Our Story
In May 1876, a small, dedicated group joined the West German Conference and began meeting as the Wichita Mission in a school at Emporia and Third Street.
By 1878, membership had grown to 78 and a church building was started at Emporia and First Street. The First German Methodist Church was dedicated in January 1879.
By 1910, they had outgrown the one-room building and built a new church at the corner of Prince (English) and Lulu.
During WW I, it was hard to interest people in the “German” church. They joined the S. W. Kansas Conference and the church was renamed Calvary Methodist Episcopal Church. For the first time, all services were conducted in English instead of German. Over the next 30 years, membership grew to 800, and Calvary added many building additions to provide space for its active Sunday school and fellowship groups. During the 1960’s, Wichita’s downtown grew and Calvary’s residential neighborhood began to disappear. By 1979, weekly attendance was down to 72, and the church was faced with a decision about its future.
In 1979, the members of Calvary chose to serve God in a new location. They sold the church building and began meeting at Coleman Junior High School on Governeour Road. After 100 years, Calvary was starting over.
In 1981, Calvary moved into the one-room fellowship hall here on Rock Road. Over the next few years, Calvary grew rapidly. By the close of 1988, weekly attendance had grown to 337, the church had added an education wing for its active Sunday school program, and enlarged the narthex.
Calvary United Methodist Church continues to live out its mission to changes lives and transform the world through the unconditional love of Jesus Christ.