PCHUM was founded in 1962 as a new church start. Portage First United Methodist Church, the Kalamazoo United Methodist Metro Union, and the Kalamazoo District UMC worked together to begin a new congregation on the “frontier” between Portage proper (the center of town was what is now Centre St. and Westnedge Ave.) and Kalamazoo. The congregation met first at North Middle School. The charter membership was 85 and the first budget was $13,141. The first building on the current property was erected in 1966, with additions completed in 1984 and 1997.