About us
Our mission
- Exploring open and progressive theology
- Embracing God’s diverse creation,
- Encountering God in relevant worship,
- Encouraging questions, and
- Serving the community with commitment, conviction, love, and compassion.
- Living Out Our Faith
OUR HISTORY
IT ALL STARTED
On July 31, 1841, when James & Huldah Parsons, Chancey Parsons, and Jacob & Deborah Cook met with Rev. Stephen Peet to organize a church, the Delavan Congregational Church. On August 11th, of that year, the first worship service was held in the home of one of the members.
The first pastor was Rev. A. Gaston and members met in homes until April of 1844 when they voted to build a frame meeting house, a 32′ x 40′ structure just west of the present building. It wasn’t long before the membership outgrew the facilities, and in February 1856 they dedicated a new and larger church, the same building in use today.
OUR BUILDING TIMELINE
From 1841 - PResent
- 1844 – First meeting house built just west of current location
- 1891 – Remodeled interior; re-seated with circular oak pews, pulpit moved to west side in front of the three founder’s memorial windows
- 1912 – Built parsonage on land adjacent to current building & on the site of the first church building
- 1926 – Dedicated the education building
- 1951 – Restored the church to its 1856 general plan with the sanctuary arranged as it is today; extensively remodeled and altered surrounding sections of the church
- 1957 – Formed as a merger between Congregational Christian Church and the Evangelical and Reformed Church.
- 1980 – Sold and moved parsonage to Vine St.; created a Memorial Garden on the site of the original parsonage location
- 1994 – Constructed an addition to the east side of the education building, which included a balcony, large lobby, conference room, and increased office space; completed and dedicated in 1995.
OUR PASTOR LEGACY
Over a century and a half of pastors
Our church has been fortunate to have over a century and a half of dedicated pastors, many with long tenures, which added stability and growth in both faith and members.
-
1841 – Rev. Stephen Peet (organizer)
-
1842 to 1845 – Rev. Amnon Gaston
-
1845 to 1847 – Rev. F.H. Pitkin
-
1847 to 1854 – Rev. L. Foote
-
1854 to 1895 – Rev. Joseph Collie
-
1896 to 1897 – Rev. William E.Davidson
-
1898 to 1905 – Rev. Sedgwick P. Wilder
-
1905 to 1909 – Rev. H.W. Kellogg
-
1909 to 1914 – Rev. T.A. Williams
-
1914 to 1919 – Rev. L.G. Reser
-
1920 to 1937 – Rev. C.W. Boardman
-
1937 to 1940 – Rev. Frederic Groetsema
-
1941 to 1949 – Rev. Henry P. Freeling
-
1950 to 1964 – Rev. Joseph A. Steen
-
1964 to 1969 – Rev. J. Wendell Marshall
-
1969 to 2001 – Rev. Max Rigert
-
1998 to 2003 – Rev. Laura McLeod, Associate Minister
-
2001 to 2003 – Rev. Dr. Les Wicker
-
2003 to 2016 – Rev. Laura McLeod
-
2006 to 2009 – Rev. Ricardo Broach, Associate Minister
-
2015 to 2016 – Rev. Becky Boggs, Associate Minister
-
2016 to 2021 – Rev. Micah Schlobohm, Interim Pastor
-
2021 to current – Rev. Christie Mandas
CONTACT THE CHURCH OFFICE FOR MORE INFORMATION
(262) 728-2212
