Church History
In 1870, James Roselle, Thomas Cayton, Thomas Long, and John Hersman organized a church and began meeting in the schoolhouse. In 1871, a lot was donated by William Blakemore. Members donated native stones and trees, and a foundation was laid. In 1874, the building was completed. The first official record, in January 1880, listed 67 members. The first pastors were Elders James Roselle and Thomas Long.
In 1923 and 1936, lots north of the building were donated by Mr. and Mrs. R. L. Beasley. In 1924, the Ladies Aid was formed to raise funds to add an addition to the building. They made and sold quilts and raised $1,000 by 1929, but it was all lost when the bank failed. The addition was eventually completed in 1934.
In 1887, as a child, Jacob Haller Stidham joined the Harrisburg Christian Church. He became a big influence in this church body. He preached his first revival here in 1919, but it was during a revival in September 1939 that 50 people came forward. He met with the board on March 31, 1942, and encouraged them to start having services twice a month instead of only once. They didn't know how they would pay the preacher but voted to try it anyway. Sometimes the elders would take money out of their own pockets on Sunday morning to pay the preacher. Somehow the Lord provided. Reverend Stidham's last sermon was at our 100-year service in 1972.
By 1960, we had Sunday School classes every Sunday, Vacation Bible School every summer, active Christian Women's Fellowship and Christian Youth Fellowship groups, and a little league baseball team. Space now became an issue. So, in the fall of 1960, five classrooms upstairs and a kitchen, fellowship hall, and two restrooms downstairs were built by many members. They often worked at night to finish construction. By February 1961, all the bills were paid with $500 left over. The first fellowship supper in the new basement was held in April 1961.
In December 1961, it was voted to have worship services on the first and third Sundays of the month, alternating with the Baptist Church services. After the High School burned in 1963, we offered the use of our new educational wing which they used for two years. During the late 1970s, we began letting different groups use the basement. In 1977, the church newsletter, later entitled "The Beacon", was begun and is still published today.
By the late 1970s, the church building was in bad condition, and it was decided, at an estimated cost of $100,000-200,000, that building a new sanctuary would be best. The last service in our old sanctuary was held April 13, 1980. It was demolished ten days later. It had stood since 1872 and had never closed its doors. Many beautiful items were made from the wood of the old building, and these were auctioned off to raise money.
A contractor was hired and, with the help of many church members, the new sanctuary was finished in time for a dedication service on September 14, 1980. Only eighteen months later, a mortgage-burning ceremony was held. In 1986, another auction was held to purchase new pews, siding to change the educational wing from white to brown, and a bus for the CYF. In 1997, a canopy and railing over the basement door was added along with playground equipment and a new sound system.
In 1998, we disagreed with the National Disciples of Christ on some of their stands on important issues and voted to disaffiliate ourselves from them and remove "Disciples of Christ" from our name, thus becoming an independent Christian Church once again.
In 2001, we added two bathrooms, a bigger nursery, and a pastor's office. We now have ten Sunday School classes, three active adult Bible Study groups, two youth groups, and a Worship Service attendance of 150 on average with two services each Sunday. More room is needed once again, and plans are underway for additional space.
Our congregation is proud of our rich heritage and knows, by the grace of God, we will be blessed in the future as we have been in the past.
