The Methodist Church began in Manchester in the spring of 1790, when the Rev. George Roberts preached a sermon at the home of Thomas Spencer of Hartford Road.

On October 24, 1822, the cornerstone of East Methodist Church was laid on the site of today’s Masonic Temple—a two-story building with a small tower that soon proved too small as membership grew by 100. The third church, and the first on the present site, was dedicated on November 9, 1854. It was expanded in 1891 with the addition of a new organ, and by then the Church School had grown to 486 members.

In 1925, the vision of A. Willard Case and his congregation became reality with the completion of the South Church edifice, designed in Tudor Gothic style by architect Arthur Eaton Hill of Providence, RI, who passed away before its completion. Rev. Joseph Cooper served as Senior Pastor and Rev. Russell E. Waitt as Associate Pastor. Built of local gray fieldstone and trimmed with cast stone, the church features a 67-foot tower with turreted battlements, housing the original church bell and a memorial chime set ranging from 275 to 2,000 pounds.

In 1958, the church purchased ten acres across Hartford Road from the estate of Frank Cheney Jr., including two dwellings used for various ministries over the years. The education wing, added in the early 1970s, continues to serve as a center for learning.

In 2003, the building at 21 Hartford Road was acquired and renovated in 2017 for Next Generation Ministries. A new Café, added in 2012, provides a welcoming, multi-purpose space for meetings, concerts, classes, and Contemporary Worship services.