Who We Are

Few churches get their start in a rail car, but that is exactly where our congregation began.  In 1884, Edwin Orlando Nichols, a man of earnest faith decided churches in Itasca needed a Sunday School.  Knowing the Itasca Accommodation train stood unused every weekend, Mr. Nichols organized a Sunday school in the train car.  In 1885, 26 Christian workers petitioned the Chicago Presbytery to turn the railcar Sunday school into a church.  On October 25, 1885, Reverend E.R. Davis preached the initial sermon just south of the church's present location at 207 East Center Street.  By the time the first resident pastor was installed in February 1921, the church membership was up to 60.

In 1950 the congregation had grown to 265 and ground was broken for the current structure.  In May 1952 the new house of worship was dedicated.  Ten years later, the education wing was dedicated.  The vision of Mr. Nichols 75 years earlier, had come a long way from those initial meetings in a rail car.

Today, some members still remember the building of the church in the 1950's; others in our congregation were not even a twinkle in their parent's eyes so long ago.  We are diverse in many ways, including in our thoughts and opinions.  We are still a small congregation and our church continues in its history of ministry to its members, its community and the world.

Presbyterians are distinctive in two major ways: they adhere to a pattern of religious thought known as Reformed theology and a form of government that stresses the active, representational leadership of both ministers and church members.

Our name, "Presbyterian," is rooted in the Greek word presbuteros, which means "elder."  This etymology defines our system of church government, structured around a group of elders elected by the congregation - the same system of government upon which our country's democratic philosophies were founded.

As Protestent Christians, we accept the authority of the Scriptures, both Old and New Testament, and profess our faith in God, who is known to us as the Holy Trinity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Our faith has been especially influenced by the Protestant Reformation, specifically by leaders such as John Calvin and John Knox.  We strongly believe in the key elements of the Protestant Reformation:  salvation through faith in Jesus Christ alone, the authority of the Bible for faith and life, and our individual duty to be a minister of Christ at all times and in all places.  It is up to each individual to determine how to apply these principles in his or her own life.

Above all else, it is our mission to share the love of God through Jesus Christ through word and deed.  Presbyterians spread the love of God throughout the world by emphasizing the need for worship, developing new churches, and by fostering mission activities.  We respond to disaster situations, minister to the sick and the needy, and educate new generations of Christian men and women to continue our legacy of service to God and the community.

Presbyterians trace their history to the 16th century and the Protestant Reformation  Our heritage and much of what we believe, began with the French lawyer John Calvin (1509-1564), whose writings crystalized much of the Reformed thinking that came before him.