History of Hayward Wesleyan Church

LA Rich Tradition

The Wesleyan denomination springs from a rich tradition of devotion to God and commitment to His service. John Wesley, our namesake, was an Anglican priest who led one of the greatest revival movements in history after his heart was “strangely warmed” at a small group Bible study in London (1738). One hundred years later, Orange Scott and Luther Lee organized a movement which became The Wesleyan Methodist Church (later shortened to “Wesleyan”). In the mid-1800’s, they stood against the evils of slavery and paid a tremendous price personally for their convictions.

It all began in a tent.
Although the Hayward Wesleyan Church was founded in 1925, the seed for the foundation of the church was planted in September 1924 by Rev. Sidney S. Hotchkiss who at the time was the pastor of the prospering Stone Lake Wesleyan Church. (Side note: Rev. Hotchkiss stood over 7 ft. tall!)

Rev. Hotchkiss felt God calling him to revival in the Hayward area. He and J.B. Clawson, president of the Wisconsin Wesleyan Conference, arranged for a large tent to be set up in a prominent place where evangelists came to speak to the people in a series of meetings. The large tent was pitched in a pasture lot in the southwest part of the city, about where Slumberland furniture store currently is. God’s Spirit moved and several people were converted.

This little group of believers continued to meet for services in the tent until the cold weather forced the meetings into the home of Dr. W. A. Hazelton, an enthusiastic convert from the original tent meeting and a man deeply interested in the work of the Gospel. Dr. Hazelton’s first house was located at 2nd St. and Kansas Ave. Eventually the Hazelton family moved into a large Victorian home which was shared with the Wesche family. The house was located at the corner of Kansas Ave. and Hwy. 63. This house, still standing in all its glory, was moved in the 1970’s to Deer Ln. behind the Hayward Golf course. 

For the first two years of the church’s existence, Rev. Hotchkiss pastored the Hayward Church as well as the Stone Lake church. In 1927, Rev. Hotchkiss moved to Hayward as a resident pastor where he remained until 1934. There weren’t enough people to support him full-time, so he cut wood for a living.

Hayward Wesleyan Church organized on August 23, 1925.

In 1925, God orchestrated another Wesleyan Revival in Hayward through evangelist Preston Kennedy. As a result of this revival the Hayward Wesleyan Methodist Church was organized, with 11 charter members. They continued to meet in the Victorian home on Kansas Ave. and Hwy. 63.

The Tabernacle

Sometime around 1930, the young church built a “tabernacle”, a wooden building to be used for camp meetings for all the Wesleyan churches from Eau Claire north to Superior. (Fun fact— the nine acre property was located adjacent to where our present church building stands on Nyman Ave.!) Eventually the campus included a dining hall, cabins, etc. Evangelists would come for 10 days every August and preach in the evenings and have prayer and Bible studies during the days. Many people came to know the Lord in this spot. In 1935 the Tabernacle roof collapsed during a winter storm. The structure was rebuilt and saw many years of good service. In the mid-1950’s the area was closed and camp meetings were then held at Hillsboro, Wisconsin.

The Little White Church

In the mid-late 1920’s, members of the Hayward Wesleyan Methodist Church continued to meet in the Hazelton/Wesche home until a little church building became available to rent. The church building (built in 1894) was located on the corner of Fifth Ave. & Minnesota Ave., and was at that time owned by the Bethel Norwegian and Danish Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1943, negotiations were completed to purchase the little white building. Over the years, many improvements and remodeling projects were done. Church services were held in this building until 1996 when the congregation relocated to our present building on Nyman Ave.

A Busy Place!

Throughout the years, the church was a busy place! People were having their spiritual needs met.

People were coming to Christ and having their lives changed. Revival meetings, Sunday School Picnics and Bible Studies were mainstays over the years. Ministries for adults, kids and youth changed over the years but the message of God’s love and redemption was always the same.

 “Faithful to Complete It”……….Relocation in 1996

In 1991, a young pastor from California named Mark Wilson moved to Hayward to become pastor of HWC, along with his wife Cathy and their two sons, Adam and Ryan. Pastor Mark served the church for 26 years and under his leadership and by the blessings of God, the church flourished and grew by leaps and bounds. God paved the way for a new building which was erected in 1996 at the corner of Hwy. 77 and Nyman Ave. There were two additions built within the first 10 years. Our beautiful building allows us to not only serve the community in many ways, but it gives us plenty of space to “connect every life to Jesus”. 

Ministries for the Little Ones

Sunday School has always been an important ministry at HWC, from the cold winter days of the mid-1920’s around the pot-bellied stove to the early days of 2000 when a large Sunday School wing was built to accommodate our growing youth and children’s ministries. There were many years when caring adults would round up kids in the community and pick them up in a station wagon or van and bring them to Sunday School and church. Christian Youth Crusaders (CYC) was organized at HWC in 1957 by Laura Clarke (wife of Rev. John Clarke). This after school group met in the basement of the church on 5th & Minnesota and heard weekly stories told by Laura about adventures of missionaries. The church also offered Youth Missionary Worker Band (YMWB) during church services for children to learn about the mission field. Vacation Bible School has always been a vital ministry over many years, drawing in kids around the community and often bringing in over 100 kids each night (150 this year). “Followers” (started around 1996 by Loretta Sunderland) has become a vibrant after school ministry over the last 25 years. From puppets and flannelgraphs to videos and modern day methods, kids have been reached with the good news of Jesus Christ!

Youth Ministries……..Over the Years

Youth Group for teens has been a priority for HWC since its inception. Dale Hubbell (in HWC’s 75th anniversary memories) remembered the Youth Group from the mid-1940’s. It was during the war, and Pastor Carl Olander would drive his 1940 Ford pulling a toboggan full of teens and take them sledding…..or fishing in the summer. Gwen Boone Smith also recalled many memories of attending youth meetings (in HWC’s 75th anniversary memories). She remembers the group singing praise choruses for hours, with Judy Gorud at the piano. She remembers outings where teens would ride on trailers behind a car or stowed in the car’s open trunk—things that would be illegal now! Judy Gorud recalled bible studies, prayer nights, club meetings, bonfires and parties. During the 1970’s, the HWC Youth meetings were the “in” place to be and teens came from all over the community, with plenty of folk music and “Pass it On” around the campfires! In 1972, Lennie Kohler Rickman attended a Youth Retreat organized by dynamic and caring leaders (Maynard and Linda Nordmoe), and it was there that she (and many, many others) gave her heart to Jesus. Over more recent years, teens have had many similar experiences and so much more — bible quizzing, roller skating trips, retreats, and mission trips. Our youth pastors and leaders over the years have made sure that the focus of its ministry remains, as in the beginning, the teachings of the Bible, its life application, worship, prayer, and exciting fellowship. 

Hayward Wesleyan has had 20 (senior) pastors over the last 100 years. A notebook at the church contains all their names and pictures. There is also a more detailed account of HWC’s history, memories and pictures that was assembled in 2000 by Nickie Kohler.

A Few Memories and Testimonies

We moved to Hayward from Spooner in July of 1959 just before I started kindergarten.  Dad’s sister, Lois, and her hubby Ben Drown were serving at the Woodland Church at that time. A few years ago Aunt Lois showed me a letter that my dad had written to them during that time.  In it he said, “we’ve had our first fruit since coming to Hayward and it was our own daughter, Keetha, who came to the altar yesterday.”

—Keetha (Heavilin) Broyles

I remember the guys on the building committee (1996) and their reaction to the PINK folding chairs. I kept telling them they were MAUVE, not PINK!  —Peggy Orton

I remember Bible stories being told and displayed on a flannel board. My teacher was Dorothy Asp. Birthdays were big for young kids — you put a penny in a globe bank and received a new pencil. In the Adult Class they said this blessing to you: “Many happy returns of this day of thy birth. May blessings and sunshine be given and may the dear father prepare you on earth for a beautiful birthday in heaven!”

—Mickey Johnson

We went to church three times on Sunday — Sunday School, morning church and night time church, and Wednesday prayer meetings. Once a year, as sure as the world, they had revival meetings. They always had one of those fire and brimstone ministers. They had ‘em in those days.

—Mel Sipe

I had loved God since my childhood, but it was through this church, its Sunday Worship service and the Adult Sunday School, that I came to know Jesus Christ as my personal savior.   —Nickie Kohler

(Compiled in 2025 by Linda Gerich)