Unfortunately, the city of Gary in Indiana (located just out of Chicago) is a city in steep and sustained decline. The population of the Rust-Belt city has collapsed and along with it, so too has many of its once-proud monuments.

Gary is a prime example of the collapse of the inner cities of many of the Rust Belt cities. Today it is a great location for urban explorers looking to explore the many abandoned buildings and structures here.

Background and History of the City Methodist Church

One of the most impressive ruins in Gary today is the City Methodist Church. This disused church was once the largest Methodist church in the Midwest. It was also one of the first buildings to fall victim to Gary's decline. The church was built from 1925 to 1926 and was abandoned as a place of worship in 1975. That is only after 50 years of use - a brief lifetime for a church of this sort.

  • Built: 1925-1926
  • Abandoned: 1975
  • Life: Used For Only 50 Years

The Methodists had a church in Gary since 1906 (the year the city was first founded). In 1916 Dr. William Grant Seaman became the pastor here. Being a man of dynamic energy, he fired up the congregation to build a much larger and grander church.

Ironically, after building the church he would go on to be involuntarily transferred by the congregation as they were unhappy with his interests in cultural diversity and inclusivity.

The intent of the impressive church was also to bring the Methodist religious presence into what was then seen as a disreputable part of the city - a neighborhood with numerous brothels and drinking venues.

  • US Steel: Backed And Partly Funded The Church

US Steel backed the construction of the church. US Steel was by far the largest employer in the city and it was this company that founded the city in the first place. While a shadow of its former self, US Steel remains the largest employer in the city.

  • Elbert Gary: Donated The Church's Organ

US Steel donated the land and almost half of the cost of construction. Elbert Gary (after whom the city is named) donated the church's organ.

It may come as a surprise to many, but the largest church in the United States today is the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, and it's still only about two-thirds complete.

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Opening And Decline

  • First Service: On 3 October 1926

The church first opened in 1926 and by the following year, it had a congregation of 1,700. The church's membership peaked in the 1950s when its membership managed to surpass 3,000.

Membership:

  • 1927: 1,700 Members
  • The 1950s: Over 3,000 Members
  • 1973: 320 (Aging) Members

But after the 1950s, the city of Gary's fortunes began to turn. The city declined in the 60s and 70s. Along with the city's fortunes so did the church's fortunes. The people who were leaving Gary were predominantly the white middle-class - the main parishioners of the church.

At the same time crime rates in the area soared and the maintenance costs for the remaining parishioners became ruinous. The church's massive size made it expensive and the harsh lakefront climate also took its toll on the structure.

By 1973 there were only 320 members remaining - and these were mostly of an aging congregation. Not only that but only around a third of them were regularly attending. After some other failed attempts to off-load the church were made, it was closed in 1975.

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After The Methodist Church's Abandonment

This once impressive building of worship has remained shuttered ever since and it has continued to deteriorate. Ownership passed on to Indiana University, but they did nothing with the church itself.

  • Ownership: Owned by Indiana Univesity

By the 1990s the church was starting to decay but was then severely damaged by a fire in 1997 - that one accelerated its deterioration. In 2011, part of the sanctuary’s roof collapsed.

  • Fire: A First Greatly Damaged The Church in 1997

The Methodist Church Today

  • Goth Weddings: It Has Become A Location of Goth Weddings
  • Urban Exploration: It is Has Become a Popular Site For Urban Exploration
  • Permits: Permits Are Required To Explore The Church

Today it is in a very sorry state of affairs. It is long past the point of any realist restoration and its future remains uncertain. It is listed on Indiana's Landmarks but is listed as one of the state's 10 Most Endangered Places in Indiana by Preserve Indiana.

The building has been gutted of its interior fixtures and in the 2000s and again in the 2010s there have been plans to demolish the church complex only leaving the sanctuary as a centerpiece in a future park.

Permits are required to enter the church and can be obtained by the Gary Office of Film & Television.

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