First Congregational United Church of Christ of Coloma celebrated 170 years of service at a 10 a.m. service on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023. The service was led by Mike Tupper, the newest pastor of the church. Tupper started on June 1, 2023, making this the tenth church that he has served over in the past 40 years in ministry.

At the time Tupper stated, “I’m thankful God has led me to this wonderful, dynamic little church in a small town about twenty miles away from where I live. I look forward to getting to know in a deeper way the many wonderful people of that church. It will be a new beginning for all of us.”

That new beginning started with learning about the church’s long history.

The church before it had a building

On June 16, 1853, devout people of different religious backgrounds banded together to form a church society in a small lumber town, known then as Dickerville; now known as Coloma.

The group first met in a log cabin, which was also the local schoolhouse, but soon began to erect a one-room church. The building was completed and dedicated in 1859 and was shared for the first few years by both the Congregationalists, who worshipped in the morning, and by the Methodists, who worshipped in the afternoon.

This arrangement continued until 1879 when the Methodists decided to build their church next door.

Although another church in the area was established several years before this one, this building is the oldest church edifice in the area and has been in continuous use for 170 years of its existence.

Even though this church has seen several minor name changes over the years, it has always been affiliated with the Congregational Church and is known today, as the First Congregational United Church of Christ.

Opening of the time capsule

The service on Oct. 29, 2023 was held like it had been for the last 170 years and was then followed by a presentation of a proclamation from Aric Nesbitt, and then a reading from a 1933 poem that was written by former church member, Cora Freeman.

During Sunday’s anniversary celebration, the oldest member, Betty Retz, age 95, and the longest enrolled member Kay Erickson, opened up a time capsule that was sealed in 2003. Members and guests alike looked at the historical displays, a timeline, and other memorabilia that was pulled from the time capsule.

Another time capsule of sorts was a model of the church that was on display outside for the day’s events. “The Replica,” as it is affectionately known by the congregation, is a model that was built to a 1/8 scale of the original church. This labor of love was constructed in the summer of 2003 by six men from the First Congregational Church of Coloma to commemorate that church’s sesquicentennial celebration.

For the 170th anniversary service the model was once again displayed for all to see and marvel at the detail that went into this project. The men who constructed it spent over a total of 500 hours on the construction.

Preparing for the next hundred years

It would be impossible to name everyone who has contributed to this church and those who are still making an impact today, but there are several who have given years of dedicated service, and a few have given many decades.

The community of believers at First Congregational United Church of Christ will continue the ministry of the church to grow and work for both the good of the community and for their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, whose they are and whom they serve. They invite all to join them on any Sunday.

It is their hope that the original church and its replica model will stand for many years as a demonstration of faith for generations to come.

This United Church of Christ church is proud to be Open and Affirming for the past twenty years. This means that LGBTQ people are not only welcomed but affirmed for their God-given gifts and ministries.