An Oak Lawn settler, the Rev. Marcus H. Cullum (1822 - 1885), preached in a grove on Turtle Creek until citizens built a school-church house here on site given by the Dickason-Sale family. At opening of that building, Sept. 20, 1874, the Rev. M. H. Cullum founded the Oak Lawn Methodist Episocopal Church, South. A larger building with spires was erected in 1889. The present structure was built 1911-15, and enlarged in 1928 and 1950. Church name has been altered by changes in national organization. Membership has grown from 20 in 1874 to more than 2,000.