Public Affairs Director Jon Michaels talks with Eric Weber and Elly Heckel of the Union Gospel Mission in Sioux Falls.

from their website:

Ministry History – Mother Wheaton

The ministry of a woman who visited the South Dakota State Prison while Thomas Morse was imprisoned there was Elizabeth Ryder Wheaton (1844-1923).  This is the information we currently have for Elizabeth or more commonly known as “Mother Wheaton”.

She was a social reformer and evangelist. Elizabeth Ryder was born to John and Mary Van Nest Ryder in Wayne County, Ohio.  Her parents, both Christians, died by the time she was five years of age.  At the death of her mother, Elizabeth was separated from her siblings and was reunited only with her brothers, J. M. and Emanuel, and her sister, Lida Ryder Hoffman, in 1902.

At first Elizabeth was placed in a foster home where she remained until the family moved away.  Subsequently she was reared by her grandparents.  As a child, she worshiped among the Methodists.  Later she would describe her commitment to Christianity at this time as “normal.”

At age eighteen Elizabeth married J. A. Wheaton.  They had one son, but within two years of their marriage, both her husband and their infant son had died.  Elizabeth’s self-acknowledged conversion came in the wake of their deaths.  In the years that followed, she heard of “holiness” and the  “baptism of the Holy Spirit for service.”  She began to attend a Holiness church some distance from her home.  It was there that she received her “sanctification.”  On November 11, 1883, she claimed to have received a vision of Jesus in which she was asked to follow him.  Thus she began her prison ministry.

Homeless men come to UGM from every walk of life. Some are traveling across the country and stop because they have heard of the Mission. Some simply want a place to lay their head and get something to eat. It’s important for us to recognize that the mission field is right here in Sioux Falls. I’d like to see the body of Christ become more involved with the Mission and our clients … be Jesus to people … be their friends.

- Todd Hill

Men's Center Co-Director for over 22 years

The Mission provides safe, comfortable lodging and showers for individuals who find themselves without shelter and needing a place to rest and get out of the elements. These guests might be transients passing through the area, some are people struggling as they work to get back on their feet and a few others are individuals that choose to join our discipleship program and become accountable in several areas of their life.

Our Men’s Facility provides space for 80 men and our Women & Children’s Facility can accommodate 48 women & children.

Meal Service

Union Gospel Mission serves three nutritious meals every day, seven days a week from Monday through Sunday. In addition, we offer special dinners on Easter, Mother’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and on other unique occasions. These meals are free to the public and are served at the following times listed below.

Breakfast: 6:30AM – 7:30AM
Lunch: 11:30AM – 12:30 NOON
Dinner: 5:30PM – 6:30PM