The History of Zion

Zion United Methodist Church has an interesting heritage. It began as the Grand Forks Evangelical Class (congregation), became Zion Evangelical United Brethren in 1946, and in 1968 became Zion United Methodist.

The Evangelical Association was officially organized by Jacob Albright in 1803. Albright had been an active member of a Methodist Class meeting.

The United Brethren in Christ Church was founded by Philip William Otterbein and Martin Boehm in 1800. Otterbein assisted earlier in the ordination of Francis Asbury to the superintendency of American Methodist work.

The Methodist Episcopal Church began December 24, 1784 in Baltimore, Maryland. Its founder is John Wesley.

The Evangelical and United Brethren in Christ Churches merged on November 16, 1946 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The Evangelical United Brethren and the Methodist Churches merged on April 23, 1968 in Dallas, Texas.

The Evangelical and United Brethren in Christ were formed to minister to the German-speaking Americans who were not being reached effectively by any denomination. As the people with German backgrounds moved to the west, these two groups followed. The United Brethren tended to go to the Southwest and the Evangelicals to the Northwest. Thus the work in North Dakota was almost solely that of the Evangelicals. The Evangelical Church ministered to the scattered German population in the rural areas and neglected the cities. Grand Forks was a part of the Holmes Circuit for many years.

The present Zion building was completed in 1963. Before that the congregation worshiped on the corner of 4th and Belmont where an apartment house now stands.

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The content of these pages is the responsibility of Zion United Methodist Church of Grand Forks.