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Of Lincoln’s downtown churches, St. Paul Methodist is most completely
downtown. At 12th and M, the tides of business and everyday life flow
all about it. It has weathered into its place, a hospitable building
where passersby are welcome. St. Paul has been a boon to Lincoln during
a good many years, at periods when the city was short of meeting
places—and these periods have been frequent. St. Paul’s is big, it is
very conveniently located. At the price of a crushed rib (and admission)
one has been able to hear many stirring performances—Paderewski and
other famous musicians, addresses of the great.
The crushed rib should not, however, be charged against the Methodists.
Their serious purpose in 1867 was to organize a church in the new city.
They expected to fling their doors open principally for church comers,
and, sadly, huge entrances are not necessary to take care of the average
church congregation.
The first church was put up in 1868—the First Methodist Episcopal church
of Lincoln. In 1883 a new structure was erected and the name changed to
St. Paul Methodist. In 1899 this building burned and two years later the
present structure was completed. Among attractive features of the church
are its two great windows on the east and south.
Dr. Walter Aitken, who resigned in 1942, had been pastor of St. Paul
church 22 years.