Park Avenue United Methodist Church sits on the corner of Park Avenue and 34th Street in South Minneapolis, just south of downtown. For more than 130 years, the brick building at that corner has anchored a congregation that describes itself as multiracial, multiethnic, and LGBTQIA+ affirming - a place committed to loving God and neighbor and to creating spaces of peace, healing, and belonging for all. Sunday worship begins at 10:00 AM each week, both in the sanctuary and online, and the church's rhythm of weekly prayer, study, music, service, and care extends through every day of the week.
From a Drugstore Corner to a Brick Church on Park Avenue
Park Avenue UMC traces its roots to 1893, when the W. H. Sheridan family moved to the 3400 block of Elliot Avenue South and decided that the trip to their Methodist church at 13th Avenue and 10th Street - two miles away - was simply too far. They asked their pastor to start a Sunday school and Sunday afternoon preaching series in the back of a nearby drugstore, and later that same year the congregation was formally organized with thirteen charter members. The new church purchased two lots at the corner of Park Avenue and 34th Street for $3,000; other city churches contributed the first $1,000, and a mortgage covered the rest.
By November 1893 a modest thirty-by-thirty-foot wooden structure stood on the site. Over the next five years the building was expanded, a tower was added, and by 1898 membership had grown to 143. In 1900 the debt was paid off by Hennepin Avenue UMC through the Methodist City Missionary and Church Extension Society, and on a Sunday morning the mortgage was burned at the altar with newly appointed Pastor George G. Vallentyne and the Board of Trustees gathered around - what the historical record calls "great rejoicing." Vallentyne went on to serve Park Avenue for forty-two years. During his tenure a brick church with seating for 600 was begun in 1909, halted in 1911 when funds ran out, and later completed - the familiar building that still anchors the corner today.
Worship at Ten on Sunday Morning
The principal Sunday service is held at 10:00 AM in the sanctuary and is also livestreamed on the church's YouTube channel for those joining from home, from the hospital, or from across the country. The service is Spirit-filled and intergenerational, drawing on a wide range of musical styles from Gospel to Contemporary, Classical to Jazz, Hymns to Blended. Members of the congregation are invited into worship not just as listeners but as participants - reading scripture in responsive call-and-response, leading intercessory prayer, and presenting the offering.
Children are part of the service for its first portion on most Sundays. After the musical worship, kids in kindergarten through fifth grade are invited to the front of the sanctuary and accompanied by volunteers down to the Children's Village, where they gather for age-appropriate Bible stories, music, games, and hands-on activities. Pickup is directly after the service. On the first Sunday of each month, children remain in intergenerational worship throughout. Crawlers through age four are welcome every Sunday in the Early Childhood Room on the main level, across the hall from the sanctuary.
Worship is followed each week by what the church simply calls "snacky goodness" - coffee, treats, and conversation in the Gathering Room. Newcomers are greeted by name, and the room tends to be as lively as the service that preceded it.
A Choir for Every Voice
Music is one of the most distinctive threads running through Park Avenue's identity. On any given Sunday morning the congregation might hear a Gospel choir anthem, a contemporary ensemble, a classical prelude, and a hymn sung by everyone in the pews. The Music Ministry describes its calling as fostering deep connections among members and creating community through sound.
The Park Avenue Gospel Choir rehearses on Mondays from 6:30 to 8:00 PM in the choir room, with no audition required, and sings year-round on the second and fourth Sundays of each month, plus occasional special services. Call time on Sundays is 9:00 AM in the sanctuary.
Two choirs serve younger singers. The Glory Be Choir, for first through fifth graders, rehearses Wednesdays from 5:45 to 6:30 PM in the choir room and sings on the first Sunday of each month. The United By Love Choir, for students in seventh grade through young adulthood, rehearses Wednesdays from 7:00 to 8:00 PM in the same room and also sings on the first Sunday. Both choirs run from September through May and welcome new singers without audition. The Music Ministry is led by Martial Besombes; children's and youth choirs are directed by Alexis Love.
Park Avenue Kids
Park Avenue Kids describes itself as a place "where every child learns they are loved by God, embraced by their church, and surrounded by friends." Programming runs from crawlers through fifth grade and includes Sunday morning lessons, faith-milestone celebrations, special family events, and community gatherings - all under the care of background-checked volunteers trained through Safe Gatherings.
On Sundays, the Early Childhood Room is open across the hall from the sanctuary for the youngest children, while elementary-age kids move partway through worship to the Children's Village downstairs. Family ministry is pastored by Rev. Annie Taylor, with Shannon Gunaca and Erika Cortez serving as co-coordinators of early childhood. The whole Kids Ministry team shares a single aim, articulated in the church's own words: "Come as you are - there's a place for you to belong, grow, and thrive."
Park Avenue Youth
Park Avenue Youth welcomes students from sixth grade through twelfth grade into a community that is, in the church's own language, "multiethnic and LGBTQ+ affirming." The program offers a vibrant mix of activities: Sunday discussions on faith and life, Wednesday gatherings with games and dinner and talks about Jesus, a modern youth choir, monthly outings, weekend getaways, summer camps, and regular service projects. The aim is for students to grow closer to God, to each other, to adult mentors, and to the broader Minneapolis community.
On most Sundays, youth remain in the sanctuary for the first part of worship and are then invited to connect with a designated youth leader standing at the back of the center aisle, who walks with them to the Youth Center - located on the parking lot side of the building, one floor up above the Gathering Room. On the last Sunday of each month, the group gathers for Prayer & Chill Sunday, a time to experience different prayer practices, pray for one another, and simply have fun together.
Wednesday nights are anchored by a shared meal - provided by volunteers so busy families don't have to worry about dinner - followed by games, teaching, and conversation. Each month during the school year, the youth participate in a local service project; partner organizations have included The Bond Between, Agate Housing & Services, and Adult & Teen Challenge. Guest speakers from across the church and community round out the year. The youth ministry is currently led by Interim Youth Minister Peter Carlson alongside Director of Youth Ministry Clyde Quarles.
Care Ministry
The Care Ministry at Park Avenue is built around the verse from Romans 12:15 - "Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep." Its work is pastoral in the deepest sense: visits, phone calls, prayer, and bringing communion to those who are homebound, hospitalized, or facing life challenges. The team celebrates life's milestones and offers comfort in times of grief, including an All-Saints Day remembrance ritual, an annual Blue Christmas Service, and funeral and memorial service planning.
Care is shared among Rev. Jennifer Ikoma-Motzko, the church's Pastor of Spiritual Care & Formation, an Interim Care Ministry Chaplain, and a dedicated team of volunteers. The ministry is also deeply interwoven with the church's response to community crisis - opening the doors of the building for vigils and gatherings in moments of neighborhood trauma and providing ongoing spiritual and practical support to neighbors who are hurting. Funeral and memorial services are currently hosted for members only.
Finding a Place of Belonging
Park Avenue describes its small-group ministry around the phrase "Place of Belonging." The conviction is simple: connecting with others outside of Sunday worship is one of the best ways to find your place.
For adults, the Mill-xers Potluck & Bible Study gathers Millennials and Gen X'ers about once a month in a home near the church for a storytelling Bible study that requires no preparation. Children are welcome to come and play while the adults talk. The Place of Belonging for Artists brings visual artists and writers of all ages together to meditate on scripture passages and create art in response, meeting at various times in the gathering room and online.
Small groups for kids and youth are integrated into the larger ministries described above. Anyone interested in starting or joining a group can reach out to the Small Group Coordinator for help finding a good fit.
A New Senior Pastor at the Corner of Park and 34th
In April 2026, after a year under the interim leadership of Rev. Dan Johnson, the church announced that Bishop Lanette Plambeck intended to appoint Rev. Shandon C. Klein as the next Senior Pastor of Park Avenue United Methodist Church. Pastor Shandon's appointment began July 1, 2026, and her first Sunday in worship was July 5. She describes herself as "a Spirit-led disciple who loves Jesus and is passionately dedicated to leading a multi-ethnic, radically inclusive ministry of Christ," prioritizing both personal and social holiness in the Wesleyan tradition. She comes to Park Avenue from ministry near the Minnesota-North Dakota border and previously spent more than eight years at First United Methodist Church Richardson in Texas, a 6,500-member congregation, where she moved from Assistant Director of Welcoming Ministries to Associate Pastor.
The search that led to her appointment was unusually thorough. Beginning in the fall of 2025, the Leadership Board and a transition team facilitated listening sessions - virtual and in person, including late October and early November gatherings after Sunday worship - to gather input from across the congregation about missional priorities and the characteristics needed in a new senior pastor. A Church Profile was finalized in late November and submitted to the Minnesota Conference. The profile described a vision of becoming "a truly multicultural, racially diverse LGBTQ+ affirming community rooted in Christ" and named a preference for a Black or other pastor of color with deep experience in multicultural urban ministry, dynamic Christ-centered preaching, strong intercultural competence, a commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion, strength in conflict navigation, and skill in revenue development and stewardship.
Park Avenue operates under a single governance model: a Leadership Board makes overall decisions, with sub-groups handling specific issues and making recommendations back to the board. The board is co-chaired by Karyn Sciortino Johnson and Ryan Vos-Orrington, with Michael Follestad serving as Finance Chair and Pam Sveinson as SPRC Lead.
Standing with the Neighborhood
In early 2026 the congregation lived through an experience that has shaped its identity in a new and sobering way. After a federal immigration enforcement surge that included a raid near the church at the corner of Park Avenue and 34th - an event during which several Park Avenue pastors and staff were among those pepper-bombed - the congregation established a designated response fund, raised approximately $77,000 in community support, opened its doors for vigils and prayer gatherings, and publicly named what it stands for and against. The pastoral team's letter to the congregation stated plainly: "We stand with our immigrant, refugee, migrant, and Native neighbors. We do this simply because we follow the way of Jesus." The church continues to organize mutual aid, legal clinics, and pastoral presence for those affected, and its website carries a Community Crisis page with statements, news coverage, and ways to donate and volunteer.
The Community Crisis Fund is one expression of a longer-running commitment to the immediate South Minneapolis neighborhood. Park Avenue runs a Cornerstone Thrift Store out of the building - a ministry offering low-cost, gently used clothing and housewares on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons. It hosts a free legal clinic through the Volunteer Lawyers Network. Sister's Camelot brings no-cost, healthy groceries to the site once a week, and St. Mary's Health Clinics offer affordable care in the building on a rotating basis. Iglesia Piedra Viva, a Spanish-speaking United Methodist congregation, shares the building as an onsite partner.
Onsite Partners
The church building is also home to several community partners whose work extends the congregation's reach into the neighborhood.
- Iglesia Piedra Viva - a Spanish-speaking United Methodist congregation that describes itself as "una familia con quien puedes adorarle a Dios, aprender, servir a la comunidad, hacer justicia y reirte."
- Cornerstone Thrift Store - low-cost, gently used clothing and housewares, open Tuesday afternoons, Wednesday afternoons and evenings, and Thursday afternoons.
- Volunteer Lawyers Network - a recurring legal clinic for civil matters, run by VLN staff and volunteer attorneys.
- Sister's Camelot - no-cost, healthy groceries distributed on site weekly.
- St. Mary's Health Clinics - affordable, quality healthcare offered on a rotating schedule.
Safety as a Sacred Trust
Park Avenue takes seriously its responsibility to keep everyone in the building safe. All staff and volunteers who work with children, youth, and vulnerable adults have passed Safe Gatherings background checks and online abuse prevention training. Children in fifth grade and under are checked in at a kiosk near the Early Childhood Room, with guardians receiving a printed pickup tag that must be presented at dismissal. Youth in sixth through twelfth grade check in manually in the Youth Room.
The building is equipped with first aid kits, naloxone, and an AED unit in the main level hallway. Staff have basic CPR training, and congregants with medical expertise are identified and prepared to provide initial support. The Lower Level serves as a severe weather shelter. Fire safety systems include alarms, extinguishers, sprinklers, and exit lights, with ushers and youth leaders trained to guide a quick evacuation. Ushers and Emergency Mobility Assistants are also identified to assist anyone who needs help during an emergency. The church practices active-threat awareness and encourages everyone to follow a simple rule: if you see something, say something.
Visiting Park Avenue
Park Avenue UMC welcomes visitors for Sunday worship at 10:00 AM. The church is on the corner of Park Avenue and 34th Street in Minneapolis, just south of downtown. Visitors may enter at the front of the church on Park Avenue or at the back of the building by the parking lot. Accessible parking and an elevator are located behind the church by the parking lot. Worship is also livestreamed on YouTube for those who prefer to join from home.
The church office is open Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The phone line - (612) 825-6863 - is not staffed around the clock, but messages are returned. The general inbox is info@parkavechurch.org. Online giving is available through the church's giving page, and a weekly bulletin can be downloaded in advance of worship. A wide variety of children's, youth, music, care, and small-group opportunities are described in detail across the church's other ministry pages, and visitors are warmly encouraged to reach out to the appropriate staff member with any questions.
Whether someone arrives at Park Avenue for the first time on a Sunday morning in person or tunes in online from a hospital room, a college dorm, or a kitchen table across the country, the welcome is the same: come as you are. There is a place for you here to belong, to grow, and to serve alongside a community that has been gathering at this corner for more than a century and intends to keep doing so for many more.