Plans were drawn for the present church building, however financing was difficult as the banks refused to lend funds on the notes of members of the trustee board. Help was provided by some friends of the congregation who had better financial standing and agreed to let their names be added to the trustee board; and so a contract was let for $18,000. Also, it is a small tribute to the Ladies Aid of those days that they pledged $1,000 for the building fund. The surrounding land was sold to the city.

In the years that followed, the church grew rapidly and Ainslie Street Methodist became a great centre of evangelism where revival services were held with Crossley and Hunter, well-known ministers. It became necessary to add the balcony to the sanctuary. Young people were especially attracted to gather for the Sunday evening services.

With the union of Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregational churches on June 10, 1925 to become the United Church of Canada, Ainslie Methodist Church was renamed Wesley United Church. Many improvements have been made to the building since then, with the construction of an addition consisting of the chapel and ladies’ parlour with a new furnace room and Ainslie Hall stage in the basement below. Then in 1959 the cornerstone was laid for the new Christian Education wing at a cost of $128,000 to provide classrooms, offices and Ballantyne Hall. The buildings testifies to the vision, courage, faith, work and fellowship of many persons and families from 1840 to the present day. Stained glass windows and other memorial gifts echo the place of former Wesley members.
 

In 1871, Rev. J.B. Clarkson came as minister to the Wesleyan Church and the following year the congregation moved into the original Knox Church building on the site now occupied by the market building. They acquired all the land now forming the market square plus the present property. All branches of Methodism in Canada merged to form the Methodist Church of Canada in 1875 and the three former congregations became the Ainslie Street Methodist Church, and settled in the Weleyan building with Rev. J.V. Smith as their minister.

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uring the 1850’s, three congregations of the Methodist persuasion worshipped in Galt. The Primitive Methodists met on Ainslie Street, while the Welseyan Methodists began meeting in homes in 1854, later moving to North Street (now Thorn Street). The New Connection Methodists had built their first church in 1840 on south Water Street through the efforts of Isaac Sower, who came from Pennsylvania. Later, they moved to a location on Dickson Street and in 1856 Rev. James McAlister was appointed as their minister.