People's Church, St. Paul, Minnesota

Peoples Church was founded in St. Paul in 1888 by a group of Methodist men and women who wanted to keep their minister, Rev. Dr. Samuel G. Smith, when the Methodist hierarchy wanted him to move to a different church in another city. Defying the strictures of ecclesiastical polity, Smith and the church broke away and became an independent congregation led by a thoughtful and inspiring leader. Under Smith, Peoples Church thrived and grew while espousing a doctrine of primitive simplicity, great truths, and working to ameliorate the problems of the city.

Ramsey County Historical Society