About Overlook United Methodist Church

Established in 1832 as the Methodist Episcopal Church of Woodstock and expanded in 1869 as the Woodstock Charge – which included Little Shandaken, Yankeetown (now the town of Wittenberg), and Bristol (now the town of Shady) – Overlook today represents the merger in 1960 of two congregations: Wittenberg and Woodstock.

The Reverend James W. Cook served as pastor when the Woodstock and Wittenberg churches were consolidated as well as during the 1967 move to the present site. Easter Sunday 1982 marked a grand 150th anniversary year celebration – the first service was held in the newly completed sanctuary with Dr. Francis S. Goh officiating. The Reverend Ralph A. Merante is the congregation’s newest pastor. He was named to serve the Overlook and Phoenicia churches, effective August 15, 2022. Pastor Ralph is also charged with leading the Catskill-Hudson District’s Onteora Cooperative Parish.

Weekly services are held on Sunday mornings at 10:30 AM. It is also home to NYS Office of Child and Family Services-licensed First Steps Early Childhood Education Center. Community outreach programs, including Promises and New Visions, utilize the complex, which is located at 233 Tinker Street (Route 212) in the town of Woodstock.

Overlook United Methodist Church Programs & Ministries

Chancel Choir

The Chancel Choir makes a “joyful noise unto the Lord” every Sunday, from September to June, at the 10:30 AM worship service. Under the direction of Music Director/Organist Edward Leavitt, our choir practices on Sunday mornings (before service) at 9:45 AM. No prior choir “experience” is necessary – just a love of worship through music.

Missions Program

The Missions Program offers opportunities to put faith into action. Our members are active in the local food pantry. We are also involved in a holiday giving program that provides Christmas presents to needy families in the Kingston School District. Beyond our community, the No More Malaria campaign, UMCOR health kit collections, and P.E.T.(Personal Energy Transportation) project work are just some of the programs in which we have participated.

Prayer Shawl Ministry

The Prayer Shawl Ministry began in 2005, after learning how a prayer shawl ministry had impacted several people worldwide. It is one of the many ways we tend to the varied needs of our congregation and the community. Prayer shawls are crocheted or knitted by seven members of our congregation using yarn donated by three of our members. Each shawl brings prayers, comfort, warmth, love, and concern for the recipient who may be grieving, lonely, homebound, or in physical need – within our church and beyond. When a prayer shawl is requested for someone, it is placed on the altar at Sunday service and blessed for the recipient by the Pastor and the congregation. A note is included with a special message to the person receiving the shawl. So far, we have distributed over 165 prayers shawls to grateful recipients.

For more information, call the church office at 845-679-6800 or e-mail overlookumc@gmail.com