The following is abstracted from an article printed in the Adams County Times and Friendship Reporter, Wednesday July 31, 2002, Page 10B, and the
Friendship Congregational Church's website in August 2002.
The Friendship Congregational Bible Church was founded July 21, 1867, at a meeting held at the Courthouse in the Village of Friendship, Reverends
Perking and Bridgeman presiding. Rev. Perking was the first pastor, and the seven charter members were: W H Quaw, Mrs Sarah AHarrison, Miss
Leora B Harrison, Mrs Mary Ann Spencer, Luther B Stowell, Dency Stowell and Austin Foster.
In July 1869, when J McChesney was pastor, a building fund was begun, and in 1872 the church was legally incorporated when the deed was filed
No 1 of Newton and Hanford's Addition to the Village of Friendship were given to the church by David and Lydia Quaw (deed dated Aug. 22, 1872).
It is upon this property that the present church stands. The original building was of wood, 28 x 48 feet, and it was said it could accomodate
175 people. Rev. P R Staples was called to be the next minister in 1873, and the first service was held in the new building July 10, 1875.
Rev P R Staples remained as pastor until he resigned due to ill health in 1894. Rev. Marsden, a Methodist pastor from White Creek, served until
1896, when Rev J A Thomas became Pastor of the church. In 1901 Rev C H Chase was called to Pastor the church, and the first parsonage was built
across the street from the church about 1901 / 1902. Reverend A H Smith came to the pastorate late in 1902, and continued until 1907.
Other pastors and their terms of service are:
Reverend J. M. Lavender 1907 - 1909
Reverend J. T. O'Neill, 1909
Reverend James Deans 1910 - 1913
Reverend E. E. Day 1913 - 1915
Reverend Vaughn 1915 - 1919
Reverend Thomas Barker 1919 - 1930
Reverend Harry F. Banks 1919 - 1933
Reverend Walter R. Taylor, 1933 - 1936
Reverend J. T. O'Neill 1938 - 1951
Reverend Samuel Robbins 1951 - 1960
Reverend Wendell Bennetts 1960
Reverend Charles Bryan 1960 - 1964
Reverend Bennetts 1964
Reverend Donald G. Graves 1964 - 1967
Rev. Ambrose Bandow 1967 - 1974
Reverend Kenneth Mullen 1974 - 1982
Reverend Thomas Scholl 1974 - 1986
Reverend Donald G. Graves 1986 - 1989
Pastor David Havard 1989 - 1995
Pastor Steven Hamilton 1996 - present
The church celebrates it's 135th anniversary in 2002. For more information, contact the church at (608) 339 9522. |
