The Oakland Methodist Episcopal Church began in 1869 or 1870 as a Sabbath School held in the Bellefield Public School Building on Fifth Avenue in Pittsburgh. The organizer of the gatherings was William B. Evans. The Church as a congregation was organized by D.L. Dempsey, presiding elder of the Pittsburgh District, and Reverend J.C. High, City Missionary, on January 10, 1872 in the Bellefield Public School Building on Fifth Avenue. In 1873 the Church purchased property at Forbes Avenue and Bouquet Street from Edward W.H. Schenley and prepared for construction. The Church was finished and dedicated in September 1878. In the early 1900s the Church became a Wesley Foundation church and functioned as a social and religious center for students of the University of Pittsburgh. At one time the Church had a membership of 350 full members and 250 sunday school members or probationers. The Great Depression of the 1930s affected the Church by decreasing the revenue of the Church. High budget deficits caused the Methodist Official Board's recommendation to consolidate Oakland Methodist Episcopal Church with the Christ Methodist Episcopal Church in 1934. In 1968 Christ Methodist Episcopal Church merged with Evangelical United Brethren to become the First United Methodist Church of Pittsburgh which still functions today.
From the description of Records of Oakland Methodist Episcopal Church, Pittsburgh, Pa., 1872-1933 [microform]. (University of Pittsburgh). WorldCat record id: 56475108
