"We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the men, women, and youth who have given their time, talent, and treasure throughout the past 151 years to ensure that everyone has a place where they find acceptance and fellowship as we grow in our relationship with Christ." ~ Pastor Russ Hamilton
First Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ)
Cameron, Missouri
In 1864, Ulysses S. Grant was appointed as commander of the Union Forces, a position he held until the war ended. There was a great uncertainty in the air as the Civil War battles pitted brother against brother, and father against son. It was during this time that a group of people in the community of Cameron, Missouri, sought comfort, peace, and strength from God, as they worshiped together in the waiting room of the Hannibal and St. Joseph depot, at the corner of Second and Walnut Streets on the south side of the tracks.
This group of believers continued to grow in number and spirit as they celebrated the end of the Civil War, saw the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which abolished slavery, and mourned the death of President Abraham Lincoln.
As the wounds of the Civil War began to heal, outlaw Jesse James, along with his brother Frank, became famous for bank robbery. The rebuilding of our nation brought with it the hope for a better future. In the midst of this reconstruction, a group of faith-filled people felt the Lord’s call to depart from the community worship services and organize their own church. That calling became a reality on May 13, 1866, when 14 members chartered the congregation known today as the First Christian Church of Cameron, Missouri.
The fledgling congregation attracted other followers of Christ and together they built a small wooden frame church on Prospect Street. Though the building was small, it would take seven years to pay off the debt.
Following an early revival—during which about 100 new members were added—the church acknowledged the need for a larger worship space, so they moved services to Shaw’s Opera House. It later burned down.
Following the fire, the congregation returned to their small church on Prospect Street and began dreaming of a larger facility in a more central location. The newly chosen building site was on the corner of Fourth and Pine Streets. On that corner, they built an imposing white pine structure with three entrances, two lobbies, stairs leading to a balcony on three sides of the sanctuary, and recessed ticket windows near the sanctuary doors. The floor sloped toward the raised platform, which contained a center lectern. Behind the lectern was a massive pipe organ that measured 16 x 20 feet in height, 12 feet wide, 7 feet thick, and contained more than 700 pipes! The organ, which cost $1,700, was pumped by hand until it was converted to an electric air compressor in the basement.
The church was filled with opera seats, arranged with a large center section, flanked by two side aisles and more seating. The building was completed at a cost of about $9,700 and was dedicated on May 5, 1889, with more than five hundred people present.
For many years the sanctuary served as the congregation’s home for worship, as well as Lyceum courses, lectures, musicals, operettas, and great evangelistic revivals. In 1912 the church received extensive remodeling with the addition of a full basement and furnace; they later added a kitchen and large fellowship hall.
A 1917 directory credits the Ladies Aid Society for the maintenance of the church, including the purchase of a pastor’s residence, carpet for the church, communion tables, chairs, a pulpit, and a railing around the chancel.
On January 23, 1955—less than two hours after the close of the morning worship service—a fire of undetermined origin reduced the building to smoldering ruin. The loss was conservatively estimated at $125,000, not including the pipe organ, nearly new choir robes, plus many sacred and sentimental items.
The congregation demonstrated its faith and resilience as they held a ground-breaking ceremony on October 30, 1955, near the site of the devastating fire. The congregation continued to meet at the Presbyterian Church and the Goodrich Auditorium until the new building was completed on October 6, 1957.
The building was officially dedicated to the Lord’s work on January 28, 1958, and over the years many people have considered and continue to call this building their spiritual home.
The 1960s & 1970s
As the congregation continued to grow, they built a new parsonage in 1963 and celebrated their centennial on May 22, 1966. The debt was retired on the parsonage in 1970, a new central air unit was added to the education wing, and the congregation focused their time and energy on serving each other and the community.
On October 26, 1975, the Garden Prairie Church, northwest of Cameron, closed their church and joined our congregation as a group. In 1976, the parking lot was completed, a bus ministry was added, and the Christian Women’s Fellowship (CWF) published a cookbook of which 552 copies were sold.
Through the efforts of Edna McQuerrey and many others, the church opened its doors and served as the first home for the Cameron Development Center—serving people with special needs—until they built their own building.
The 1980s & 1990s
In 1980 the church voted to invite women to accept the positions of Deacon and Elder; this gave women the opportunity to serve at the Lord’s Table.
In 1986 the Christian Youth Fellowship (CYF) completed construction of a large wooden Nativity Scene for the churchyard.
Several additions and updates were made to the church in 1987: new carpeting and paraments for the chancel, the broom closet was converted to a handicapped-accessible restroom, and the first computer was added to the office.
In 1998 the CYF gave the gift of a new television and VCR, as well as trays, silverware, and dishes for the kitchen.
The congregation continued to be faithful supporters of the Ministerial Alliance and the Cameron Food Pantry.
In 1990 Gib and Dolores Keith donated our first stained glass, and on May 19, 1991, the First Christian Church congregation celebrated its 125th year of worshipping God and serving the Cameron community!
In 1994 a new rhythm band was added to worship, Sunday School opening service was discontinued (due to lack of participation), and CWF created another cookbook, selling 548 copies.
In 1995 the church purchased a new van that would serve our congregation well until it was replaced in 2017.
In 1998 the Historical Committee was created to rebuild the records lost in the 1955 fire, as well as to preserve our memories for the future; many notebooks have been compiled and are kept in the church library.
2000 & Beyond
The new century brought more changes to our church: In 2001, the sanctuary was remodeled and a contemporary worship service was added (since discontinued in 2015). As attendance increased, the congregation began to dream of a larger fellowship space, kitchen, and offices. Through the hard work and dedication of our leaders, the dream became a reality on November 24, 2002, with a groundbreaking ceremony for the new fellowship hall, kitchen, and offices.
With construction completed, the building addition was dedicated to the Lord’s service on October 23, 2003. The fellowship hall soon became the hub of congregational and community life, providing space for Disciples Regional and Area events, WIC, Scouts, civic organizations, blood drives, Toys for Tots, congregational and community dinners, showers, reunions, funeral dinners, the CWF salad luncheon, FCC Men’s fish fry, and youth events, rummage sales, movie nights, and more!
In 2007 CWF began a Prayer Shawl ministry, and in 2008 the Elders began our Shepherding Ministry.
In 2012 the building debt was retired, the parsonage was sold, we began utilizing social media like Facebook and created a website, and the CYF began their annual Cross Walk.
In 2013 the floor was repaired in the fellowship hall after the ground settled and caused a crack.
In 2014 monitors were added to the sanctuary to enhance worship.
In 2015 a new roof was added to the church building.
Our congregation reached a huge milestone in 2016 when First Christian Church celebrated our 150th anniversary!
In 2017 the church received a memorial gift to replace the bus and get new carpeting in the sanctuary. The church board voted to replace the single pane windows in the sanctuary and gathering area (old fellowship hall), and plans are underway to replace the carpet in 2018.
Twenty-four years after their last cookbook, CWF has published a new one in 2018 using new, online technology.
Historical information by Marjorie Packard in the 1994 CWF Cookbook.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the men, women, and youth who have given their time, talent, and treasure throughout the past 151 years to ensure that everyone has a place where they find acceptance and fellowship as we grow in our relationship with Christ. – Compiled March 2018 by Pastor Russ Hamilton