Zion Methodist Church, located at East State Street and Rock Glen, was built in 1887 by German immigrants from Plymouth.

Services were conducted in German at first, later in English and German. During World War I, pastors were admonished by city leaders to discontinue the German-language services. But as late as the 1930s, the churches continued to hold them in German.

SOURCE: BUEHNER, Kristin. "Prosit! Germans cheer their culture's traditions, influence throughout North Iowa." Globe Gazette Mason City IA. 24 May 2003.

The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Monday, June 01, 1953
Centennial Edition, Section 8

[Section 8, Page 13] One of the early congregations in Mason City was the Zion Methodist, which for many years worshipped (sic) in a church at 429 East State.

When the Wesley Methodist Church was organized in 1946 Zion was merged with Olivet and the East State church was sold to the Church of the Open Bible, which later moved the structure to 17th and Carolina S. E.

At the time it was organized the Zion Church was known as the German Methodist Society. The Rev. F. H. Hilmer, first appointed by the Northwest German Conference to the Nora Springs mission, came to Mason City in 1887 and held meetings in the homes of the members and also in the school.

In 1889, the Rev. H. E. Hilmer, brother of the former pastor, was officially appointed to the charge. In 1934 the Zion Church became a part of the Upper Iowa Conference, thus paving the way for the merger two years later.

The merger of these two churches brought about the beginning of a rapidly growing congregation in the south part of the city. Ever since its organization Wesley Methodist Church has continued to grow.

Zion and Olivet Methodist Churches merged with Wesley Methodist church in 1936.

Submission by Sharon R. Becker, May of 2011; updated January of 2015