History Timeline
First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ was founded on April 17, 1879, when people gathered in the home of Mr. and Mrs. W.H. Price to discuss their mutual interest in establishing a Congregational Church. About three weeks later the Articles of Faith and Association were signed by 24 founding members. The first service was held June 1, 1879, at the Union Opera House.
In 1880, the church had its first dedicated home - a wooden church at 2nd Ave. and 5th Street, SE, in Cedar Rapids. Eleven years later it was replaced by a stone building on the same lot.
In 1925, Troop #6 of the Boy Scouts of America was chartered through First Congregational Church. It still exists today, and is the oldest Troop in Iowa.
In 1928 , work began on a new building - our current home. A young artist by the name of Grant Wood was hired to design the church's sanctuary. Members of the building committee went to New England to study Congregational churches there when planning the exterior.
In 1959, the facility was expanded to include classrooms and the Colonial Chapel.
In 1963, growth occurred in a different form; the membership voted to become a part of the United Church of Christ. The congregation also completely remodeled the sanctuary, purchasing new pews and chancel furniture and new carpet and re-painting the entire room.
In 1968,In 1968, the congregation began the process of purchasing a new Moeller organ, a fine instrument which is still in use today.
The building was updated in 1991 to include an elevator and improved wheelchair access.
A new model for Christian Education for children preschool through 5th grade was launched in 2001 with the start a rotation model. More traditional classroom settings are being used for middle school and high school age children.
In 2003, the congregation began a renovation process which is considering needs in all parts of the facility. It began by remodeling the church offices and the hallways, putting in new lighting and ceilings and re-painting the walls as well as doing some more significant changes in the ways offices are configured. Plans are underway to do work in the parlor, chapel, fellowship hall, sanctuary, and bathrooms, too.
The congregation, which currently has 625 confirmed members and about 100 children, has tried to minister to both its members and the larger community throughout its history. The congregation celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2004.
