Who We Are

Welcome! Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church is a deeply rooted and growing congregation of Christians located on Emory University’s campus in the historic Druid Hills neighborhood of Atlanta. We are a multi-generational church with members ranging in age from babies to centenarians. Through worship, Christian education/spiritual formation, service/social justice, and hospitality/outreach, we offer ministries that foster a sense of connectedness and belonging for all.

We are a Christian community committed to loving God and loving neighbor with our whole selves - heart, mind, soul, and strength. As Jesus loved those around him, we believe that all persons are of sacred worth and dignity as part of God’s creation. We welcome all persons into the full life and ministry of our congregation, regardless of race, culture, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, family or socioeconomic status, education, politics, physical or mental ability, or faith history.

As a United Methodist congregation, we trace our roots back to the Reverends John & Charles Wesley, Anglican priests in the Church of England in the 1700s. Societies of "Methodists"– so called because the members followed a daily routine of religious observance and social work – were formed, spreading to Ireland and then to America where it officially became its own denomination in 1784. Today United Methodist membership stands at around 9 million people worldwide.

For United Methodists, social consciousness has always gone hand in hand with faith. We believe, as Wesley put it, "that the world is our parish," and that “the gospel of Jesus Christ knows no holiness except social holiness.” We cherish an ecumenical tradition and work together with other Christian denominations as well as other religions, especially our partnerships with Emory University’s Office of Spirituality & Religious Life.

Our History

On January 11, 1920, 57 people met to express their desire to become a Methodist congregation on the new Druid Hills campus of Emory University. The preacher that day was Bishop Warren A. Candler, brother of Asa G. Candler, the founder of the Coca-Cola Company. On February 15, 1920, the Emory University Methodist Church was formally organized.
 
The chapel in the university’s Candler School of Theology was the congregation’s first home. In 1930, a decision was made to build a beautiful new sanctuary on the campus. As plans unfolded, the members learned that the new building would be a memorial to the Rev. Wilbur Fisk Glenn, an Emory alumnus who for fifty years had been a Methodist minister and a leader of the church in the South.

On October 4, 1931, the congregation held its first service in the new building, Glenn Memorial sanctuary. A university publication reported, "At last the campus and the community have a real church edifice in which to worship, and for a few years, at least, Emory will have an auditorium large enough to accommodate its graduation exercises, musical concerts, and lectures." More than 90 years later, Glenn and Emory still share this space, which has been the basis of a strong and ever-growing relationship, hosting Commencement events, special academic services, as well as guest speakers, concerts, and memorial services - most notably in recent years, partnering with The Carter Center for a memorial service for First Lady Rosalynn Carter.

The Church School Building was dedicated in 1940 and created a space for administrative offices, Sunday School rooms, and The Little Chapel. In 1950, members of Glenn Memorial began a Kindergarten that became The Glenn School for Young Children serving the Druid Hills community as a beloved half-day preschool for 75 years now. In 1963, the Youth Building on the other side of North Decatur Road was consecrated. Now called the Youth and Activities Building, the YAAB made it possible for the youth of Glenn and the surrounding neighborhoods to engage in community and social activities, including our Glenn Hoops Basketball ministry, our annual pumpkin patch, and hosting space for local community organizations, including Scouts.

In 2014, the congregation became a member of the Reconciling Ministries Network for full LGBTQ inclusion, and in 2015 the congregation was awarded the Emory University Office of LGBTQ Life’s Outstanding Ally of the Year Award. We celebrated the 2024 General Conference of the United Methodist Church affirming rites and rights to all persons.

Glenn sits on the traditional land of the Mvskoke (Muscogee/Creek) Peoples past and present. We will work to increase the understanding of the history of Indigenous people who originally lived on this land, as well as the current challenges faced by the Muscogee/Creek peoples.

Glenn is, has been and will continue to be a place of openness and welcome as we strive to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. May God guide us into the future as we seek to be a community of Christian faith dedicated to loving God and loving neighbor.

View short videos on our Little Chapel and Church School Building amphitheater produced by Emory in celebration of its 175th anniversary in 2011. 

View short videos of conversations with Glenn members to get to know the congregation and ministries.