Asbury First United Methodist Church

What Asbury First United Methodist Church does

Asbury First United Methodist Church is a nonprofit religious organization founded in 1820 and headquartered at 1050 East Avenue in Rochester, NY, operating under the Upper New York Conference of the United Methodist Church. The church delivers weekly worship services at 9 AM and 11 AM (in-person and live-streamed), a comprehensive music and arts program featuring multiple choirs, handbell and orchestral ensembles, and a landmark Austin Organ, alongside adult education, youth and children's ministries, and pastoral care. Its programming is anchored by a Reconciling Ministry designation reflecting progressive theological positioning.

The church operates three adjacent Rochester facilities — the main sanctuary at 1050 East Avenue, the Community Outreach Center at 1010 East Avenue (housing the Dining and Caring Center, UR Well Clinic, Storehouse, and Grocery Bag Ministry), and an educational wing with Fellowship Hall at 1040 East Avenue. Outreach extends to local community members in need through food, clothing, and household goods distribution, and to refugee resettlement through the Keeping Our Promise (KOP) initiative, which has assisted over 820 allies and 70 Afghan refugee families since 2014 and July 2021 respectively. Additional partnerships include Habitat for Humanity (housing equity), Project Chacocente in Nicaragua (international mission), and local advocacy efforts through the Social Concerns Committee.

Revenue is generated through voluntary tithes and offerings, annual pledge campaigns, legacy giving, and fees for specific programs such as Vacation Bible School. The church employs 34 staff including clergy, professional music leadership, finance and communications directors, and program personnel. Marketing and member engagement rely on the institutional website, email newsletters (Monday Reader, News Sheet), Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube live streaming. Operating technology is limited to standard web, email marketing (Constant Contact), and video streaming platforms with no proprietary systems or AI/ML components identified.

Name

Asbury First United Methodist Church

Legal name

Asbury First United Methodist Church

Website

https://asburyfirst.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1820

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Asbury First United Methodist Church is a 200-year-old progressive United Methodist congregation in Rochester, NY, delivering weekly worship, music and arts programming, education, and community outreach including refugee resettlement and food/clothing assistance to congregation members, refugee families, and local residents in need.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Services and Community Outreach

NAICS

Religious Organizations (81311), Community Food Services (62421)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Congregations & Worship Communities (Churches, Mosques, Temples, Synagogues) (BPAGAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG), Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD), Faith-Based Missions & Evangelism Organizations (Domestic & International) (BPAGAJAE)

Keywords

• Religious worship services
• Community outreach programs
• Music and arts ministry
• Faith-based education
• Refugee resettlement services

Headquarters

HQ city

Rochester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Tithes and Offerings: Traditional church giving through weekly/monthly tithes, offerings, and donations from congregation members. The church receives charitable contributions for general operations, designated funds, and special appeals.
2. Pledge Campaigns: Annual pledge campaigns for planned giving and capital campaigns. The church conducts 'Legacy Giving' and financial sustainability initiatives.
3. Program Registration Fees: Fees for specific programs such as VBS (Vacation Bible School) registration, educational classes, and special events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Asbury First United Methodist Church provides weekly worship services (9 AM and 11 AM in-person, with 11 AM also live-streamed), a comprehensive music and arts ministry featuring multiple choirs, ensembles, and the historic Austin Organ, age-based faith education (children, youth, adults), and direct community outreach through the Community Outreach Center, which operates the Dining & Caring Center, UR Well Clinic, the Storehouse, Grocery Bag Ministry, and the Keeping Our Promise refugee resettlement program. The organization serves individuals, families, and vulnerable community members in the Rochester, NY area.

Product overview

Asbury First United Methodist Church offers a unified set of ministry programs centered around worship, music, education, and community outreach. The core offerings include weekly worship services (in-person and livestreamed), a comprehensive Music & Arts program featuring multiple choirs and ensembles, adult education and fellowship groups, children's and youth ministries, and the Community Outreach Center providing direct service to the community. Communication products include weekly email newsletters and the Monday Reader publication. All programs are interconnected components of the church's mission to 'Love God and neighbor, Live fully, Serve all.'

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Worship Services

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• Keeping Our Promise (KOP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKeeping Our Promise is a refugee resettlement initiative operated through Asbury First UMC. Since 2014, KOP has assisted over 820 allies who now call Rochester home. The program has helped resettle 70 Afghan refugee families since July 2021. KOP provides housing assistance, car grants through Wheels for Work, and ongoing support to refugee families.
• United Methodist Church / Upper New York ConferencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAsbury First is part of the United Methodist Church denomination and Upper New York Conference. The church receives episcopal leadership from Bishop Héctor A. Burgos-Nuñez and participates in conference-wide initiatives, mission partnerships, and denominational resources.
• Habitat for HumanitysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAsbury First has an ongoing partnership with Habitat for Humanity for housing equity work. Rick and Paula Kuempel's legacy with Habitat for Humanity is celebrated, and the church continues to participate in building projects.
• Project Chacocente (Nicaragua)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAsbury First supports Project Chacocente in Nicaragua, a Christian school and community development program working with families who moved from the Managua city dump to rural Masaya. The church conducts virtual mission trips and supports student sponsorship.
• Flower City BeeworksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNick Lord's urban beekeeping initiative maintains beehives on the roof of Asbury First as part of environmental sustainability and community education about pollinators.
• REACH AdvocacyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPatrick Hanna, Board Member of REACH Advocacy, presented at Asbury First's Housing Equity programs on understanding homelessness and affordable housing solutions in Rochester.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Downtown United Presbyterian Church: Downtown Rochester progressive mainline congregation with comparable worship, music, education, and community outreach programs targeting similar urban demographics.
• First Unitarian Church of Rochester: Progressive, inclusive congregation in Rochester offering worship, religious education, and social justice programming — directly comparable theological positioning and member demographics.
• Irondequoit United Methodist Church: Same-denomination (UMC) congregation in the Rochester area sharing connectional governance, programmatic models, and regional member base.
• Jewish Family Service of Rochester: Faith-rooted social services agency in Rochester offering refugee resettlement, food assistance, and community support programs to overlapping vulnerable populations.
• Third Presbyterian Church: Progressive mainline Protestant congregation in Rochester, NY with comparable worship, music, education, and outreach ministries serving the same regional community.
• St. Luke's Episcopal Church (Rochester): Historic mainline Episcopal congregation in Rochester with similar worship, music, education, and outreach ministries serving overlapping regional populations.

Broad incumbents

• Catholic Family Center (Rochester): Larger faith-affiliated social services provider in Rochester operating refugee resettlement, food, housing, and emergency assistance programs that parallel Asbury First's outreach portfolio.
• Volunteers of America Western New York: Faith-affiliated nonprofit operating housing, food, and emergency services programs across Western New York that overlap materially with Asbury First's outreach and refugee support work.
• Catholic Charities of the Finger Lakes: Established regional faith-based social services organization offering refugee resettlement, food assistance, and emergency aid — comparable service mix to KOP and the Community Outreach Center.

Others

• Habitat for Humanity of Greater Rochester: Existing strategic partner of Asbury First focused on housing equity; comparable in serving low-income and refugee families through construction and housing support in the Rochester market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCro5fyLdpeEBjwO4zZWjpJQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/AsburyFirstUMC
• Instagraminstagram.com/asburyfirstumc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/asbury-first-united-methodist-church

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Asbury First United Methodist Church