History of The Wabasha United Church of Christ, The Trinity Evangelical & Reformed, & The First Congregational Church
The First Congregational Church of Wabasha was organized on February 14, 1857, with six members, Oliver Pendelton, W.S. Jackson, Mrs. Meriba A. Hancock, Joseph Tyson, Malcolm Kennedy, and Mrs. Mary E. Prindle. The first Pastor was H.H. Morgan, of the Connecticut Missionary Society. This was the first Protestant church of any denomination in Minnesota and remains to this day the oldest continuous Protestant congregation. The first church building was completed in December of 1858. This structure was moved back and connected to a new edifice in 1884. The building, including the original structure, is the present church building and is the oldest church building in continuous operation in Minnesota.
Plans for uniting the Evangelical and Reformed Church and Congregational Church Churches were started in 1948 on the national level, with an agreement for the merger being reached in 1956. On May 3, 1959, the merger of the two local Wabasha churches was completed. The Trinity Evangelical and Reformed Church and the First Congregational Church became a new entity and a new combined church body known as the Wabasha United Church of Christ. This merger was the second of its kind in the state of Minnesota. In September 1960, the old church bell, which had occupied the tower in the Trinity Evangelical and Reformed Church for 85 years was removed and mounted on a platform on the grounds of the United Church of Christ as a memorial to the Wabasha Trinity Evangelical and Reformed Church. The present church facility was remodeled extensively, retaining the beautiful stained glass windows and adding a large narthex in 1978. This accommodated an increased seating capacity for the growing congregation. By 1982, the congregation had grown to be able to support a full time Pastor. Prior to this, the church had been in "yoked" ministerial agreements with the Lake City United Church of Christ and, more recently, with the Faith Lutheran Church of Wabasha.
In 1992, the congregation again decided that it was time to expand the church facility to meet the growing needs of the Congregation. A large fellowship hall was added to the existing church building. This allowed for added Sunday School space, an accessible fellowship room, a new minister's office, and additional seating capacity during worship. Seeking God’s guidance we look expectantly to our future ministry in Wabasha.