The history of the Milford Christian Church began with Christian preaching being conducted in an old wooden building in 1877. As the congregation grew, the Christian Chapel was built in 1879 in Milford on the corner of Grant and Lyle Streets. This building, which was known as the First Church of Christ, was torn down in 1910 to make room for a new church building. Sixteen individuals served as ministers during the initial 34 years of the church.
Becoming First Christian Church
On July 28, 1910, the congregation laid the cornerstone of the First Christian Church on the corner of Grant and Lyle, with Minister F.E. Welton transitioning from the original church to the one under construction. The time capsule that was placed in the cornerstone contained the following: Two copies of the recent Milford Herald News; 500 name cards; Missionary and Ladies Aid Booklets; Copy of Evangelist and Christian Standard; picture of Main Street (Milford) on 4th of July; Picture of an old rail fence; and, list of donors and the amount pledged to date.
May 14, 1911 was the dedication date of the new First Christian Church. This building served the congregation well until it was destroyed by fire in 1971. This fate allowed the leadership to weigh other options for the rebuild of the building. To maintain the services for the congregation, church services continued each week in the Milford Grade School.
New Church Building
As the Milford Christian Church looked at further growth, and the Grant-Lyle Street corner being landlocked, the decision was made to purchase a partial of land on the eastern edge of Milford. Dedication services were conducted on July 16, 1972 for the current Milford Christian Church at 811 East Hickory Street in Milford, Illinois. The congregation celebrated a mortgage burning ceremony in 1980, and built the Josh Longest Christian Youth Gym in 2000.
Ministers Throughout the Years
1971 - 2008
Neil Larimore
2008 - Now
Brent Zastrow
