• Brief History

The history of St. Paul's spans one half century. Located on the corner of Tenth and San Salvador Streets in downtown San Jose, California, St. Paul's United Methodist Church is the result of the combination of Centella Methodist Church and St. Paul Methodist church over fifty years ago. The church's name became St. Paul's Methodist Church after the two churches combined, and became St. Paul's United Methodist Church when the church became a part of the United Methodist Connectional Church Conference. St. Paul's UMC is an ever-changing community, continually seeking to meet the needs of its surrounding community, and its members and constituents. To that end the House Next Door, also owned by the church, has over the years and at various times served to meet the needs of the church's programs, its members, and the community. In the year 2000, the St. Paul's community discovered a way to preserve the "Centella" identity of the Church's history, and decided to name the House Next Door "Centella House". Centella Methodist church, evolving from a Mission Sunday School sponsored by First Methodist Church, began as a small chapel named in honor of Centella Grace McColl who died at the age of eight years old. Her family was a benefactor of that chapel, contributing the original funding for the building of the chapel in her memory. Centella House is now leased to InnVision, a community program that provides housing for the homeless. That program has "rehabilitated" the "House", and it now provides a home for several highly functional and employable residents in need of a hand up in order to reestablish their places in society. By partnering with InnVision, St. Paul's UMC continues its tradition of being in service to the community.

• Mission Statement
  
  St. Paul's United Methodist Church seeks to be a diverse community of God's love where each person has value.

• Vision Statement
  
  We worship, serve and celebrate. We seek to become a church empowered by the Holy Spirit so we may love one another as Christ loves us and create a world of peace and justice.

• Ideas Leading to Spiritual Growth
  
  Why Christianity Now?
  
  - Something is wrong...you sense it.
  - You feel a quiet uneasiness that things are not going well.
  - Maybe you are convinced that evil is winning. The Christian battle is over...The good guys have lost.
  - You entertain a general feeling of hopelessness.
  
  Each of the above states of mind can quite often creep into our psyche and make us feel shattered, confused and depressed. At such troubling times, many do not know where to turn or, more over, even have a place or a person to whom they can turn. The bottom line...the unswerving truth is: there are no easy answers to such paradoxical states of mind. In spite of our best and ardent efforts, things go wrong in our lives. Yes, evil does exist in this world. And yes it all can at times make us feel helpless and hopeless. It is at times like these that we who profess to be Christians feel strongly that we must hold steadfast to what Jesus taught us... hold on to our faith. Even if that faith is only as small as a mustered seed, we must hold on because if nourished and nurtured the mustered seed will grow.
  
  Why not St. Paul's?
  
  We at St. Paul's do not have all the answers. It would be presumption personified to even think so. But what we do have is a small, friendly, and struggling congregation committed to being a Christian gathering place in downtown San Jose. We have a vision of inclusion that welcomes all people into the church family. This welcome extends to diverse people of all races and sexual orientations and to anyone who feels excluded or unwelcomed at other mainstream churches. We worship God in the Methodist tradition, but people of all denominations are welcome. Church life includes opportunities for worship, discussion and spiritual growth, opportunities for service to the greater community, and fellowship with other Christians. Please see the Events Calendar page for greater detail of activities.
  
  How to Contact Us
  
  Visiting a new church can sometimes be a difficult decision to make. We understand. So our invitation to you is simple and direct. Visit our Adult Sunday school which begins at 9:00 AM or visit our regular Sunday worship at 10:30 AM and experience the warmth, diversity, and friendliness. If you prefer, you may request an appointment with the pastor or a church member by phoning the church office at (408) 294-4564. You can e-mail us at stpaulsumc@stpaulsumcsj.com .
  

• UMW
  
  The United Methodist Church provides growth, latitude, and opportunity for women through its organized unit of United Methodist Women. It is a long standing, well respected organization whose expressed mission and purpose is to know God and to experience freedom as whole persons through Jesus Christ; to develop a creative, supportive fellowship; and to expand concepts of mission through participation in the global ministries of the church. St. Paul's UMW meets the 3rd Sunday of each month at the church. For more information regarding UMW and related activities, visit the San Jose District United Methodist Women's website at: www.gbgm-umc.org/sjdumw
  
  An Invitation to Join
  
  If you are a woman who feels she has gifts which are wasted or undeveloped, who finds meaning in the fellowship of her church, who juggles job and family while trying to be faithful to both, who wants to be accepted for who she is, whose life is filled with activity and obligations, who needs a supportive community to help affirm her own sense of purpose and commitment to God...then St. Paul's United Methodist Women invite you to membership with them. Here you will find a community of women who are: faithful, purposeful, supportive, responsive, global, and unique.