About Our Community
The mission Hillside UMC is "To share and experience our faith in God through Jesus Christ. To serve one another and our community, welcoming all who come through our doors." Throughout our life at Hillside, we seek to embody this mission, living it out in all that we do, from worship on Sunday mornings to our service in the community, throughout the week and in our daily lives. Hillside UMC is a community of people who function as a family. Members of the church truly care for one another. There are a number of events that occur throughout the week to encourage fellowship, deepening connections with others, and spiritual growth. Each week we offer a Children's Message as a part of our worship service and have a time of learning and crafts during worship. In addition, We have a United Methodist Men's group, weekly Choir Rehearsal, weekly Bible Study and much more. For up to date information on our community's activities, please see our calendar here.
About Our Pastor
Our Pastor, Durwood Sargent, joined the community at Hillside UMC in July of 2013. This is his first Pastoral assignment. He is a lifelong New Hampshire Methodist from baptism in North Haverhill in 1944 to his present membership at Bow Mills UMC in Bow,NH. He became a Layspeaker in 1987 and has served as a pulpit supply Layspeaker for five churches in New Hampshire and one in New York since that time. He has served as Layleader, Lay member to annual conference and other positions in the in the local church. He also served in positions of leadership in the UM New Hampshire Conference and UM Northern New Hampshire District. He has been an active participant in UM Men’s organization and mission including the Society of St. Andrew Project.
Pastor Sargent is actively engaged in many organizations including the Goffstown Rotary Club (past president), Goffstown Clergy Association (present president), Greater Goffstown Salvation Army and Relay for Life-Claremont Team co-captain.
Pastor Sargent’s passions are in advocacy for and mission to the most vulnerable in our society and the greater world. He has a son Craig and Daughter-in-law Sandy that live in Bow with their two children Ali and Thomas. His daughter Jennifer, husband Bill and sons Kyle and Carrson also live in Bow. Pastor Sargent married his wife Sharon on May 12th, 2017 and has moved from Bow to Goffstown.
Pastor Sargent is actively engaged in many organizations including the Goffstown Rotary Club (past president), Goffstown Clergy Association (present president), Greater Goffstown Salvation Army and Relay for Life-Claremont Team co-captain.
Pastor Sargent’s passions are in advocacy for and mission to the most vulnerable in our society and the greater world. He has a son Craig and Daughter-in-law Sandy that live in Bow with their two children Ali and Thomas. His daughter Jennifer, husband Bill and sons Kyle and Carrson also live in Bow. Pastor Sargent married his wife Sharon on May 12th, 2017 and has moved from Bow to Goffstown.
Our Church History
In 1842, Rev. E. K. Baily was pastor of First Baptist Church located in (Goffstown) Amoskeag Village (which was annexed by Manchester in 1853). The church was in its greatest season of prosperity, and membership numbered one-hundred and fifty members. Like other ministers of the town of Goffstown, Rev. Baily had a great fear for his church, on account of a woman preacher who was drawing large audiences from his, as well as the other churches.
Miss Clementine Parker came to Goffstown in 1841 and began preaching in the old meeting house at Grasmere, which was the center of Goffstown at the time. She claimed to be independent of all churches, but had formerly been a Methodist. The Rev. Isaac Willey said: "Her hearers increased until she had an audience of nearly one thousand persons. In the spring of 1842 more than one half of the voters in town, and nearly all those who had never been willing to support any other preacher, came to her support." Near the close of her labors, she advised her converts to form a Methodist church. Some dissatisfaction arose, in regards to the occupation of the Congregations Church at the Center, by her followers, whereupon, Samuel Little and Capt. Joseph Sargent purchased the building.
In the autumn of 1842 a Methodist Society was organized, and pews were sold in the house to various individuals by Messrs. Little and Sargent. Rev. Mr. Smart, a local preacher, was secured until the next session of the conference, which occurred June, 1843.
On the 18th of August, 1877, the church was struck by lightning and totally destroyed, and a new one was erected before the close of the year.
In 1881 a new parsonage was erected. (It is located across the street, but no longer is a parsonage today).
In 1914 a substantial kitchen and dining room were finished under the church, where church suppers were held. (They actually excavated under the church to gain this space).
June 9, 1918, there occurred a very remarkable instance in the history of this church. Nineteen members were received, and among the number was Irad Poore, 94 years of age, the oldest person in the town, and active. After the service, a photograph of the entire congregation was taken, in which four generations were represented: Irad Poore, his daughter, Mrs. Charles E. Pollard, his grandson, Herman Pollard, and his great-granddaughter, Grendolyn Mary Pollard.
"In the year 1872, with the increasing population of the town, the needs of the people called for more church room, and quite an interest was manifest in Methodist preaching at the village. Accordingly, the annual conference sent Rev. W.E Bennett to preach at the Center. Also to hold meeting as at the west village; this he did with evident success, ministering to good-sized congregations and receiving a generous support”
"The church was to be known as the Second Methodist Episcopal Church of Goffstown. Work on the new church commenced on March 26, 1889.
Recent discoveries and interesting facts:
The cemetery is owned by the town and they have a right-of-way (the only vehicle access) to cemetery over church property on the right side of the church.
* Based upon Town of Goffstown History Research and Hillside UMC Membership Witness
Sources:
Hadley, G. (1922). History of the Town of Goffstown 1733 – 1920: Volume One. Concord, NH. The Rumford Press.
Mitchell and Weston. (1905). The Goffstown Register 1905. Brunswick, ME: H.E. Mitchell Co.
In 1842, Rev. E. K. Baily was pastor of First Baptist Church located in (Goffstown) Amoskeag Village (which was annexed by Manchester in 1853). The church was in its greatest season of prosperity, and membership numbered one-hundred and fifty members. Like other ministers of the town of Goffstown, Rev. Baily had a great fear for his church, on account of a woman preacher who was drawing large audiences from his, as well as the other churches.
Miss Clementine Parker came to Goffstown in 1841 and began preaching in the old meeting house at Grasmere, which was the center of Goffstown at the time. She claimed to be independent of all churches, but had formerly been a Methodist. The Rev. Isaac Willey said: "Her hearers increased until she had an audience of nearly one thousand persons. In the spring of 1842 more than one half of the voters in town, and nearly all those who had never been willing to support any other preacher, came to her support." Near the close of her labors, she advised her converts to form a Methodist church. Some dissatisfaction arose, in regards to the occupation of the Congregations Church at the Center, by her followers, whereupon, Samuel Little and Capt. Joseph Sargent purchased the building.
In the autumn of 1842 a Methodist Society was organized, and pews were sold in the house to various individuals by Messrs. Little and Sargent. Rev. Mr. Smart, a local preacher, was secured until the next session of the conference, which occurred June, 1843.
On the 18th of August, 1877, the church was struck by lightning and totally destroyed, and a new one was erected before the close of the year.
In 1881 a new parsonage was erected. (It is located across the street, but no longer is a parsonage today).
In 1914 a substantial kitchen and dining room were finished under the church, where church suppers were held. (They actually excavated under the church to gain this space).
June 9, 1918, there occurred a very remarkable instance in the history of this church. Nineteen members were received, and among the number was Irad Poore, 94 years of age, the oldest person in the town, and active. After the service, a photograph of the entire congregation was taken, in which four generations were represented: Irad Poore, his daughter, Mrs. Charles E. Pollard, his grandson, Herman Pollard, and his great-granddaughter, Grendolyn Mary Pollard.
"In the year 1872, with the increasing population of the town, the needs of the people called for more church room, and quite an interest was manifest in Methodist preaching at the village. Accordingly, the annual conference sent Rev. W.E Bennett to preach at the Center. Also to hold meeting as at the west village; this he did with evident success, ministering to good-sized congregations and receiving a generous support”
"The church was to be known as the Second Methodist Episcopal Church of Goffstown. Work on the new church commenced on March 26, 1889.
Recent discoveries and interesting facts:
- Paul Hartigan – State Trooper – during WWII, wound the clock and started a fire in the furnace under the grate in the aisle (center of church) on Sundays. He said the church was never warm in the winter.
- Stones and pulleys for pulling down oil lamps were found in the attic while doing recent insulating.
- The church once lowered the ceiling for energy conservation and the entire ceiling later collapsed shortly after Ms. Imogene William’s sister finished practicing on the organ. There is no record of what she was playing that might have brought the ceiling down.
- Some of the panes of glass are original.
- The front of church is being maintained in the original wood clapboards.
- The basic structure is the same as when it was built.
- In 2002, the downstairs was remodeled to change that space, creating a pastor’s office for pastoral counseling.
- In 2017 Hillside completed a new addition for a full access bathroom and kitchenette. New covered side and rear entrances provide much better access to the fellowship room and lower level rooms from outside. Three sides of building were sided to make them maintenance free (front was left as wood clapboards).The fellowship room was renovated with new flooring and paint. The flooring was replaced in the pastor’s office.
- At least three women pastors have served the church since Miss Clementine Parker called for the formation of a Methodist Church in Grasmere.
- The Hillside Church had shared a pastor with the 2nd UMC in the village church and eventually a full time pastor when that church closed.
The cemetery is owned by the town and they have a right-of-way (the only vehicle access) to cemetery over church property on the right side of the church.
* Based upon Town of Goffstown History Research and Hillside UMC Membership Witness
Sources:
Hadley, G. (1922). History of the Town of Goffstown 1733 – 1920: Volume One. Concord, NH. The Rumford Press.
Mitchell and Weston. (1905). The Goffstown Register 1905. Brunswick, ME: H.E. Mitchell Co.