About Shelbyville First United Methodist Church
At Shelbyville First, we're learning together what it means to follow Jesus and live a life shaped by grace. You don't need to have everything figured out before you come. There's room here to ask questions, build meaningful relationships, encounter God with wonder, and discover how faith can shape the way we live together well.
What Matters to Us
A faith worth exploring
We take Scripture and the Christian tradition seriously without pretending every question has an easy answer. We want to be a church where people can think deeply, ask honest questions, encounter the wonder of God, and keep discovering what it means to follow Jesus.
A community where you can belong
We believe we were made to share life with one another. We're becoming a community where people are known, grace comes before judgment, burdens are shared, differences don't have to divide us, and we learn together what it means to love our neighbors as ourselves.
A love that reaches beyond us
Following Jesus continually turns our attention beyond ourselves. We want to become people who notice others, practice compassion, care for creation, and seek the good of Shelbyville and the wider world. We believe the grace we experience together should help make life more whole for others, too.
Meet Pastor Michael Madden
I’ve been a licensed local pastor in The United Methodist Church since 2020, after spending several years working in marketing and communications. I began my appointment at Shelbyville First UMC on July 1, 2026. I’m currently pursuing a Master of Divinity at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.
I believe church should be a place where we can bring our faith and our questions, wrestle honestly with Scripture and the things happening in our lives, and grow together in grace. I’m especially passionate about ministry with children and youth and helping younger people discover a faith that can become their own.
For me, faith has always involved a willingness to follow God without knowing exactly where the road will lead. Some of the most meaningful moments of my life and ministry have come when I’ve trusted God further than I could see. My hope is that we’ll have the courage to do that together and be surprised by where God leads us.