" 'A flourishing Methodist Congregation in Frankemnuth?  No way!' and 'To few families with no religious ties!'  Those were the comments frequently heard.  We had no idea how the congregation would grow, but as Frankenmuth grew, so did we.  We have kept pace and will continue to do so."  Remarks on the 20th Anniversary of Frankenmuth United Methodist Church by Robert and Charlotte Worley, Charter members.  

Yes, many people questioned whether any other religion, except Lutheran, could flourish in Frankenmuth.  But, through the years to follow, the Methodists found a loving community which could accept another religion and a loving God who helped them through the rough times.

Frankenmuth was founded by a group of 15 missionaries who came from Bavaria in 1845 to bring the Word of God to the Chippewa Indians and a few Lutheran families who had no pastor to care for them.  One year later, nearly 100 more people came from the same area of Germany, Nuerenburg, to start a new life in the United States.  This is one reason that Frankenmuth is so unique.  All the original settlers were either from the same families or from the same area of Germany.  It immediately created a very closely knit community.

Because of the very fertile farm land and the willingness of the German immigrants to work hard, the Community of Frankenmuth grew quickly.  More families from Germany followed in years to come.  German was the language spoken in homes, church and in the local stores.  It wasn't until after World War II that the community opened up and outsiders in any great number started infiltrating.

On April 1, 1959, Frankenmuth Michigan became a city.  It was called Frankenmuth because the original people came from Franconia, Bavaria and "muth" means courage.  Thus, the courage of the Franconians.

In 1959 Frankenmuth was a city with a population around 2,000 people and two churches, St. Lorenz Lutheran Church and St. John's Lutheran Church.  St. Lorenz being the founding church of the community.  Frankenmuth had always been a German town, and there had never bee a need for any other religion.

In the 1950's when Frankenmuth started to grow, there were more and more "non-Lutheran" families moving into town.  There were several families of the Methodist Faith living in Frankenmuth by the time it became a city in 1959.  In 1961 a study began on the possibility of forming a Methodist Congregation in this city.  Early in 1962 several families had formed a group and met in homes around the city, thus forming the first "non-Lutheran" congregation in the city of Frankenmuth.  A Mission Church, Frankenmuth Methodist Church, was formed at this time.

Following is a news release announcing that arrangements had been made for the newly formed congregation to meet in the elementary school building.

Methodist Services to Begin in Frankenmuth

After one year of study, Reverend Herbert C. Brubaker, District Superintendent of the Saginaw Bay District, Detroit Conference of the Methodist Church, announces the Frankenmuth area as the site in which to form a new congregation.  The Tri-County Council of Churches' Committee has approved the Methodist work there.

The Reverend James A. Smith, a recent graduate of Wesley Seminary, Washington, D.C., assumed his duties as of February 1, 1962.  Mr. Smith, a native of Saginaw, attended Arthur Hill High School and received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Adrian College.  While attending Wesley Theological Seminary, he served as assistant pastor at Rockville Methodist Church, Rockville, Maryland.  Mr. Smith resides at 413 South Outer Drive, Saginaw, for the present.

Worship services and church school classes will begin Sunday, March 4, in the new elementary building of the Frankenmuth Public School.

Superintendent Brubaker and Rev. Smith foresee the new Methodist Church as a further contribution to Christian fellowship in the community.  Church services and church school classes will begin Sunday, March 4, in the new elementary building of the public school system.  Worship services will be held each Sunday at 10:00 and church school at 11:15.

In July 1963, the congregation purchased 7.4 acres of land on East Vates Street from The Cass Development Company.  Building at the site was still a ways away, so church services and Sunday School classes for all continued to be held in the List Elementary School.  The congregation met in the gymnasium of the school and set up chairs, portable alter, pulpit, etc. each Sunday morning. 

September of 1963 was the first Building Fund Crusade.  In April 1964, the congregation voted to build a parsonage on the property with construction beginning the following October.  The parsonage was ready for occupancy by April of 1965.

In December 1965, Rev. James A. Smith, Pastor, was transferred to the Pinconning Methodist Church.  The Rev. Leland E. Penzien was appointed the new pastor and resided at the parsonage with his wife, Joanne and four children, Bethany, Mark, Clark and Craig.

In September 1966, a one-year Building Fund Crusade was conducted for the purpose of establishing a base of giving.  Another Crusade was held in September 1967 and a three-year building pledge crusade was launched.  Plans for the first unit of the church were submitted to and approved by a Church Conference in the early fall of 1967.  On October 25, 1967 ground was broken for the new building.  It was to include a 40' by 60' Fellowship Hall, a Meeting Room, Kitchen, Mechanical Room, Restrooms and Hallway.  The cost was about $117,000, which included a parking lot.  Building was held up for 3 months due to a strike, and it was completed in the fall of 1968.

On November 24, 1968, the congregation met at the Lorenz C. List Elementary School for their last service, and then marched over to the new building for the opening service.  The Consecration and Cornerstone Laying Service was held on Sunday, February 16, 1969.

It was also in 1968 that the recently formed Frankenmuth Blessed Trinity Catholic Church began to share the new Methodist Church building. Blessed Trinity had previously followed the course of the Methodists by meeting in the public school. The Catholic congregation continued to share the use of the Methodist building until April 1976, when they moved into their own facility on Tuscola Road. The relationship was so gratifying and endearing that a permanent bond - A Covenant - between the two congregations was drawn up and signed in 1987 to assure continued prayerful fellowship. This bond has remained strong throughout the years and has also resulted in shared Lenten services and Vacation Bible School.

In October 1969 Rev. Penzien was given a warm farewell as he moved on to serve at the West Bloomfield United Methodist Church, Orchard Lake, and the Rev. Gordon Ackerman was greeted as the new pastor. Under his leadership ground was broken in 1973 for the next phase of the building. Much of the work for this phase was done by volunteers from the congregation. Dedication of the new five classroom section was held in 1974.

In the spring of 1977 it became necessary to expand to two worship services because of the crowding conditions. Soon it became obvious the time had come for the next major addition. The ground breaking for the addition of the church sanctuary, a lounge, additional office space, and more restrooms was held on June 25, 1978. The general contractor for the project was Wm. Bronner & Son. On June 14, 1979 the Service of Consecration was held for the new sanctuary. By this time the church had nearly 400 members.

Rev. Ackerman delivered his last sermon on June 12, 1983 before moving on to the Tecumseh United Methodist Church. As the congregation welcomed the new pastor, Rev. Charles (Chuck) Ball, membership stood at about 550.

In 1987 the congregation gave itself a new organ as a gift commemorating the twenty-fifth anniversary of the church. Since prior organs had been used instruments donated to the church, this was the first new organ the church had enjoyed.

The landscaping of the church facilities took on a new look following a successful fund drive in 1994.

During the tenure of Reverend Ball, the congregation moved deeply into service for others. A “Bread Pan” offering was initiated on a monthly basis. Initially the funds were used to help stamp out hunger, and even still they are used to serve those in need in varied ways both locally and world-wide. As Rev. Ball retired in May of 1996, the congregation extended to him its long lasting love. The Rev. Dr. Douglas (Doug) Mercer gave his first sermon as the new pastor on June 21, 1996.

In the Autumn of 1996 the mortgage debt of the church was paid off. On April 26, 1997 our Up, Up and Away celebration, complete with hot air balloon rides, commemorated our thirty-fifth anniversary, our mortgage burning, and our look forward toward the future.

Over the years our music department has continued to grow. With the completion of our “Buy a Bell” campaign in 1998, our new handbell choir was established. In addition, our adult choir, women’s ensemble, men’s ensemble, Sunday School singers, the Praise Team and the Holy Jeans all continue to “Make a Joyful Noise Unto the Lord!”

In 1998 Rev. Wayne Jensen was added to the staff as an Associate Pastor to our congregation. We were blessed by his service in this capacity until his retirement in June of 2000.

The Stephen Ministry program was initiated in our congregation in 1998. Following the training of our Leadership Team, Stephen Ministers from our congregation were trained and commissioned to provide lay caring ministry. This continues to be a vital ministry in our congregation.

Once again we found our facilities bursting at the seams, so in December of 1998 a building committee was established to explore expansion possibilities. With the retirement of Dr. Mercer in June of 2000, the congregation welcomed Rev. Dr. Kenneth (Ken) Christler. During all of this time the building committee was hard at work. As a result of successful stewardship drives, funding became available for ground breaking on May 5, 2002. Our expansion included an education wing, offices, bathrooms, music room, remodeled narthex area, remodeled fellowship hall, and a commercial kitchen. Wm. Bronner & Son were again selected as our contractors, and we celebrated with consecration of our new facilities on June 29, 2003. Landscaping and a new exterior sign further enhanced the project in 2004, and the project was completed in 2005 with the addition of more plantings and the patio entrance.

In 2001 Connie Coulter became our Youth and Education Specialist. Under her direction in this new staff position, our education and youth programs have continued to blossom.

With the leadership of Dr. Christler, we deepened our commitment to mission work both here and abroad. A covenant relationship between the Detroit Conference and the United Methodist Church in Liberia and Haiti was strengthen by our congregation members going to those counties to share in God’s work.

Upon his appointment to the United Methodist Union of Greater Detroit, we bid farewell to Dr. Christler in June 2006, and with open arms we welcomed Rev. David Eardley. Under his leadership, we now celebrate our 45th anniversary and look to a future of growing in God’s wisdom and service.