Church History

Zion United Methodist Church of Iona was founded in 1894 as the Zion United Brethren Church of Iona, chartered by the Zion United Brethren Church of Myerstown. The original church building which was completed in 1899 was a wooden two-story church structure with a bell-tower steeple, often referred to as the “white church” in the Iona community.

The Original Church Building

Following the merger of the United Brethren and the Evangelical Alliance denominations, the church became known as the Zion Evangelical United Brethren Church of Iona in 1946.

Following the merger of the Evangelical United Brethren Church and the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1968, the church name changed once again to the current Zion United Methodist Church of Iona. In 1969, the current church structure was completed on the same property of 1920 South Fifth Avenue.

The Finished Church Building