Metropolitan United Methodist Church facts for kids
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Metropolitan United Methodist Church
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| Location | 8000 Woodward Avenue Detroit, Michigan |
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| Built | 1922–26 |
| Architect | William E. N. Hunter |
| MPS | Religious Structures of Woodward Avenue TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 82002904 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | August 3, 1982 |
The Metropolitan United Methodist Church is a beautiful church located at 8000 Woodward Avenue in the New Center area of Detroit, Michigan. It was finished in 1926. This church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. It was also named a Michigan State Historic Site in 1986. Please note that this church is different from the Metropolitan United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C. The D.C. church is often seen as a "National Church" for Methodism in the United States.
History of the Church
In 1901, two Methodist churches in Detroit joined together. These were the Woodward Avenue Methodist Episcopal and the Oakland Avenue Church. They formed a new group called the North Woodward Avenue Methodist Church.
A few years later, in 1903, Dr. Charles Bronson Allen became the pastor. He convinced the church members to build a new church at Woodward and Melbourne. Sadly, this building burned down on Christmas Eve in 1916.
The church members decided to build an even grander church. One of the members, Sebastian S. Kresge, helped a lot. He lived nearby in the Boston-Edison area. Kresge donated the land for the new church at Woodward and Chandler. He also gave a lot of money to help pay for it.
Another church member, William E. N. Hunter, designed the new building. However, building was delayed because of World War I. There were not enough building materials or workers. The first stone was finally laid on June 4, 1922. The first church services in the new building were held on January 17, 1926.
By the mid-1930s, this church had grown very large. It became the biggest local church in the Methodist world. The number of church members reached its highest point in 1943, with 7,300 people.
Church Design and Art
The Metropolitan United Methodist Church is a very large building. It is built in the English Gothic style. The church is made from a special yellowish-brown granite from Massachusetts.
The building has a traditional cross shape, which is called a cruciform design. It has several low side wings and a pointed roof. The main worship area, called the sanctuary, is in the western part of the building. The eastern part holds an auditorium, offices, and classrooms.
A hallway on the main floor separates the sanctuary from the auditorium. The walls in both areas can be moved. This allows for seating up to 7,000 people. Everyone can see the chancel, which is the area around the altar.
One interesting thing you might notice from outside is the chancel window. The bottom half of this window is made of stone, not glass. This is so a large tapestry can be displayed inside the church.
The artist George Boget painted many parts of the church. On the second floor, there are three large paintings called murals. These murals show important moments in the history of Protestantism and Methodism. Their titles are "The Dawn of Reformation," "John Wesley Preaching on His Father's Tomb," and "Francis Asbury, Apostle of the Long Trail."
A winding tree design connects these murals. Smaller symbolic pictures are painted on the curved ceilings in the hallways. There are also large murals in Kresge Hall, which is the auditorium. These murals show smaller scenes from Methodist and Metropolitan Church history. They are all connected by the "family tree" idea, which represents the church community.
In 1970, Stanley and Dorothy Kresge gave $194,000 for a new organ. It was named the Merton S. Rice Memorial Organ, after a former pastor. They also gave an extra $10,000 to change the building. This money helped make space for the organ's pipes.
The organ is called opus 10641 and was made by the M. P. Moller Organ Company. It uses some pipes from an older organ made by Austin Organs, Inc.. When it was first installed, it had 6,849 pipes in 119 sections. Later, it was made even bigger. Now it has 7,003 pipes and 121 sections. This makes it the second largest pipe organ in Michigan.
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia Metodista Unida Metropolitana para niños
