Anchor Park UMC was birthed in 1954 in response to the growing population of Anchorage in the 1950s; established to be a neighborhood church, placed in a growing subdivision that is now a long-established neighborhood. The church grew over the years, it grew through disciples deeply loving as God has loved them, responding to the needs of this community as they arise.
In 1978, the Tongan Fellowship was established. The Tongan Fellowship has greatly influenced life at Anchor Park UMC for the past 40 years, sharing their culture and wisdom. They’ve shared their gifts of music and leadership at Anchor Park UMC for years.
Anchor Park UMC has served as a church home for many people. When you come into the sanctuary on Sunday morning and look around you will see a diverse body of people, many ages, races, and cultures. We are a community of people that embody a welcoming, loving, and serving spirit – the core pillars of our mission statement here at Anchor Park UMC.
Anchor Park UMC is a lot like other churches, we worship on Sunday morning, we serve at Bean’s Café and Clare House, two non-profits responding to homelessness in Anchorage, once a month. We collect food for FISH, Backpack Buddies, and the Willow Community Food Pantry. We host a men’s AA group and REAL About Addiction’s support group and monthly meetings. And we have the state’s only special needs boy scout troop.
The thing that is different about Anchor Park UMC is the family culture. Anchor Park UMC serves as a family for many people. Military folks, transplants for other jobs, and those that stayed long after their initial reason for moving here. The people at Anchor Park UMC care for each other, they welcome in those who walk through the doors and invite them to be part of this church family and to share a meal with each other.
Over the past 65 years, the ministry and congregation of Anchor Park UMC has ebbed and flowed, responding to the needs of the neighborhood it is nested in and the passions of its members. This past year we became the main supplier for our neighborhood elementary school’s Backpack Buddies’ program, providing 200 meals each weekend, ensuring that our kids do not go hungry and are able to return to school ready and able to learn.
During the past month we have responded to our hungry children by feeding them; the opioid crisis through packing NarCan Kits for the city and supporting REAL About Addiction – a group that exists to help those struggling with addiction enter into recovery and provides ongoing support for their journey. We hosted our *almost* annual spring sale, where folks are able to donate the things they no longer need or use knowing the profits from the sale go towards mission work in the world. Our neighborhood looks forward to this sale each year, knowing they’ll be able to find quality things they need at a price they can actually afford; something that can be difficult in Alaska.
Here at Anchor Park UMC we truly seek to be a community of people that welcome all, loves God and neighbor, and serves those in need. The needs are ever changing in Anchorage, from food deserts to an opioid epidemic to rising homelessness and violence. It is through coming together each Sunday to worship that we are emboldened to go out into the world sharing the love of Christ through tangible gifts of food and clothes, as well as emotional support, hospitality, and serving with partner ministries.
When Anchor Park UMC is notified of a need in our community or world, we arise to the occasion, no matter if it is a family in need of all new furniture due to a fire, someone needing a place to warm up in the winter and have a cup of soup or coffee, or a safe place to come and rest in the presence of God. Anchor Park UMC is here to welcome, love, and serve all of God’s children.
