History

We are thankful for life, for Jesus Our Lord, for the courage and vision of our church founders.  In gratitude, we covenant with God and with one another, seeking as a church and as individuals to be faithful to God’s will.  We pray for hearts that open, minds that understand, and lives that serve.  (Covenant, 4-12-1981)

The story of First Central Congregational Church is one of continuous growth since its beginning, organized on May 4, 1856. Its growth parallels the growth of the City of Omaha, in what was then known as Nebraska Territory.

The first pastor came to Omaha with his family December 25, 1855. He was the Rev. Reuben Gaylord, who consented to come to Omaha after preaching a trial sermon in October of 1855. He did so at the request of Lt. Gov. Richardson (Richardson County), and Dr. George Miller (Miller Park, in Omaha), with the help of the Rev. George G. Rice, Congregational minister of Council Bluffs, Iowa. There has been a pastor and congregation of First Congregational, and then First Central, in Omaha since that humble beginning in 1855.

First Central Congregational has been housed in four different buildings from 1856 to the present day. Initially meeting in the Nebraska Territorial Capitol, the first church building, completed in 1865, was at 16th and Farnam. In 1870, a larger church was constructed at 19th and Chicago, where the congregation remained until 1886.  At that time, First Central moved into a new building at 19th and Davenport.  Architect George B. Prinz began plans for the current building in 1917, but construction was delayed due to World War I, and was not completed until 1920. A merger occurred with St. Mary's Avenue Congregational, originally located at the northeast corner of 27th and St. Mary's Avenue, in 1916, and the first joint service was held at the newly completed First Central, 421 Harney Street, in 1920, in what is now Memorial Hall. Easter Sunday, 1922, the current Sanctuary was completed and dedicated.

A second merger of congregations occurred more recently, when First United Church of Christ became a part of First Central. First United Church of Christ had been formed from St. John's Evangelical and Reformed Churches, predominately German congregations, located in South Omaha.  (The baptismal font in the Reuben Gaylord Library is from First United Church.)  The Rev. Don Cassiday and the congregation of sixty members became a part of First Central Congregational, United Church of Christ, in 1971.

It has been 89 years that we have called this building our home. In that time, we have had nine senior ministers. Dr. Frank Smith was the first pastor in this building. We have had twenty associate ministers over the years, and are currently in the process of searching for pastor number twenty one.