. Jacob Adriance | |
| Additional details concerning Rev. Adriance and the organization of the Golden City Methodist-Episcopal Church are available in this manuscript written by Rev. Vern L. Klingman in 1949: | |
| Before Organization to 1880 | |
| Rev. Adriance participated in the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Golden Methodist-Episcopal Church in July, 1909. The brochure for this event is online here: | |
| Heritage Sunday, July 18, 1909 | |
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Last Revised: March 30, 2005.