Coloma church celebrates 170th Anniversary

The First Congregational United Church of Christ of Coloma will celebrate their 170th Anniversary on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023. The public is invited to celebrate with them at their 10 a.m. worship service followed by a catered dinner. Former pastors will be returning including Rev. Kevin McLemore, who will be preaching. Rev. Susan Greenwood will be granted Pastor Emerita status. The Time Capsule will be opened and a replica of the church will be displayed.

The church began on June 16, 1853, when people of different religious backgrounds banded together to form the first church in this small lumber town. The group met in a log schoolhouse. They purchased their present site for fifty dollars in 1855 and completed their first building in 1859. For twenty years, this structure was home to both Congregationalists who worshipped in the morning and to Methodists who worshipped in the afternoon.

The church joined the United Church of Christ in 1964. They officially became an Open and Affirming church forty years later in 2004. This means that all are welcomed and affirmed, including LGBTQ persons. Rev. Mike Tupper is the current pastor.