Our History

We are proud of our church's long and storied history.  Of an estimated 100 churches in Anoka county, ours was the first! 

First Congregational Society of Anoka was founded on May 6, 1855 by Rev. Royal Twitchell, and a church was built two years later.  The Church was located on Jackson Street, near the site of the present St. Stephen's Catholic Church.  In fact, the Catholic Society purchased the building from our congregation in 1866 as our membership grew both spiritually and financially, necessitating a larger facility.

The second church building was dedicated in 1870, built on six lots that were donated to the church. Our present church occupies some of those gifted lots. This building featured an impressive steeple and bell tower that dominated the building itself, and must have been a sight in early Anoka. In 1884, the building suffered a severe fire but was renovated and repaired. With “flames that reached up to the pinnacle on the spire,” the second church burned to the ground in 1931, leaving only the arch over the front door with a sign identifying the building as “First Congregational Church”.

Four years later, in 1935, our third and present building was dedicated and, in 1957, our Fellowship Hall and Sunday School rooms were added. In 2006, the building was further expanded to include a sanctuary addition, offices, and classrooms.

Although our faith is more than 2000 years old, we are very involved in the questions of today’s world.  Our congregation members come from all walks of life and experience and enjoy exploring the deep questions of faith.

What those who return to worship with us often say about us is that they feel welcome for who they are, and comfortable asking questions to which there are no neat, single answers.  As a congregation, we are committed to manifesting the love of God to our neighbors and community in practical ways.