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About Our Church > History of West Morris Street

We Started as a Mission

The West Morris Street Free Methodist Church began as a mission in an abandoned church on the corner of South Ray Street and Warren Avenue in Indianapolis. The mission preached the message of salvation and holiness as taught by John Wesley and the early Methodists. Many people came to faith in Jesus Christ at the mission.

The devastating flood of 1913 forced the mission to look west to the "hill" for a more accessible meeting place. A woodshed on the corner of Tremont and West Ray Street formed a temporary meeting place in the fall of 1914. Attendance reached nearly 100. The church rented a store on the Northeast corner of S. Pershing and W. Wilkens (across from our present youth pastor's parsonage) for $20.00. The merchandise shelves served as a convenient place for sleeping babies. The work continued with no appointed pastor. On Thanksgiving of 1915, the little mission served 176 dinners to the poor and shut-ins.

The group purchased a lot across the street (present parsonage) for $200. Bill Buckler, a converted bartender, and his wife held the meetings.

Becoming "Second Free Methodist Church"

In need of a pastor, the mission learned of the First Free Methodist Church, a church on the East Side of town that still exists at the same location today. The wife of the pastor there, H.E. Perigo, came to be the first pastor of the new church. They united with the Free Methodists and organized the "Second Free Methodist Church" in 1916 with 12 charter members. A basement was dug on the empty lot and by 1923, the completed church was dedicated.

The church was blessed with gifted and committed leadership. In October of 1945, under the direction of Rev. J. C. Black, the church purchased two lots on Pershing and Morris Street for $5,500. On April 6, 1952, services began in the new building (the existing chapel and offices to the east end of the present complex). Following twin pastors, Vernon and Verdon Dunckel, the Sunday School marched from the old building one block south to the new.

Renamed West Morris Street Free Methodist Church

On July 28, 1952, the Society changed to the present name – "West Morris Street Free Methodist Church."

The church burned in 1967 and was rebuilt in February of 1968. The present sanctuary with its seating capacity of 1300 was completed in 1975.

West Morris Street has "mothered" three churches – the Mars Hill Free Methodist Church at 3900 W. Farnsworth, the John Wesley Free Methodist Church at 5900 W. 46th Street, and recently, the new "Comunidad Cristiana" fellowship, which meets at the West Morris Street church.

West Morris Street has nurtured many who are active in ministry around the world and who are now serving in many different denominations.

Our desire is to continue in the spirit of that from which we began – to be a place where the people are gifted and trained to minister, where the church is responsive to the needs of people and where the clear message of salvation and freedom from sin by the power of Jesus Christ is taught and preached.

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