It ' s been a little over one year since the members of the Upland United Methodist Church , under the leadership of District Superintendent Rev . Michelle Cobb approved a plan to relocate the church into the former Pierce Governor Factory on 8th Street in Upland , IN .

Remodeling the first 45,000 sq ft ( Phase 1 ) of The Pierce Project , is in full swing after beginning in the fall of 2016 . The new facility in total , covers nearly 160,000 sq ft , compared to our present day 13,700 sq ft of space . Through countless hours of volunteers

working weekends and evenings , the remnants of Pierce Governor Factory have slowly been removed , making way for its new purpose . Metal stud walls full of conduit & plumbing now fill the space marking classrooms , bathrooms , offices and large worship area . New ductwork and roofing are currently being installed with plans to have the rooftop units set Tuesday of this week by crane spanning more than 200 ft .

From the beginning of the church ' s dream for an expanded space , the goal of the restoration wasn ’ t just about

creating a worship space for our congregation or a new enlarged facility for our Kiddie Kampus Preschool . It is about restoring a viable building for the entire community to use and enjoy .

In 2012 the leadership of Upland UMC approached Mr . Leland Boren , CEO of Avis Industrial Corporation with the idea of purchasing The Pierce Governor Factory , a recently closed manufacturing plant . During the meeting the owner graciously agreed to donate the facility to the Upland UMC . Since that time an environmental study and

remediation of the factory has been completed and the church received approval by the District Board of Location & Building to proceed . The Pierce Project will be a multi-phased transformation - taking an old , dead factory and turning it into a welcoming space for the gathering of God ’ s people and sharing of the Gospel .

The current location of the Upland UMC has been faithfully and fruitfully used as a ministry tool for 110 years . However , this new era of ministry growth requires something more . Parking is

limited , the basement floods , restrooms are inadequate , ministry space is crowded , and the church is not handicapped accessible . Remodeling would be costly and inefficient without any additional space added . The Pierce Project provides us with a new chapter in Upland UMC ’ s kingdom mission , opening exciting opportunities to minister to Upland and the world .

Upland UMC is a living legacy of faithful Jesusfollowers who are invested in its mission and families through intentional commitment to this church body .

For 140 years , God has used the faithfulness and sacrifice of this congregation to grow a dedicated community of believers . As this faith community continues to grow at a faster pace than the facilities can accommodate , the church leadership has sought wise vision for how to move forward in service to God ’ s Kingdom bringing mission .

For more information about the Upland United Methodist Church visit us at www . uplandmethodist . org or Facebook : UplandUMC or contact the Pierce Project Manager at 765.998.2985