190th Anniversery Celebration - First Congregational Church of Battle Creek

First Congregational Church of Battle Creek (145 Capital NE) spotlights A LIFETIME OF SERVING at their 190th Anniversary Celebration July 10, 2026, 6-8PM!!

The community is invited 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 was even a State and slavery had not yet ended, FCC-BC was already at work shaping a thriving community and impacting societal justice!

FCC-BC started the first kindergarten in the area and created a home for Michigan's oldest symphony orchestra! Significant church members 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.

Guests are encouraged to embrace this step back in time experience while celebrating all that the Church has meant to Battle Creek! They will meet important movers and shakers - folks deeply embedded in the social justice, spiritual, and economic fabric of the times. AND be entertained!!

The program opens with a Piano Quartet (String Trio with Piano) performance in the Sanctuary (BC Symphony Orchestra members). 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 Atrium space! It all started in a modest log cabin structure in 1836 and led to today's domed structural masterpiece! Folks will follow the trail of ministers, music directors, impressive pipe organs, choir and youth projects, missionary work, men's and women's society 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 that the First Congregational Church has been for Battle Creek over 190 years!!

Join us July 10, 2026! It's a community celebration and – it's free!

Questions? Contact Sharalyn Davis at [email protected].