Our History

The United Methodist Church of the Cross was organized in February 1895 by the United Brethren in Christ. After building a church at 231 S. Ninth Street, the congregation became First Evangelical United Brethren Church, the first EUB church in Salina, Kansas. First Church welcomed many airmen who trained at Schilling Air Force Base.

The congregation became known for its women leaders who helped develop strong youth programs, musical programs, and several choirs. Eventually by 1941, with 320 members and an average worship attendance of 175, the congregation outgrew its building and purchased land at the intersection of the Highway 81 bypass and Cloud Street to construct a new church building.

Ground was broken on May 15, 1960. The Reverend Bishop L.L. Baughman was in attendance, his last official act as an episcopal leader before was welcome to his home eternal that same evening.

The Sanctuary, education rooms, and administrative offices were dedicated on April 16, 1961, and a new parsonage, built on Coronado Street, was occupied on November 1960. More classrooms, a kitchen, and a fellowship hall were dedicated on December 12, 1965.

In 1968, as the Evangelical United Brethren Church and the Methodist Church neared a merger, the congregation selected a new name for the church: United Methodist Church of the Cross.