How it all started...
Our local fellowship was organized with 13 charter members August 23, 1936. The first meeting place was located at 708 Moro Street with Reverend Vernon Shetler as the first pastor. It was a one room building in which all Sunday School classes and services were held. There were no conveniences except electricity . A few years later the church board saw the need for adequate Sunday School rooms and voted to raise the church building and add a basement for Sunday School rooms as well as a furnace and a bathroom. This project was entitled “The Little Engine That Could.”
Expanding the vision...
By 1960 the church had outgrown the building, so the District Superintendent, church board, and congregation voted to purchase a building at the corner of 10th and Fremont. This location served the church well for more than 30 years.
In 1978, the church purchased four acres of ground at the Intersection of Kimball Ave and Seth Child Blvd to build on in the future.
Pastor Ron Scarlett (1977-1980) recalled,
“During our ministry there you purchased the land where you now worship. That was such a miracle. First Christian church owned the property. It was given to them for the purpose of building a church so they had to sell the property to a church. We had an inside track because Berris Gregg, who attended our church, was the secretary at their church. When Berris came to me and told me about the property, we called a church board meeting and the board voted to buy the property if we could raise the down payment in 30 days. The first Sunday after the board met we shared the vision with the church family. That Sunday morning with what we had already saved and the money that came in, we had $1,500. We had a great start. That Sunday evening Mrs. S______, whose husband owned the auto parts store in town, came up to me and handed me an envelope and said, ‘My husband ask me to give this to you.’ I had visited with him at their home and had shared with them that we needed to relocate. He only came to church Christmas and Easter. I opened the envelope before the service, I knew there just had to be a check, and sure enough there was a check for $2,000. The first Sunday we went over our goal. We knew that it was God’s will for us to purchase the property. Berris had said that we really needed to know before thirty days because there were several churches that wanted to purchase the property. Well God also knew that! “
In 1978, the church purchased four acres of ground at the Intersection of Kimball Ave and Seth Child Blvd to build on in the future.
Pastor Ron Scarlett (1977-1980) recalled,
“During our ministry there you purchased the land where you now worship. That was such a miracle. First Christian church owned the property. It was given to them for the purpose of building a church so they had to sell the property to a church. We had an inside track because Berris Gregg, who attended our church, was the secretary at their church. When Berris came to me and told me about the property, we called a church board meeting and the board voted to buy the property if we could raise the down payment in 30 days. The first Sunday after the board met we shared the vision with the church family. That Sunday morning with what we had already saved and the money that came in, we had $1,500. We had a great start. That Sunday evening Mrs. S______, whose husband owned the auto parts store in town, came up to me and handed me an envelope and said, ‘My husband ask me to give this to you.’ I had visited with him at their home and had shared with them that we needed to relocate. He only came to church Christmas and Easter. I opened the envelope before the service, I knew there just had to be a check, and sure enough there was a check for $2,000. The first Sunday we went over our goal. We knew that it was God’s will for us to purchase the property. Berris had said that we really needed to know before thirty days because there were several churches that wanted to purchase the property. Well God also knew that! “
Where we are NOW...
A ground breaking service was held at the new church site, our current location, on September 9, 1990, and construction began in November. The church was completed in June of 1991 and a dedication service was held in October, 1991. The new building was paid off in 2003 several years ahead of schedule.
In November 2007 we hired our first children's pastor. Since then, we have added many pastors to our staff in order to continue to minister to the many children, teens, families, and senior adults that God has trusted us to serve.
In May 2014, we opened Kingdom Kids Childcare as a means to continue to serve our Manhattan community.
As the years rolled by, God worked with our church as they prayed and believed and today many past congregational members are serving God across America and in foreign lands that came through the doors of our church.
May God bless the memory of our friends and loved ones who have gone to their eternal rest. They have made the landing sure. Only time and eternity will reveal the many who have found hope and rest in God’s saving grace these 80 years.
In November 2007 we hired our first children's pastor. Since then, we have added many pastors to our staff in order to continue to minister to the many children, teens, families, and senior adults that God has trusted us to serve.
In May 2014, we opened Kingdom Kids Childcare as a means to continue to serve our Manhattan community.
As the years rolled by, God worked with our church as they prayed and believed and today many past congregational members are serving God across America and in foreign lands that came through the doors of our church.
May God bless the memory of our friends and loved ones who have gone to their eternal rest. They have made the landing sure. Only time and eternity will reveal the many who have found hope and rest in God’s saving grace these 80 years.
