During the 1880’s families north of the McKinley School area felt the need for a place of worship that was nearer to their homes. They were holding services in different homes when Mr. and Mrs. Robert Kincheloe Phelps gave a lot at the corner of 37th and Emerson Avenues. The Methodist South members asked the St. Paul’s Church at 7th and Market Streets to help the new group build a church.
In 1890 a one room frame church known as Sand Plains Methodist Episcopal
Church, South was completed and dedicated by the first pastor, Rev. H. M.
Smith. The first parsonage was built in 1898 and Phelps Methodist Church
became a charge in 1905.
Rev. F. E. Lambert led construction of the
brick structure in 1913 and Bishop John C. Kilgo dedicated the new building
in 1914. The church was renamed the Phelps Memorial Episcopal Church, South
by Annual Conference in 1924.
Ground was broken on August 1, 1954 for the present structure on three acres
of Broad Street given by 0. J. Stout. Rev. 0. C. Mitchell held the first
service on November 6, 1955. In May of 1956 the Annual Conference gave the
church the name Stout Memorial United Methodist Church, but Phelps Chapel
was named in memory of the old church.
In October of 1962 ground was broken for the parsonage and “Open House” was held in May of 1963. The ground was broken for the Educational Wing on May 25, 1975 and the dedication was held on January 11, 1976. On April 26, 1986 we had a note burning to signify the retiring of the debts to that date. In 1987 we paved the parking lots and built a new garage on the parsonage. We celebrated our Centennial in 1990.
In 2002 we shared a vision and decided to build on faith a new family life
center that would have a new multipurpose facility, greeting, narthex, and
office areas and conduct renovations to the sanctuary. Ground breaking took
place on March 9, 2003 for this project. With God’s blessings Stout
Memorial United Methodist Church will continue to grow.