In 1823, a Methodist circuit rider named Jesse Walker came to the land along the DuPage River in order to bring Christianity to the Pottawatomie people of Illinois. Circuit riders were traveling preachers who moved on horseback to spread the gospel message. Led by Walker, a small group of settlers formed the first Methodist church in Plainfield in 1829. The current church was built in 1848, with subsequent additions built in 1921, 1952, 1966 and 2004.