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.....The Falls City Christian Church was organized in the early nineties, and the first meeting place was on North Main Street over a meat market. .....Wanting a church of their own the ground was broken for the building. An evangelist, Epharim Badger was engaged for a brief time for evangelistic services. Since there wasn't a church to hold the meetings in, the members got a piece of land and the men built a small building. The size was about 12' by 16'. Pews and other needed furniture were also built. The building was known as the "Mushroom Church" because of its rapid construction. .....This building became a barn and later burned. A new church was built which had a full basement, full gable auditorium with rounded windows and later a full balcony. It had 19 steps leading into the main part of the building and in the 1940's a log truck ran into the steps and tore them loose. The new stairs had 21 steps. .....The church bell was first rung on New Year's Eve 1900. It served until the 1950's when it was razed. In the 1940's a drive was started to erect a new church building, but because of World War II it wasn't accomplished, until the mid 1950's. While this building was being torn down the members bought the old Adventist church and used it for a time. It was later sold to the Citizen's club committee, Boy Scout's sponsors to hold meetings. .....The present building was built in 1952 and G. W. Letterman of Salem drew the plans. The first service, in December of that year, was a wedding officiated by Rev. Kenneth Hooten. The formal dedication was in September of 1953 with Dr. Ross J. Griffeth, president of Northwest Christina college of Eugene giving the address. Many of the ministers have come from N. C. C. in Eugene as student ministers. Two ministers served more than one term, Wm. P. Sutton who served more than eight years has retired and lives in Dallas. The other one is Rev. Arthur Harriman who served in the 1950's and has returned as the present pastor. |