1853: Rev. Obed Dickinson arrived to begin a productive ministry of fourteen years. A log cabin of meager comforts served as the church building. Reverend Dickinson is remembered as opening the membership of the church to people of color while the territory itself was inhospitable to them.

1863: A proper church was built at the southeast corner of Liberty and Center streets. This building featured a tall, white spire and was known as "the most pretentious church in Salem".

1863-1883: These were eventful years in the church. Women were given the right to vote on church matters, and the membership grew to over 200. Candles were replaced with gas fixtures and members no longer "rented" pews to help pay the minister’s salary.

1867: Rev. Dickinson resigned and began a successful nursery and feed business.

1868: Rev. P.S. Knight became pastor and began a ministry of eighteen years duration. He preached extensively throughout the Willamette Valley and gained fame as the "Marrying Preacher". During his forty-nine years of ministry, he performed at least 1,332 marriages. The congregation grew and more room was needed. The Women’s Guild provided the funds to buy and move a vacated church. This addition provided a parlor and Sunday School rooms.

1905: Further growth of the church and town was reflected in the erection of a larger church on the same site. Ever frugal, the members donated the church addition to Knight Memorial Church. The main body of the church was sold and moved to a location on Center Street where it was converted to apartments, which are still in use. The new church could accommodate eight hundred people and was embellished with stained glass windows. These windows were donated as memorials with the exception of the touching window of the Little Lambs. This was a gift from the youth of the church. This building served well the periods of growth and, just as importantly, through the turbulent years of the Great Depression. Eight ministers served in this building.

1937: Rev. Robert Hutchinson was called to Salem. He had been born in Ireland and educated in England. He never lost a trace of accent and was a most popular speaker. Under his direction the present church was built. Mr. Fred Ely, also born in England, collaborated with Rev. Hutchinson to build a Tudor Gothic church reminiscent of the English countryside. The stone for the building was quarried locally in the Willamette Valley.

May 25, 1941: The present church, at the southeast corner of Marion and Cottage Streets, was dedicated.

1955: With the advent of the postwar baby boom, it became necessary to add an educational wing. Property directly south of the existing building was purchased and used to erect the needed space.

1961: Reverend Carl Calhoun became pastor. He was a noted scholar and gained great respect in the community.

1967: Additional property, again from the south, was purchased to be used to provide parking facilities.

1971: Reverend Ed Henderlite began a tenure of twenty-six years as pastor. Many changes occurred those years. Reverend Henderlite is still an active member of the congregation and serves as Pastor Emeritus.

1992: In celebration of the church’s 140th anniversary, the congregation undertook a major remodeling project to make the church more user-friendly for both staff and members. Under the guidance of architect Keith Christensen, the primary goal was to update the facility while keeping the integrity of the original architecture intact.

1994: An associate pastor was called in the person of Reverend Shelley Wagener. Rev. Wagener provided great guidance in an educational program. She resigned in 1998 to become pastor of a UCC congregation in Tallahasee, Florida.

1997: Rev. Henderlite retired.

1998: Reverend Gail McDougle was called to be the pastor of First Congregational Church, and has continued the work of the church with respected ability.

1999: The congregation was instrumental in establishing the Salem Interfaith Hospitality Network.

This church welcomes everyone without regard to race, gender, age, sexual orientation, ethnicity, physical and mental abilities and encourages all to share in the life and leadership of the congregation. As the church nears its 150th anniversary, it continues to be an evolving process of growth and service while maintaining the concepts and ideals of the founders.

Compiled by Gail McDougle, Pastor of First Congregational Church,

Bibliography:
Information provided by United Church of Christ, 700 Marion NE, Salem, Oregon, 97301.