Thanks for checking us out!

At Central Church, we care deeply about all people because God cares deeply about all people.  He desires a personal relationship with each one of us.

We are imperfect people, seeking to be authentic on our faith journeys together in this corner of the Tri-Cities, in Eastern Washington.

We believe it's possible to every day show Jesus Christ's amazing love for all people and share that story to as many people as possible: Locally, nationally and internationally.

At our core, we practice United Methodist "disciplines". In our past, we charted with five denominations to become United Protestant Church. In reality, we are simply Christians trying to live out our faith without labels and follow the Bible as our handbook for living.

We invite you to join us as you explore your faith. As you develop relationships with other people and, as you seek to play out a life of making a difference, you will discover what we all are discovering:  There is a goal higher than living for yourself!

This is Central Church. The invitation is open: Come worship God with us!

 Central is a place where you can come to:

• Connect with the Lord and others who love the Lord.
• Participate in worship and many other activities with your church family.
• Learn about God, the Christian faith and  Grow in your faith and love for Him.
• Transform your mind, body and spirit and learn to "Show God's love and tell His story"!

 Our Beliefs and Values: A word about the Confessing Movement

The Confessing Movement is a witness by United Methodist lay men and women, clergy and congregations who pledge un-equivocal and confident allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ according to "The faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3) and seek to work for biblical renewal and doctrinal faithfulness in the life of our church. Visit their website at: www.confessingumc.org

We believe in God, Creator of the world; and in Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of creation. We believe in the Holy Spirit, through whom we acknowledge God's gifts , and we repent of our sin in misusing these gifts to idolatrous ends.  To explore Central's Values click here. These define for us what we will pursue as a community of believers to become what we believe God has called us to be in his Kingdom.

Early Central Church History

Central United Protestant Church had its origins in a feed store in 1905. The faith of our pioneer fathers, their work, prayers and vision helped lay the foundation for the church now being censecrated. W.R. lambs organized a Union Sunday School with bales of hay used for seats. In 1915, a new church building -  The Community Methodist Church -  was completed. It was located near the present site of the Southside United Protestant Church.

The First United Protestant Church

Early in 1943 all property in the small community of Richland was purchased by the United States government. This included the Community Methodist Church building, which was torn down in 1945. The church received $5,600.

The pastor of the Community Methodist Church, Rev. R Kenneth Bell, and the district superintendent, Rev. Frederick Pedersen, discussed with Lt. Col. Mathias and Lt. Col. Kadlec the need for a larger church building and expanded program for the rapid influx of population. In June of 1943, the State Council of Churches voted that the Methodist Church be allocated the work in Richland to conduct an inter-denominational program. The church would represent eleven cooperating denominations and would be called United Protestant Church.

After meeting first in the old Community church, then various school buildings, a new Army chapel was completed by the government in December of 1944. The building was rented from the Atomic Energy Commission until 1954 when the government properties were offered for sale. The purchase of the church property by Central for $20,230 represented the first sale of real estate in Richland by the government and was the first major investment for the church.