The Church in the Wildwood was founded in 1889, one year after the town of Green Mountain Falls was incorporated.
It began its life as a summer chapel for people who vacationed in the mountains to escape the summer heat of their home states.
The clergy were all "guest ministers" in those days who chipped in for a Sunday or two while they were on vacation. Most of
those ministers couldn't resist preaching on the motto of the church, "The Mountains Shall Bring Peace to the People" (Psalm
72:3) and including "The Church in the Wildwood" as the opening hymn.
In 1956, after a great period of gowth in the congregation, Conard Pyle was called as the first full time
minister of the church. During his tenure here Reverend Pyle once claimed, "this is the church of my dreams- a church adequate
for the task, the church of the warm heart, of the open mind, of the adventurous spirit- the church of the living God." More
than fifty years later, we couldn't agree more Rev. Pyle!
The Church in the Wildwood has changed and adapted over the years to the circumstances of the surrounding
society. It has continued to change during shifting economies, growing populations, hundreds of summer visitors, and difficult
times. But all the while, ever since 1889, the brown church in the Ute Pass has been there to bring God's peace, grace, and
love to the people in the midst of the mountains.
We may provide links to other sites that provide more detail on our church history or particular
events in our past.
