The history of First Christian Church of Minneapolis began when a group of 8 people met informally in the home of Mr. and Mrs. A.T. Ankeny on February 14, 1877. On February 25, 1877, the 22-member congregation was organized and incorporated as The Church of Christ of Minneapolis. Since then, the name of the congregation has changed 3 times:
1877: The Church of Christ of Minneapolis
1892: The Portland Ave Church of Christ
1935: Portland Avenue Christian Church
1954: First Christian Church of Minneapolis
From its beginning, FCC has had a rich history of inclusiveness and involvement. Women have held leadership positions dating back to 1917, when the first female associate pastor was called to serve at FCC. Female elders date back to the 1960s. FCC also helped start several other Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) congregations, including Lake Harriet Christian Church. Lastly, through the ministry of Dr. Forrest Richeson, the first AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) residence houses were founded in the Twin Cities in the early 1960s. FCC is an Open & Affirming congregation.
In 2006, the First Christian Residence nursing home facility had to be closed, which served as a catalyst for transformation. The church had a city block of buildings for a congregation numbering in the upper 100s, consuming the majority of our budget, and major change had to take place.
After much prayer and discussion, in May 2008 we voted to sell our entire property to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, signing an agreement that would allow us 5 years to find a new home. In 2010 we entered into discussions with Salem English Lutheran Church and Lyndale United Church of Christ. Both congregations had sold their large buildings and entered into a ministry partnership to rehab the historic portion of the Salem complex on 28th & Lyndale, and in January 2011, all three congregations voted to expand the partnership to include First Christian Church. We officially moved into the SpringHouse Ministry Center on January 15, 2012 during our morning worship service.
2013 FCC History Presentation for School for Congregational Learning