History

1919: The Methodist Union was formed from Methodist Sunday School Alliances, the Board of Home Missions and individual churches. Its primary focus was meeting the needs of new ethnic groups in Detroit.
1919-1929: Building forty new churches, many of them foreign language missions. The Union was constituted as a lay governed organization.
1929-1945: Depression and war. The Union assisted individual churches by paying salaries and providing funds for ministries, property and buildings.
1945-1960: The Wesley Revolving Loan Fund was established in 1948 to help finance the post war church building boom. Seventeen new congregations were organized.
1960-1980: Black empowerment was a priority. Salary support was given to racially diverse congregations in Detroit and the suburbs. The Union’s focus changed to maintenance, congregational outreach and aid to mission churches. The newly created Professional Skills Corps offered technical skills, architectural and legal referrals to churches.
1980-2000: New initiatives were developed in an insurance master plan, charter school development, economic empowerment, grant writing and faith based economic development.
2000-2011: New capacity building programs for youth, congregations and pastors were initiated, even as new models of ministry are being developed for our changing world.