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by Bruce Pratt
The Community Congregational Church, Kewaunee, Wisconsin, church motto—“Where Christ is Center”—reminds members the church is built on Him and will survive as long as He desires.
On May 20, 2001, Community Congregational Church celebrated its 125th anniversary. The original church was gathered on May 28, 1876, when eight people from a Sunday school decided to form a Congregational Church and Society in the Village of Kewaunee, Wisconsin. One month later the church’s Articles of Faith, Constitution, and Covenant were approved, thus establishing the Congregational Church of Christ in Kewaunee. With aid from the Home Missionary Society Board, the church was able to call the Rev. A. A. Safford as its first pastor. The records of this particular church exist for only two years. However, we know that on June 13, 1885, the church was formally recognized by the State of Wisconsin as the Union Church Association.
When the records of the church resume on September 3, 1896, we learn that only two of the original eight founders remained. It has been written that one reason for the change to Union Church was because the meetinghouse, built in 1888, was used by Episcopalians, Presbyterians, and the occasional circuit rider preacher. In a town dominated by a heavy Catholic and Wisconsin Lutheran Synod population, Kewaunee was a difficult place to plant a church. The move from a specifically Congregational church to a "Union" church was probably done for survival reasons.
In 1920 the Union Church changed its name to Community Congregational Church, adopting a Covenant, Constitution, and By-laws that are still in use today. The present facility was built during this same decade. In 1958 the church voted whether the church would join the newly formed United Church of Christ (UCC) or cast their lot with the Continuing Congregationalists. It was decided before the meeting that a two-thirds vote would be required to join the UCC. The vote to join failed by two votes. Had the church decided to use a simple majority vote Community Congregational would have gone UCC.
The Celebration
Confirmands and new member candidates were inducted at the 125th Anniversary Celebration.
For our 125th celebration there was an informal open house for friends and visitors to share in fellowship, and their memories of the church. Both confirmands and new member candidates were recognized in the church service. The new members were inducted by using the original ceremony written by our forebears in the first constitution. The entire celebration has been anchored by a 125th Anniversary Cookbook. A special committee worked diligently to create a cookbook that would reflect the congregation by requesting recipe submissions from members of the church, past and present, and by pastors, past and present.
Overcoming History
The time of preparation for the church’s 125th allowed me to research and reflect on our history. The first insight I had into Community Congregational was that as pastors our job, to a degree, seems to center around the question of how do we neutralize the negative and destructive histories within any given body of gathered believers, while at the same time lifting out those aspects that are Spirit-filled and life-giving. Let me give you an example:
Community Congregational has had a difficult time throughout its history keeping ministers. In 125 years this church has gone through twenty-four pastors. I am the twenty-fifth. The first pastor lasted only two years. The loss of a pastor at such an important and formative time in the church’s infancy, seemed to set-up most of the following ministers for a short stint. How does a church overcome its history?
Another example of how our history has affected our church is that at times Community Congregational has forgotten not only what it means to be Congregational, but is has also forgotten what it means to be Christian. I say this with no disdain, because if we are all being honest, most churches in the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches have either struggled with, or are presently struggling with the same problem. As I reflected on the two examples above, the Holy Spirit reminded me of time when the nation of Israel struggled with the exact same issues.
I recall the story of King Josiah (II Kings Ch 22 & 23, II Chronicles 34 & 35) who had ordered some repairs to be done to the Temple. During these repairs some of the workers found a scroll containing the book of the Law as handed down by Moses (the Torah). Workers took this scroll to Josiah, who read it to them. Upon hearing what this scroll had to say, King Josiah tore his clothes because he realized that Judah had strayed from the teaching and commandments of God. He immediately enacted all that the scroll had said, and further renewed the covenant God had made with the nation of Israel at Sinai. Then they celebrated the Passover. I offer this story because in it God provides this church a strategy for dealing with its history in a way that allows us to diminish the negative and accentuate the positive.
In the case of King Josiah we see that the first thing that happened was that the Word of God was proclaimed. In response to the preached Word King Josiah repented and became obedient. After this move, King Josiah intentionally reconnected himself and the nation of Judah back to their covenant with God. He then in turn celebrated that Passover.
Following in Josiah’s Footsteps
We at Community Congregational have tried to follow the exact same steps as King Josiah and the Nation of Judah. As the words "revival" and "church renewal" seem to be on everyone’s lips I do not think the answer for our church lay in coming up with new programs and reinventing the wheel. Rather, I believe that what is required of us is to simply "re-member" ourselves back to our church covenant, back to the "Headship of Christ", back to the Holy Bible, and ultimately back to the God and his Christ revealed therein. It worked for Josiah; it worked for Martin Luther. I believe it will work for Community Congregational Church.
Christ is Center
The next major, and most important, insight I had was in regard to God’s faithfulness to His church. Our church’s motto is "Community Congregational Church, Where Christ is the Center." To be sure the only reason we are a church is because Christ is the center. More importantly, as I look at our history, with all the ups and downs, through it all was/is God. With all our difficulties, which are not unique, I have gained a profound sense that this is indeed Jesus’ church. It is built on Him and it will last as long as He desires it to. What a freeing realization: our church no longer depends on you and me.
As Congregationalist one of our big tenets is FREEDOM. If one wants freedom, here it is. As a pastor it is comforting to know that the Community Congregational Church, is:
Instituted by Christ, a part of the militant-visible-church, consisting of a company of saints by calling, united into one body, by a holy covenant, for the public worship of God and the mutual edification of one another in the fellowship of the Lord Jesus.
Cambridge Platform Ch. 2
As pastor I do not have to be Superman. I only have to allow myself to be used as God’s instrument. Despite ourselves, God has been faithful to Community Congregational Church, for 125 years, and many people have been blessed to be a part of His Kingdom’s work. For this reason we celebrate "125 years of God’s Blessings."
The Rev. Bruce Pratt, pastor of Community Congregational Church, was gradated from Ilif Theological Seminary and sponsored by the NACCC Congregational Foundation for Theological Studies (CFTS).
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