(740) 374-0741 | Worship every Sunday @ 10 a.m.
(740) 374-0741 | Worship every Sunday @ 10 a.m.
Learn more about our church values and history.
We witness together with our voices and labors, to serve our community and proclaim the Good News of Christ Jesus. The foundations of our shared ministry are holy scripture, the United Church of Christ statement of faith, and our church constitution.
From the United Church of Christ Statement of Faith:
We believe in God, the Eternal Spirit, who is made known to us in Jesus our brother, and to whose deeds we testify:
God calls the worlds into being, creates humankind in the divine image, and sets before us the ways of life and death.
God seeks in holy love to save all people from aimlessness and sin.
God judges all humanity and all nations by that will of righteousness declared through prophets and apostles.
In Jesus Christ, the man of Nazareth, our crucified and risen Lord, God has come to us and shared our common lot, conquering sin and death and reconciling the whole creation to its Creator.
God bestows upon us the Holy Spirit, creating and renewing the church of Jesus Christ, binding in covenant faithful people of all ages, tongues, and races.
God calls us into the church to accept the cost and joy of discipleship, to be servants in the service of the whole human family, to proclaim the gospel to all the world and resist the powers of evil, to share in Christ’s baptism and eat at his table, to join him in his passion and victory.
God promises to all who trust in the gospel forgiveness of sins and fullness of grace, courage in the struggle for justice and peace, the presence of the Holy Spirit in trial and rejoicing, and eternal life in that kingdom which has no end.
Blessing and honor, glory and power be unto God. Amen.
From the First Congregational Church consititution:
To love God, love people, and serve people.
Welcome to the First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, in Marietta Ohio. Our “WELCOME HOME” is offered with great sincerity. We welcome you as we would welcome Christ. No matter where you are in life’s journey you are welcome and wanted here. We are an Open and Affirming congregation.
First Congregational Church, often referred to as the Church of the Pioneers or the Two-Horned Church, has a history which is intricately interwoven into the fabric of the settlement of Marietta, the first settlement of the Northwest Territory. In November 1788, Rev. Daniel Story left his home in Massachusetts bound for the new settlement of Marietta to serve as pastor. In March of 1789, as one settler wrote in his diary, “Parson Story arrived with his credentials for preachifying.” At this time, the settlement of Marietta faced many hardships, from worries about attacks from Native American tribes, crop failures, and epidemics of smallpox and other diseases, so the church met within the northwest blockhouse of Campus Martius, a defense fortification. It wasn’t until May of 1809 that a church building was erected at its current site from wood with two twin towers. Given the location of the building, the church became a beacon for navigators of the waterways surrounding Marietta.
From the beginning, an important purpose of this congregation was to serve the local community. Rev. Luther Bingham, a minister of First Church, saw a need in the community for education and in 1829 starred a school at his own expense. After much expansion, including a preparatory school for teachers, a loaning library, and a manual training department for young gentlemen, the school had grown beyond the ability of Rev. Bingham to support. A Board of Trustees was organized, subscription funds were secured, and thus Marietta College was created.
The original church structure was destroyed by fire in February 1905. During the fire, the meeting bell, which was in one of the towers, fell to the ground, described as ringing one clear note when it hit the ground. The bell miraculously survived and is currently in the south tower. After the fire, the decision was made to rebuild the church in the same location with essentially the same design, including the two twin towers, however brick would be used rather than wood. A year later the new structure was dedicated.
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