West Side United Methodist Church (Ann Arbor, Mich.)

Church originally established by German immigrant families to Ann Arbor, Michigan.

From the description of West Side United Methodist Church records, 1846-2000 (bulk 1950-1999). (University of Michigan). WorldCat record id: 85778974

German immigrant families founded the Erste Deutsche Methodisten Kirche in 1847 and built a church at the corner of East Liberty and South Division. Over the next half century the congregation gradually outgrew this building, so in 1895 they purchased a new site in the heart of the German section of Ann Arbor, now known as the Old West Side. The new church, completed in 1896, was located at the corner of West Jefferson and Fourth Streets.

For many years, the church membership continued to be drawn from the German families of Ann Arbor, but over time, the church began holding both German-language services and English services. Like most German-American institutions, the church came under suspicion of disloyalty during and just after World War I. In 1919, the church was forced to close for a few months. Upon reopening, the congregation gave up German language services and changed its name to West Side Methodist Episcopal Church.

The church did not grow significantly in size until just after World War II. Soon after the arrival of Rev. Edwin Weiss in 1948, membership began surging, almost doubling in the next three years. The congregation outgrew its old church and in 1950 purchased a site on South Seventh Street to build a new one. They moved into the new church in 1952.

In 1955, the congregation purchased a small home to the north of the church to expand its site. Two years later they began a fund raising campaign to eliminate the balance owed on the church building and provide money to build an education building. This campaign was so successful that they not only completed the education building, but also added a Moeller Pipe Organ and purchased a small piece of land south of the sanctuary for the addition of a driveway.

Over the following fifteen years, the church made significant additions to the pipe organ, installed the stained glass windows, paved the driveways and parking lot, and added additional land north of the education building. In 1988, the congregation completed a renovation of the education building and the construction of a connecting wing between it and the church.

From the guide to the West Side United Methodist Church (Ann Arbor, Mich.) records, 1846-2000, 1950-1999, (Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan)