How it all started...
Organized in 1871 as the California Street Methodist Episcopal Church, Christ Church began as an extension of Trinity UMC created to reach a new neighborhood. We kept moving as the city of Denver grew, launching Simpson UMC and selling one property to Scott UMC. We finally landed in our 3rd and current location in 1927, when Colorado Boulevard was a dirt road with horses and fruit trees. The education building was added in the late 1950s. We are proud of our pipe organ, stunning acoustics and original stained glass. The Rabboni window was the city's first to be illuminated, earning us the nickname "Church of the Lighted Window." We embrace a liberal theological tradition and are closely associated with Iliff School of Theology.
Expanding the vision...
Social justice has always been a cornerstone of this community of faith: from welcoming the Black Panthers to discuss race relations in the 1960’s, to hosting Latin-X immigrant workers in the 1970’s, and partnering with Russian immigrants in the 1980’s. In the last 40 years, we have focused on radical inclusion , specifically with the 2SLGBTQ+ community. We are proud to host the Denver Gay Men's Chorus, Denver Women's Chorus, and Rocky Mountain Rainbeaus (square dancers), as well as many other groups, in our facility.
Where we are headed...
Although we are proud of our roots and the journey this faith community has traveled in the past 150+ years, we are not satisifed to sit back and congratulate ourselves. There is still MUCH work to be done in the city of Denver and the surrounding neighborhoods. We are especially interested in food security, affordable housing, expanding emotional and mental health resources, and fighting the rising tides of white supremacy, Christian Nationalism, social isolation and homo- and transphobia.
