The original and second chapels of St. Joseph's Catholic Church
Courtesy Golden History Center

Golden's houses of worship and the faithful within them have served Golden in uncountable ways throughout Golden's 150 years. The First United Methodist Church, Colorado's 3rd church, was established July 17, 1859 by Jacob Adriance and William H. Goode. Golden also has Colorado's oldest Baptist congregation, First Baptist Church, established in 1863. The first Swedish church in Colorado was the Swedish Lutheran Church founded in 1873, and Golden likely had the first Disciples of Christ (Christian, or Campellite) church in Colorado, established in 1868. Calvary Episcopal Church, built in 1867, is the longest continuously used Episcopal chapel in Colorado today. Pioneer congregations also serve as the First Presbyterian Church (1870) and St. Joseph's Catholic Church (1867). Mother Cabrini, America's first citizen saint who founded the orphanage near here, occasionally worshipped in Golden. Bishop Randall who established Calvary also founded 4 colleges including the Colorado School of Mines, and Faith Lutheran Church founder Robert L. Vogel has also led 4 colleges including Wartburg in Iowa. Faith pastor Patrice Von Stroh became the first female Lutheran pastor in Colorado at Golden in 1978, and student pastor April Larson went on to become the first female Lutheran Bishop in America. Other historic Golden churches include the Golden Seventh Day Adventist Church and Golden Church of the Nazarene. Today persons of various faiths worship at Golden, such as at the Islamic Center of Golden established in 1994.