Shortly after South Hutchinson was platted Ben Blanchard, the town founder, started making plans for the church by organizing a building committee of J.A. Quick, Dr. R.H Chittend, E. W. Williams, J A. Conley, and Ben Blanchard.
Seven lots on D Avenue west were donated to the church by the town company.
Construction began immediately and the church was dedicated the first Sunday in September 1887 with a membership of 22. Rev. Buckles, of Indiana, was the first pastor with Rev. James McAllister as the first permanent Pastor.
The Church was a brick structure on the corner of Ave. D west and Washington Street. The building was forty feet by seventy feet with eighteen foot walls, twenty-six foot ceiling in the center, eighty foot finished tower and an east front at a cost of $5,700.00.
A large painting on the wall just in back of the pulpit was ruined during a storm. The church was heavily damaged during a storm, the town boom was over, and the building was torn down.
The town was left without a church, in 1911 new building was constructed near Avenue C and Poplar Street, which housed the newly organized Methodist Church congregation. Later a new building was erected near this site.
In 1948, a unique project of the South Hutchinson Methodist Church, the operation of the cafeteria at the Kansas State Fair, was initiated to supplement the building fund program. Major damage to the 37 year old frame structure by the windstorm of July 14, 1948, impelled the congregation to organize for action.
When the fair opened that year in less than two months, the congregation opened a tent where food was served to hungry fair goers. Later a permanent building was built several years later was enlarged to its present size.
To meet the demands of the growing congregation, a building program was conducted in two stages. The first building was that of the education structure located at the present site being started in 1950 and opened for services in 1951.
This portion served as a temporary sanctuary.
By 1958 all indebtedness had been cleared and money was being placed in reserve for the future sanctuary.
A new sanctuary was completed in 1963 and the first services held in July. The new structure was consecrated by past Bishop Eugene Slater.
Our current pastor is Rev. Tim Ault-Duell
In the year 2008 we will be serving at our 61st fair, with long lines of hungry people waiting for those famous Chicken and Noodles and Sour Cream Raisin Pie. We are in the Cottonwood Courts Building (the food court.)