In the mid-1960s the Rev. Dr. Greg Poole looked for ways to support and strengthen the ministry of several small, struggling urban United Methodist churches. As the Superintendent of the St. Louis North District, he sought to establish an organization that would provide resources, coordination, and specialized skills to help these congregations better serve their neighborhoods. Dr. Poole proposed the idea to Bishop Eugene Frank and received permission to proceed.
At about the same time, lay persons in the church believed that the United Methodist church had failed to form a coherent policy regarding important urban issues such as racial unrest, riots, and increasing poverty. These lay persons also approached the Bishop, who referred them to Dr. Poole. The group worked with Dr. Poole to plan a new organization, and with support from the church established United Methodist Metro Ministry in 1968.
In the early '70s Metro Ministry developed a number of programs to assist urban church ministries and to provide direct services to people in the community. These programs emphasized parish development, pastoral care and advocacy, and volunteer service. The MetroServ Pantry, established in 1973, was providing emergency food and other services to more than 6,000 people each year by the middle of the decade.
In 1983 Metro Ministry moved to its present location of the former Wagoner United Methodist Church on Taylor Avenue. The agency broadened its direct services by operating after-school and pre-school programs, and programs for the elderly. A neighborhood playground was opened and a project was established to offer volunteer experience for college students during the summer. In 1988 Metro Ministry opened Shalom House as a shelter for homeless women. Two years later the shelter shifted its focus to homeless women burdened with mental illness and/or chemical dependency. The MetroServ Pantry expanded its services to include clothing, household items, and financial assistance. By the mid-1990s the Shalom House Transitional Housing program was developed to help the emergency shelter residents become independent.
In 2004, United Methodist Metro Ministry changed its name to Metro Homeless Center and Family Services in an effort to better encapsule the services that Metro provides. Today, Metro's niche is it's Emergency Shelter and Transitional Housing programs for women with mental illness and/or chemical dependency. Metro is the only residential shelter program of its kind and plays a vital role in the city's efforts to end chronic homelessness.
Agency Leadership
1968 Rev. Dr. Greg Pool
1970 Rev. Charles Napire
1972 Rev. George Burgin
1976 Rev. Winfrey Dickerson
1977 Rev. Ken Gottman
1984 Rev. Harry Smith
1990 Diane Johnson
1997 Reginald Lee
2002 Kimberly Camp
2005 Tammy Laws