About Us
Glendale First United Methodist Church is
located in the heart of Glendale, California.
“We are called to be Christ’s love in this world,
healing mind, body, and spirit.”
All people are welcome at GFUMC. We focus on reading scripture and growing our spirituality, while also going out into the community and the world in service.
Our pastors are Rev. Dr. Angela Galanis Price, Senior Pastor, and Rev. Stephanie Rice, Associate Pastor. Find out more about our staff here.
Clergy
Rev. Dr. Angela Galanis Price
Senior Pastor
Pastor Angela is the Senior Pastor at Glendale First United Methodist Church. She holds a Master of Divinity with an emphasis in Family Pastoral Care and Counseling from Fuller Theological Seminary (2009) and a Doctor of Ministry in Spiritual Renewal, Contemplative Practice, and Strategic Leadership from Claremont School of Theology (2021). In 2023, she completed a certification in Church Planting, also from Fuller. She currently serves on the Board of Ordained Ministry for the California-
Pacific Conference of the UMC.
A Greek-American, Pastor Angela is fluent in Greek and enjoys preaching from the New Testament's original Greek, focusing on Jesus' ministry of love and justice. She is supported by her husband, James, their black cat, and copious amounts of coffee. In her leisure time, she might be found gaming, watching Star Trek, or immersed in the world of Harry Potter.
Rev. Stephanie Rice
Associate Pastor
Rev. Stephanie Rice is the Associate Pastor at Glendale First UMC. She is an Ordained Elder in the California-Pacific Conference of the United Methodist Church and has served in the local church, as well as higher education ministries. She serves as a Co-Chair of the Cal-Pac Commission on the Status and Role of Women, which challenges the institutional church to work toward equity for all people in and outside the church. She received her Master of Divinity degree from Claremont School of Theology and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism
from the University of Richmond. She
specializes in church communications
and administration.
She is passionate about helping all people understand they are loved
by God and spurring them to share
that love with others to create a more kind and just world. In her free time, Pastor Stephanie likes to crochet, swim, read, and spend time with her son.
Staff
Our Christian Beliefs
God
God, who is one, is revealed in
three distinct persons.
Jesus
We believe in the mystery of salvation through Jesus Christ. God became human in Jesus whose life, death and resurrection demonstrate God's redeeming love.
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is God's present activity in our midst. When we sense God's leading, God's challenge, or God's support or comfort, it's the Holy Spirit at work.
Human Beings
Genesis 1:27 asserts that we've been made in the image of the Creator. Like God we have the capacity to love and care, to communicate, and to create.
The Church
The church is the body of Christ, an extension of Christ's life and
ministry in the world today.
The Bible
We believe that the Bible is the primary authority for our faith and practice.
God’s Reign
The kingdom or reign of God is both a present reality and future hope.
God
God, who is one, is revealed in
three distinct persons.
Jesus
We believe in the mystery of salvation through Jesus Christ. God became human in Jesus whose life, death and resurrection demonstrate God's redeeming love.
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is God's present activity in our midst. When we sense God's leading, God's challenge, or God's support or comfort, it's the Holy Spirit at work.
Human Beings
Genesis 1:27 asserts that we've been made in the image of the Creator. Like God we have the capacity to love and care, to communicate, and to create.
The Church
The church is the body of Christ, an extension of Christ's life and
ministry in the world today.
The Bible
We believe that the Bible is the primary authority for our faith and practice.
God’s Reign
The kingdom or reign of God is both a present reality and future hope.
Our Social Principles
Taking an active stance in society is nothing new for followers of John Wesley. He set the example for us to combine personal and social piety. Ever since predecessor churches to United Methodism flourished in the United States, we have been known as a denomination involved with people's lives, with political and social struggles, having local to international mission implications. Such involvement is an expression of the personal change we experience in our baptism and conversion.
Our Social Principles
Taking an active stance in society is nothing new for followers of John Wesley. He set the example for us to combine personal and social piety. Ever since predecessor churches to United Methodism flourished in the United States, we have been known as a denomination involved with people's lives, with political and social struggles, having local to international mission implications. Such involvement is an expression of the personal change we experience in our baptism and conversion.
Our Social
Principles
Taking an active stance in society is nothing new for followers of John Wesley. He set the example for us to combine personal and social piety. Ever since predecessor churches to United Methodism flourished in the United States, we have been known as a denomination involved with people's lives, with political and social struggles, having local to international mission implications. Such involvement is an expression of the personal change we experience in our baptism and conversion.
How It All Started
In 1903 the Pasadena District Superintendent met with 34 people and Pastor Charles Russell Norton and created Glendale Methodist Episcopal Church. Then in 1917, after less than one year of construction the church dedicated the church building on Wilson and Kenwood, now known as the Education Building.
More buildings, additions, and construction followed with the current sanctuary opening in the 1960s. This decade would also see a name change to Glendale First United Methodist Church, along with explosive growth. Many pastors, district superintendents, and even bishops began their spiritual journeys at GFUMC.
Today, we continue this legacy by engaging in intentional discipleship and leadership development. We also continue to seek how we can use our buildings and campus to care for others and be in service to our community.
How It All Started
In 1903 the Pasadena District Superintendent met with 34 people and Pastor Charles Russell Norton and created Glendale Methodist Episcopal Church. Then in 1917, after less than one year of construction the church dedicated the church building on Wilson and Kenwood, now known as the Education Building.
More buildings, additions, and construction followed with the current sanctuary opening in the 1960s. This decade would also see a name change to Glendale First United Methodist Church, along with explosive growth. Many pastors, district superintendents, and even bishops began their spiritual journeys at GFUMC.
Today, we continue this legacy by engaging in intentional discipleship and leadership development. We also continue to seek how we can use our buildings and campus to care for others and be in service to our community.
Today, we continue this legacy by engaging in intentional discipleship and leadership development. We also continue to seek how we can use our buildings and campus to care for others and be in service to our community.
In 1903 the Pasadena District Superintendent met with 34 people and Pastor Charles Russell Norton and created Glendale Methodist Episcopal Church. Then in 1917, after less than one year of construction the church dedicated the church building on Wilson and Kenwood, now known as the Education Building.
More buildings, additions, and construction followed with the current sanctuary opening in the 1960s. This decade would also see a name change to Glendale First United Methodist Church, along with explosive growth. Many pastors, district superintendents, and even bishops began their spiritual journeys at GFUMC.
