St. Croix Valley United Methodist Church came into being in 1969 as a result of a courageous decision to merge the congregations of the Afton Methodist and the United Church of Christ in Lakeland. The original church structure, completed in 1969, was designed by Bergstrom, Wahlberg, & Berquist Architects, and sited on land donated by Phil and Alta Carlson. The church was expanded in 1978, and again in 1983 to meet the expanding ministries of a growing congregation. In 1984 the church acquired nearly 16 acres of adjacent property to complete the 19-acre campus currently overlooking the beautiful St. Croix River. Riverfront acres were sold in 2007 to help fund an ambitious remodeling and expansion plan, which was completed in 2009.

From the beginning, St. Croix Valley United Methodist Church has been a welcoming, caring, supportive and challenging community of faith. The church building and resources, however, are merely a means to an end. They provide the setting in which we come “To Know Christ”, and the launching pad from which we reach out to the St. Croix River Valley (and the world) “To Make Him Known”.