Our History

About our Churches

Livingston, Montfort & Cobb became one charge in 2019. Three churches. One story. In 2019, Livingston, Montfort, and Cobb became one charge. In 2026, the congregations of Montfort and Cobb voted unanimously to merge, forming Living Faith United Methodist Church effective July 1, 2026. Livingston UMC remains part of the pastoral charge. The stories below belong to all of us.

Livingston UMC

The Methodist Episcopal Church of Livingston began in 1882 with the Rev. Bachman the circuit rider. He came from Montfort and preached the first sermon in Livingston from the new railroad depot. He attracted a crowd, and enough interest for a Methodist class to be established. The church was erected in 1883 and dedicated in 1884, on land donated by Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Livingston. In 1903 the church was remodeled and in 1915 enlarged. In 1917 the circuit was dropped, and a ministry established in Livingston who also took charge of the Rock church. On April 29, 1920, the present parsonage was completed, the current pastor was Rev. Pierstoff. Much of the current church furniture, including the present church windows (purchased from the Dodge Church new Bloomington), was given and installed in 1938 after a fire resulting from defective wiring damaged the building. In the early 1982 the fellowship hall, Sunday school classrooms and office addition was added.

Montfort UMC

In 1837, Rev. Crummer was the first preacher on the Platteville Methodist Circuit to make his way to the Montfort area. In the early years before the organized church was started, the people were served by itinerate ministers or missionaries such as Rev. Crummer & in 1841 F.M. Fullerton. The Methodist Episcopal Church was officially organized in Montfort in 1845 & the first frame church was built near the cemetery in 1850. This was soon sold for a one room school house & a new church was built on East Main Street while Rev. Sims was pastor in 1863. He stayed until 1865, as the early pastors didn’t stay long at a charge. 1881 brought Rev. Bachman who also preached at Livingston, Rock Church & Washburn (aka Arthur) to name a few. And from 1881-1919 the Montfort pastors also served the Livingston & Rock Churches. Then in 1942, while Rev. Campbell was pastor, the Montfort & Cobb churches were combined on a circuit. Rev. Campbell even preached at Stitzer for a while but he died quite suddenly while serving as pastor. The second half of the 20th century brought pastors that stayed for a longer while, seeing 4 or 5 years at the charge. They also had large influences on the state of the building, as Rev. Long saw the old church painted, interior redecorated & new furnaces installed between 1950-57. Rev. Soldner (1957-1961) emphasized need for a larger church & saw renovation plans replaced by a congregation’s commitment to build a new church. Rev. Mattke (1961-1965) saw the new church erected, dedicated & consecrated during his tenure. 1971 brought about Rev. Hagen (1971-1990) who spent a record 19 years as the pastor! Rev. McDonald (1990-1996) was the first female pastor to be followed by the second, Rev. Gorman from 1996-99. Each pastor is remembered for their unique gifts to the church.

Cobb UMC

The first meetings of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the Cobb area were held in the town hall and conducted by T. M. Fullerton, who was the first circuit rider to visit the area. In 1876, they decided they should have a church building. Daniel Zimmer, Sr. gave them a lot in the cemetery for $1.00. It was a plain building with steps leading up to the door and no steeple. The only added attraction was a round, glass window above the door. The cemetery location served until 1897 when it was decided to move the building to Cobb. The first church in Cobb was set on a rock foundation. There was no basement but this building would serve the congregation until 1972—after undergoing many remodeling projects and additions. In 1950, membership was increased by the addition of former members of the Presbyterian Church which had closed. They became a major part of our church. The chalice they brought with them is still used in our Methodist communion services today. By 1970, it was becoming evident that the old church would need extensive repairs. The cornerstone of the present church was installed in September 1972, and the building was consecrated on November 12, 1972. The builder had agreed to let members help with the construction. A core of women met every day to paint and finish woodwork. Others purchased draperies and various other items necessary for the building. An effort was made to use items from the old church. The stained glass window above the doors leading into the sanctuary had been covered up during a remodel. It was recovered, refinished and soon placed where it was meant to be. Funds for the church and parking lot came from many sources. And not only did church members pledge, but many friends contributed so the church debt was paid off early.

The Next Chapter Begins

The three churches shared circuit riders going all the way back to the 1880s. Rev. Bachman preached at both Montfort & Livingston. Montfort & Cobb were combined on a circuit in 1942. The connections were always there.

In 2019, Livingston, Montfort & Cobb officially became one charge under one pastor.

In 2023, Rev. Kristen Lowe ran a full analysis on the state of the three churches. She pulled the attendance trends, the giving numbers & the financial trajectory and laid it all out for the congregations. Attendance was declining. Giving was shrinking. The path they were on had an end to it, & she said so. Rev. Lowe ignited the spark that carried this conversation forward long after she left the charge.

By spring of 2025 the congregations of Montfort & Cobb independently voted & passed unanimous resolutions to explore merging. Over the summer the boards broke into teams to walk through each building & answer the question: "If this church is the future home, what do we need to address first?" Board chairs went out & solicited quotes for the biggest concerns.

In September 2025 a Unified Ad Board was formed with members from both congregations. Through the fall the board examined leadership roles, reviewed finances & conducted an anonymous preference poll on the building question. The Board of Trustees spent a Saturday in December traveling to the churches to evaluate every concern firsthand.

In January 2026 the poll results & trustee findings were presented. The congregations needed to see the full picture for themselves. Pastor Joel Muiller put together detailed information packets covering budgets, buildings, membership & what a merger would actually look like. Two Ministry Alignment Informational Sessions were held. Forty-eight people showed up to the first one alone.

The vote to merge was unanimous.

On June 24, 2026, the professing members of Montfort UMC & Cobb UMC gathered at the Montfort building for a Church Conference. District Superintendent Rev. Barb Certa-Werner presided. Both congregations voted to discontinue their churches. A name ballot was passed out & the members chose Living Faith. Officers were elected that same night & the District Superintendent declared the new church properly constituted before everyone went home.

Living Faith United Methodist Church officially began on July 1, 2026. All the property, records, memorial funds & membership of both former churches came with it. Livingston UMC remains part of the pastoral charge & worships alongside Living Faith on a rotating schedule. The Montfort building serves as the administrative home.

The stories above go back almost 200 years. This one is just getting started.