Milwaukee County Wisconsin Genealogy

Milwaukee County Methodist & Methodist Episcopal Churches

This is not a complete listing of churches. If you are aware of any additional churches that should be added please email me.

Methodism in Milwaukee

(from Central United Methodist Church History Page)

Milwaukee, first under the Illinois Conference, was placed more specifically under the care of the Chicago District in August 1841.

1841 was a1so very important for another reason. Ear1y in the year the Society, as it was called, was divided into three c1asses --the east side of the Mi1waukee River, Juneau, 1ed by George F. Austin (1ater First Methodist Episcopa1 Church); the west side of the river, Ki1bourn, 1ed by Urie1 Farmin (later West A11is Methodist Episcopal Church); and the south side of town, Walker's Point, led by Hiram Johnson (later Asbury Methodist Episcopal Church)

About 1845 a split occurred nationally within the Methodist Episcopal church over the slavery issue. North and South Churches were created. A local controversy ensued when the Reverend James Mitchell, Presiding Elder successively in the Milwaukee and then the Chicago Districts, refused to free two slaves, owned by his wife.

The organization of the Church continued as the Wisconsin Conference was created in May 1848, the same month Wisconsin became the 30th State of the Union! Locally, the Milwaukee Station, the "Mother Church," was changed to Spring Street Station in 1849, just as Asbury Church was beginning on the South Side. A third church was started on the East Side over a rift between who would get use of Spring Street on Sunday afternoons --the Sunday Schoo1 or a 1ong-estab1ished prayer meeting! "Number three church" died and members went back to Spring Street or fed Asbury.

Methodist Episcopal Church of Milwaukee

First known as Methodist Mission
Established: 1835
met in private homes and businesses in Milwaukee
Later became Spring Street Methodist, then Grand Ave. Methodist
Pastor List 1835-1849
list of first members

Grand Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church

Established: 1850
Formerly Methodist Episcopal Church of Milwaukee and Spring Street Station
Pastor List 1850-1879

Asbury Methodist Episcopal Church

Established: 1847
Walker's Point
Pastor List 1848-1881
Early Members

First German Methodist Episcopal Church
First known as First Milwaukee Mission of the German M.E. Church

Established: 1848
Milwaukee
Pastor List 1848-1880

Jackson Street Methodist Episcopal Church

Established: 1852
Name Changed to Summerfield Methodist Episcopal Church/1857
Later Became Summerfield United Methodist Church
Pastor List 1852-1881
Early Member List
Church records 1857-1896, 1908-1915, available at Family History Library
At UW-Milwaukee Archives: Church records 1857-1873, 1874-1886, 1886-1899, 1893-1920, 1909-1968

Second German Methodist Episcopal Church

Established: 1865
Milwaukee
Pastor List 1865-1880

Third German Methodist Episcopal Church

Established: 1872
Milwaukee
Pastor List 1872-1879
Original Members List

Norwegian Methodist Episcopal Church

Established: March 25, 1865
Walker Street Between Hanover and Greenbush
Rev. A. Haagenson, first pastor

Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church

Established: Unknown
Church records 1868-1918, available at Family History Library
At UW-Milwaukee Archives: Church records 1866-1910, 1894-1908, 1907-1913, 1907-1919

Friedens Methodist Episcopal Church

Established: abt. 1869
Williamsburg
Rev Aug Haas, Rev T. Umbreit
Church records 1869-1929, available at Family History Library

St. Mark African Methodist Episcopal Church

Established: 1869
1944 Address:
1525 North Fourth Street
Current Address:
1616 W. Atkinson Ave.
Rev. H. E. Stewart/Listed as an African American Churches in Milwaukee, WI - 1944

Immanuel Methodist Episcopal Church

Established: Unknown
Milwaukee
At UW-Milwaukee Archives: Church records 1882-1935

Simpson Methodist Episcopal Church
Also known as Simpson Chapel

Established: Unknown
Milwaukee
Church records 1888-1932, available at Family History Library
At UW-Milwaukee Archives: Church Records 1888-1914, 1912-1932

St. Anthony

Established: Nov. 30, 1897
1917 location:
Thirty-third and Lloyd
1897-1917 George F. Burroughs

Farwell Methodist Episcopal Church

Established: Unknown
Milwaukee
Church records 1893-1907, available at Family History Library
at UW-Milwaukee Archives: Church records 1893-1907

St. Matthews C. M. E. Church

Established: Unknown
1944 Address:
538 W. Walnut Street
Current Address:
2944 N. 9th St.
Rev. H. C. Coggins/Listed as an African American Churches in Milwaukee, WI - 1944

Methodist Episcopal Church

Established: Unknown
South Milwaukee
At UW-Milwaukee Archives: Church records 1893-1918, 1916-1939

West Allis Methodist Episcopal Church

Established: Unknown
West Allis
At UW-Milwaukee Archives: Church Records 1912-1928

Methodist Churches

First Free Methodist Church

Established: Unknown
Milwaukee
Church Minutes 1890-1905 available at Family History Library

Second Free Methodist Church

Established: Unknown
Milwaukee
Church Minutes 1897-1912 available at Family History Library

German Methodist Church

Established: 1848
Church built on Fifth street
Rev. Casper Jost, first pastor

Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Church

First Known simply as Private Society in 1847
Established: Conflicting dates 1849 and 1851
Built on lake shore at Huron Street
Early Pastors and Church Members

Salem Methodist Church

Established: Unknown
Milwaukee

At UW-Milwaukee Archives: Church Records 1905-1931

Albright United Methodist Church

Established: Unknown
At UW-Milwaukee Archives: Church records 1840-1924, 1917-1947

Bay View United Methodist Church

Established: Unknown
Bay View
At UW-Milwaukee Archives: Church Records 1868-1901

Central United Methodist Church

Established: Unknown Milwaukee Unknown
At UW-Milwaukee Archives: Finding Aid
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection AT
Milwaukee Micro Collection 3
Milwaukee Micro Collection 56

Records of a church formed in 1969 from two urban predecessor congregations: the First Methodist Church and the Wesley Methodist Church. The files include church bulletins (1900-1973); sacramental records (1892-1933); financial records dating to 1844; records of the Milwaukee Missionary Society; and information on various remodeling efforts.
Also includes minutes of the church, dating to 1853, which are not complete but are the most important source on the history of the congregation. Minutes of special meetings (1906-1966) are available on Milwaukee Micro Collection 3. The sermons of Ensworth Reisner (1943-1973) are available on Milwaukee Micro Collection 56. For Wesley Methodist there are sacramental records (1883-1922), collected historical materials, and some ministerial subject files from the 1960s. There are few records from the Central United Methodist Church itself.

Wauwatosa United Methodist Church

Established: Unknown
Wauwatosa
At UW-Milwaukee Archives: Church Records 1861-1892, 1864-1911, 1872-1927