Wesley United Methodist Church, Minneapolis

A Richardsonian Romanesque classic made of granite, brick, and sandstone, topped off with round-arched windows and a healthy serving of towers, Wesley United rose during Minneapolis’ late-19th-century building boom, gracing the leafy residential streets of Loring Park at 101 Grant Street East. Warren H. Hayes, the city’s go-to church architect of the era, lent his expertise to the project. Hayes was already renowned for designs like the Calvary Baptist Church, Fowler Methodist Episcopal Church, and the First Congregational Church in Minneapolis, as well as the Central Presbyterian Church over in Saint Paul. These days, the church has been dwarfed by the hulking Minneapolis Convention Center, casting a modern shadow over its historic charm.

In 1968, the church acquired its current moniker, Wesley United Methodist Church, following the union of the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church. By 2010, the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota deemed it one of the state’s 10 Most Endangered Historic Places. Despite that designation, the building is still buzzing with life. It’s now home to Substance Church, a nondenominational, Evangelical megachurch known for mixing ultra-modern worship styles with small-group “cell” ministry and a relaxed “café church” vibe-all under the megachurch umbrella. Outreach Magazine even ranked Substance as the 21st fastest-growing congregation in the United States in 2010 (and 8th for growth percentage). Thanks to its trendsetting blend of contemporary methods, Substance Church continues to bring fresh energy to this historic space.