A Brief History
Le Grand UMC is proud to have been part of Methodism since 1882. A parish was formed in Plainsburg in 1872 to serve the spiritual needs of a thriving business and agricultural area if the Central Valley. The first pastor was the Rev. C. C. Snell, a circuit rider. In 1882, the parish was organized into a church, and the first church building was constructed. In 1898, when the Santa Fe Railroad laid track through Le Grand, the church was relocated, the building pulled by mules. This four-mile trip took two days, stopping at the Gillette Ranch.
Church membership reached its heyday in the 1950s but later declined so that the Le Grand church was "yoked" with Methodist churches in Cathey's Valley and, later, Chowchilla. No longer yoked, Le Grand UMC is currently served by a part-time pastor.