190th Anniversary Celebration: July 10th, 6-8PM

First Congregational Church of Battle Creek (145 Capital NE) spotlights a lifetime of ministry at their 190th Anniversary Celebration: July 10, 2026, 6-8PM!

We invite friends, neighbors, and the entire Battle Creek community to join First Congregational Church of Battle Creek as they celebrate 190 spectacular years (1836-2026) as an uplifting, inspiring and timeless institution.

Before Michigan’s statehood and the abolishment of slavery, FCCBC was already hard at work shaping a thriving community and impacting societal justice.

FCCBC started the first kindergarten in the area, the city’s first library, and created a home for Michigan's oldest symphony orchestra!

Members of FCCBC also led important movements such as initiating wartime employment and family aid services; creating an economic vision that helped shape Battle Creek into an entrepreneurial hotspot; offering protection and support for human rights activism; and providing spiritual strength and building resiliency through inspired community-centered ministry.

The evening’s program of live performances and reflections invites guests to step back in time with us and celebrate all that the Church has meant to Battle Creek! Guests will meet important movers and shakers—folks deeply embedded in the social justice, spiritual, artistic, and economic fabric of the times.

The program opens with a piano quartet performance in our historic Sanctuary offered by members of the Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra. Historic videos reflect days gone by and visits by Sojourner Truth, CW Post, Minnie Kimball, and Carleton Brooks Miller add historical relevance.

Next, over 50 historical displays and treasures will be featured in the Courtyard space. Our congregation started in a modest log cabin structure in 1836 and grew to fill the historic facility at 145 Capital Avenue.

Folks will follow the trail of ministers, musicians, instruments, social efforts and youth projects, missionary work, men's and women's societal contributions, public “Town Halls”, community partnerships and much more!

Celebratory hors d'oeuvres and Vintage Baked Goods, made from recipes found in 1899 and 1922 cookbooks, complete the stepping back in time experience!

Experience joy-filled education, entertainment, and inspiration while celebrating all the ways the people of First Congregational Church have served Battle Creek over 190 years!

Join us July 10, 2026! It's a community celebration, free and open to all.

Please contact Sharalyn Davis with any questions.