A Brief History
The paragraphs below offer a brief overview of the history of Congregationalism as a whole and also the history of the First Congregational Church of Emporia.
History of the First Congregational Church of Emporia
When it became evident that the Kansas-Nebraska bill would become law, and under its provisions each territory would determine whether it would enter the union as a Slave or Free State, New Englanders organized the New England Emigrant Aid company. It proposed to fill Kansas with enough ‘free staters’ to out-ballot the pro-slavery settlers. Joining this movement to free Kansas from the sin and curse of slavery were four newly ordained ministers from Andover Seminary, commissioned by the American Home Missionary society to preach the gospel in "Bleeding Kansas". They called themselves the Andover band. One of these pioneer pastors, Grosvenor C. Morse and his bride of a month, Abigail Prentice Morse, arrived in Emporia in October, 1857.
The town had been laid out for less than six months. Few families were in the new community, but there were a number of aggressive young men with plans for Emporia’s future. The newly arrived minister and his wife were welcomed by Mr. and Mrs. N. S. Storrs, proprietors of Emporia House, located at the southwest corner of Sixth Avenue and Commercial. The Storrs offered their hotel office and dining room for church services. Later, the minister and his followers worshiped in buildings as yet unoccupied. New arrivals quickly filled available rooms and there were many moves. Finally, the tiny congregation was forced to occupy a building under construction. Mr. Morse spent Saturday nights sweeping up shavings, piling boxes for a pulpit, and arranging seats for Sunday services.
In August 1858, a Congregational church of five members was formally organized, two members being the minister and his wife. A church home was an urgent need. None of the little group could go east to secure funds, so they wrote to their friends, schools, and churches for assistance. Little money was pledged, but a days work, standing trees, log wagons, log chains, crosscut saws, and teams of horses were promised for a number of days. Preston B. Plumb gave the largest amount of money to the building fund - $10. The site, at Eighth and Mechanic, was a gift of the Town Company. Completed in 1860, the first church cost $840. Its dimensions were 22 by 32 feet. The inside woodwork was of black walnut. The seats, settees with arms and backs of turned spindles, were said to be the only ones of their kind west of the Mississippi. A small melodeon brought from Massachusetts, a carpet, and lamps completed the furnishings.
The shanties of Emporia were replaced by substantial dwellings and the sheds on Commercial Street were transformed into brick buildings with glass windows. But the Congregationalists continued to worship in a primitive, overcrowded building. Dr. Richard Cordley, one of the Andover band, came from Lawrence in 1878 to be pastor of the church. Often 250 people crowded into the little church to hear his brief, inspiring sermons. He became know as the ‘Nugget’ Preacher, because his sermons were short and full of meaning. Before the Rev. Dr. Cordley’s arrival, the building had been repaired and renovated at considerable expense. He learned that the congregation expected it to be adequate for at least five years.
Emporia grew and prospered and soon plans were underway to construct a new church. The cost of the building and furnishings was about $13,000. The new stone edifice was dedicated on January 8, 1881. The mercury fell below zero, but 700 persons attended the service.
During the 20-year pastorate of the Rev. J. H. J. Rice, the Congregational church assumed the role of a community institution. The membership grew and the church plant was expanded. Plymouth Hall was added in 1910.
When the Rev. Stephen J. Williams became pastor in July 1942, the church and its furnishings were valued at close to $95,000. Early on Sunday morning, December 20, 1942, a fire of undetermined origin destroyed the church. While the ruins smoldered, the members of the congregation gathered in Music Hall at the Emporia State Teachers College for Christmas vespers. Mr. Williams said,
"The church is gone, but the Spirit which cannot be destroyed remains. The church still lives to carry on."
Through the intervening years, Mr. Williams continued to inspire his congregation, accounting in large measure for the success of the building project.
Members of the homeless congregation were guests of Bethany Congregational church for seven years. The Rev. W. A. Redfield was pastor while Mr. Williams served as chaplain in the armed services. While the resources of a nation were diverted to the war effort, the church took what steps it could toward the erection of a new building. The congregation decided rather early to locate the new structure closer to the homes of the majority of its members.
They purchased and cleared the site occupied by the G. W. Newman home at Twelfth and State. They set up committees to deal with every phase of the building project.
In the fall of 1947, T. F. Marbut, contractor and chairman of the building committee, volunteered to construct the basement on a cost basis using his crew and machinery. The congregation held a ground breaking ceremony December 14th and early in 1948, excavation began. Roofing the basement and worshiping underground for a time was considered a possibility. To the surprise of many, however, construction did not halt until the nave and Sunday school wing were completed; the basement rooms usable but unfinished. Only the spire and the new pipe organ were lacking at the time of occupancy.
The first church services were held in the new building February 12, 1950. In the afternoon, hundreds of interested people were guests at an open house. They inspected the new building and were served tea in Plymouth Hall. The members of the First Congregational Church found their new church home beautiful beyond their expectations and were eager to share it with all who wished to enter.
The Morris Chapel was added on to the north side of the church in 1973, towards the end of Stephen Williams' tenure - giving the church a facility for a smaller, more intimate worship setting. The Rev. Williams retired in 1974 after serving three decades as pastor, the longest pastoral tenure in the history of First Congregational Church. At his retirement he was named minister emeritus and continued to be active in church and civic affairs until his death in 1981.
The Rev. Michael Matheny, Sr. served as Pastor from 1978 to 1986. During his tenure the church voted to join the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches, in 1982. And in 1984 the Baird Education wing was added. This facility expansion provided several new classrooms and restrooms, as well space for a church library.
Worship attendance was at a low ebb when the Rev. Ralph Jackman began as Pastor in 1987. His leadership energized the congregation and a period of growth came. Ralph’s pastorate was marked by his involvement in the community. He helped to initiate a local chapter of the Sertoma Club, and was instrumental in organizing the Emporia Christian School, which has a volunteer award honoring his legacy. The church was also supportive of his missional ministry efforts in the Micronesian Islands of the west Pacific. The church gained a more Bible-based emphasis under Ralph’s leadership. His background was with the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference (the 4C’s). In 1998 First Congregational Church voted to add affiliation with the 4C’s.
Pastor Jackman was diagnosed with cancer towards the end of his tenure in Emporia. He fought a valiant battle for several years, persisting in ministry as long as he was able. His last sermon was supposed to begin a series of messages on the book of Jonah – demonstrating his strong will to continue as long as possible. He went home to be with the Lord in July of 2001. The church sanctuary was full for his funeral, and he is remembered fondly.
After an interim, the Rev. Chad Poland began his pastorate in March of 2002 – moving to Emporia from his home state of Maine. Chad immediately became involved in the community, working with local leaders to help start the Abundant Harvest feeding program – which is an extension ministry of the Emporia Rescue Mission. Worship attendance reached its highest levels in 25 years, and a major interior renovation was done – improving the nursery and developing the church library. Chad also served as president of the Lyon County Ministerial Alliance, and was Moderator of the Mid-America Congregational Fellowship while he was in Emporia.
After Pastor Poland returned to Maine, the Rev. Andrew McHenry was called and began his pastorate in August of 2008. He is the first native-Kansan in memory to be called as Pastor of First Congregational Church. He has been familiar to some members of the church for years, through cooperative ministries in missions and in the Mid-America Congregational Fellowship.
Pastor McHenry and the Christian family at First Congregational Church look forward to making history, living under the grace of Christ and manifesting the Kingdom of God in the years to come.
History of Congregationalism
American Congregationalism finds it roots in the English Reformation of the mid 1500’s. In truth, the English Reformation was a continuation ideologically of the reforms which had begun on the continent of Europe. The window of opportunity for English Reformation, however, was a decision made by Henry the 8th to disassociate England from the Roman Catholic Church.
The English Reformers wanted to reclaim the simplicity of the Christian faith which over the centuries had become burdened which liturgy, ritual, and symbolism. The reformers saw the Bible as the only and the necessary guide in all matters of faith and practice. Many of the reformers’ ideas were not welcomed by those "in power". When Mary of Tudor took the throne she began an aggressive campaign to wipe out the reformers, thus earning herself the name "Bloody Mary". During other periods the reformers were able to make more progress.
The reformers also advocated the right of each local church to follow the Lordship of Christ independent of any outside authority. It rejected the hierarchy of the Church of England and affirmed the completeness of each local church. This was not a matter of wanting to do things their way but a stance firmly grounded on theological principles. The Reformers were reclaiming that Christ and Christ alone is head of the church. One of reformers, Robert Brown, penned the following statement which expresses well this stance for autonomy and separation from the state controlled church...
"The only church is a local body of experiential believers in Christ, united to him and to one another by voluntary covenant. Such a church has Christ as its immediate head and is ruled by officers and laws of his appointment. Each is self-governing and chooses a pastor, a teacher, elders, deacons, but each member has responsibility for the welfare of the whole. No church has authority over any other, but each owes brotherly helpfulness to the other."
By 1609 two separate congregational churches had fled to Holland to escape efforts to quell the separatist movement. Eleven years later a group of those separatists would make their way to America. One hundred or so people boarded the Mayflower and landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620. Half of them died in the first year and the Plymouth colony, as it was called, would soon be absorbed into the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Even so their separatist ideas were of great influence and would blossom powerfully in time. The Cambridge Platform, a document outlining the basic tenants of American Congregationalism, would be completed in 1648.
Congregationalists and Congregational ideas played a vital role in the founding of our nation. The Congregationalists emphasis upon individual and ecclesiastical freedom was no small influence on those who penned our nation’s constitution. They established Harvard College, the first college in America, as well as Yale, Dartmouth, and as many as sixty others. They also established the first foreign missionary society, the American Board of Commissioners, the American Tract Society, The American Education Society, the first home mission society, the first seminary for the training of ministers, and the first young people’s society, Christian Endeavor. Congregationalism has also been at the center of many of the most significant spiritual awakenings in the history of our nation.