Our story begins with twelve faithful laypersons and the Reverend A. E. Rector. The year was 1890 and the place was the west side of Woodlawn Lake. This dedicated group assembled to worship on July 25th in the West End Methodist Church, so named because it was then the west end of San Antonio. With a strong sense of mission, our small congregation reached out to others and grew. We were supportive particularly of the Protestant Orphanage at the corner of Bandera and Woodlawn.

A tornado destroyed our building, but not our spirit, in 1902. We built an even larger building while our fellowship spread wider and our faith grew deeper. By 1915, we realized that we had made a mistake in locating the church. Our buggies got stuck in the mud whenever it rained! After 1920 it was clearly time to move. So, move we did to a small wooden structure built on Woodlawn Avenue, which became known in 1923 as Woodlawn Methodist Church.

We grew in every way. By 1925 we provided a variety of ministries to reach others and to support our 327 members. In 1927 we erected a new building to accommodate a membership which eventually grew to over 1,500. During the following two decades, our spiritual and missional influence was felt both in San Antonio and throughout the region.

As the area around the church changed, the congregation tried to reach its neighbors in meaningful ways, while also purchasing a site on De Zavala Road on which to establish a new mission church. We consecrated the new site as Woodlawn North on December 29, 1974. We held Sunday School in a farm house on the site and, to serve our new community, soon began a Mother’s Day Out program.

The Woodlawn church building was sold in 1976 to the Rio Grande Conference of the United Methodist Church. Neighbors in that area now worship God and offer a vital ministry through the El Divino Salvador United Methodist Church.

The Woodlawn and Woodlawn North congregations reunited on the northwest location on August 27, 1978, with approximately 250 members. Signifying our desire to become a contributing and participating part of our new community, we changed the name of our church to University. In 1980 we finished a stone multi-purpose building to house our expanding ministry.

As the community grew, so did we. On Christmas Eve, 1988, we began worship in our new Sanctuary, in 1996 we opened our new Education Facility, and in 2000 we opened our Children’s & Music Facility. Just before Easter 2008, we opened our Student/Multipurpose Facility, the new home for Contemporary Worship. We are now over 5,500 strong. Our program is broader and more diverse than ever, including a large number of specialized ministries, programs, and events.

This is our story. It has not ended. As long as there are people who are in need and who do not know the love and joy of Jesus Christ, our story will go on. Because we are the Church, Christ is our story. We welcome you to grow in your discipleship and be part of the story that is Jesus Christ!