One people.
Many places.
Beloved,
Together, we’re going to make a lasting difference for the sake of love and liberation. With faith, imagination, and a bit of ingenuity, God is creating something new in Greater Boston. Building from the rich histories of four legacy congregations, we’re pleased to announce the formation of the Union Combined Parish, a multi-site church dedicated to flourishing, equity, and justice.
Launched on January 1, 2024, this merger is so much more than a new structure or brand—it offers a new way of being church altogether. By joining together and pooling resources, this first of its kind merger marks the renewal of United Methodist ministry and mission, particularly in seeking housing and food justice. With hundreds of committed do-gooders, four church buildings, and three residences, we are creating a new sense of home where everyone has a seat at the table.
Over the past few years, we’ve learned, often painfully, that life is fragile. The unprecedented coronavirus pandemic and global lockdown, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the loss of a quarter of U.S. congregations from our denomination have taught us that we can no longer do things “the way we’ve always done them.” In this light, we’ve been innovating and imagining all that is possible.
So let’s live into the endless possibilities—together.
In love and liberation,
The Rev. Jay Williams, Ph.D.
Lead Pastor
Scroll horizontally to learn more about our locations.
Union Church
South End, Boston
Union United Methodist Church is a historically Black and contemporarily multicultural congregation with roots in the pre-Civil War abolitionist movement. Originally a part of a racially segregated church on Beacon Hill, the congregation organized in 1796, incorporated in 1818, and settled in the South End in 1949. During the urban renewal of the 1970s, Union led the development of Meth-Union Manor, a four-building, 149-unit cooperative that bears the church’s name. The Parish is headquartered in Union’s 1872 high Victorian Gothic Revival sanctuary, the last remaining black church in the South End. Union’s Roxbury parsonage, the Hilda Evans House, was converted in 2021 into student housing for seminarians.
Old West Church
West End, Boston
Old West Church is a historically white congregation, established in order to proclaim truth to power on Boston’s Beacon Hill. Its 1806 Federalist building, which sits footsteps away from City Hall, Mass General Hospital, and the Boston African American National Historic Site. The “West Church” joins Old North and Old South Church as the churches named for the cardinal directions that played crucial roles in early Boston. The United Methodist congregation was formed in 1964 and took possession of the building that was a public library for decades. Old West retains its “brand name” as a part of the Union Combined Parish.
Community Church
Brighton, Boston
Community Church is located in the vibrant Brighton township of Boston. Created in 1977 from the merger of Allston Methodist (1872) and Oak Square Methodist (1912), this multi-ethnic congregation invested in the urban renewal/affordable housing project that became Charlesview Inc. The small wooden church was constructed in 1911 following the 1906 Oak Square Tent Meetings. The adjacent parsonage has been home to the Brighton Methodist House since September 2023.
Glendale Church
Everett, MA
Glendale Church is a historically white congregation in the now-ethnically diverse “gateway city” of Everett. On Sundays, members of this legacy congregation (with most members of New Foundlander and Nova Scotian heritage) gather as a small group “class meeting.” The granite edifice — third building on the site — was dedicated on March 1, 1925. Family UMC, a Portuguese-speaking Brazilian congregation, currently gathers at Glendale while their Saugus building undergoes emergency repairs. The adjacent parsonage will be the future home of emergency, transitional housing.
Watch the launch video.
The Ministerial Team includes the Rev. Jane Lawrence, Minister of Congregational Care; J.J. Martinez, Minister of Creative Engagement; and Solomon Teye Alipoh, Minister of Radical Hospitality. The Rev. Nikki Renée and the Rev. Ashely Renée join the Union Combined Parish as Clergy-in-Residence. Meet our entire team.