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In 1838, the Rev. Gershom Mattoon, a Presbyterian missionary, came to Vernon to establish a missionary church which has ceased to exist. He later extended his work to the nearby settlement of Big Rapids, soon to be called Owassa and later, Owosso.

On March 7, 1840, a group of residents met in the home of Erastus Barnes with the Rev. Mattoon present, to organize a Presbyterian church, the first organized church in Owosso "on the principle of total abstinence from all intoxicating liquors as a beverage, and opposed to slavery." Those present who became members were: Austin Griffes & wife, Daniel Gould & wife, Ebenezer Gould, Jr., Erastus Barnes & wife, Caroline Barnes, Charles Moses, Rhoda Gould, Caroline Leach. Charles L. Goodhue and George Parkhill pledged to get more letters from those who attended. Austin Griffes, Erastus Barnes and Daniel Gould were chosen Ruling Elders, and Austin Griffes was chosen Deacon. Meetings were held in homes until the new frame two-room school house was built where the Salem Lutheran Church now stands.

Between 1840 and 1851 circuit riders served the new church: the Revs. Beach, Sly and Griffiths. The Rev. Seth Hardy came for several years, and in 1843 his wife joined the church and in 1844 an infant son was baptized. A meeting of Dec. 11, 1848 was the last mention of Mr. Hardy.

Times were very hard for many years. The early settlers often lived on cornbread and potatoes during bad harvests, suffered from fevers and ague with no doctors. Neighbors had to look after each other. There were many deaths and some settlers returned to New York State. However, membership grew until by 1851, the congregation numbered 52.

In 1851, Rev. Mr. Govan, the acting pastor, attended a Detroit Presbytery meeting in Fenton to "ask that body to take this Church under their care." The church was rejected. In January 18, 1853, a meeting was held in the schoolhouse "of Persons of full age belonging to the congregation who statedly attend divine worship at the school house in the village of Owosso." They resolved to reorganize as the First Congregational Church and Society. On June 11, 1853, the Rev. O. M. Goodale presided at a meeting of Erastus Barnes, called to constitute a Congregational Church and Erastus Barnes and A. B. Chipman were voted as delegates to the next meeting of the Genesee Congregational Association. On June 28, 1853, a meeting of the Genesee Association was held at Victor, Clinton County, where the delegates presented the proposed Articles of Faith for the new church. The Association accepted the presented Articles of Faith and the proposed new church. On July 16, 1853, the Rules of the Church were adopted: "Each Church is individual; Females have the right to vote; Church meeting to be on the first Saturday of each month; a weekly prayer meeting; Rule of private discipline to be Matthew 13:15-17."

The former members of the Presbyterian Church became members of this new Congregational Church: Erastus Barnes, Jane Barnes, Angelina Gould, Charles M. Moses, Anson B. Chipman, Samuel H. Goodhue, Harriet N. Williams, William Chipman, Caroline Barnes, Charles L. Goodhue, Maria Collier, William Carr, Mary Ann Carr, Sophrania J. Barnes, Harriet B. King, Betsy Com-stock, Louise A. Gould, Philena Dewey, Mary A. Stuart, Eunice E. Carr, Clarissa S. Ingersoll and Pamelia O. Chipman. Rev. O. M. Goodale served as the minister.

They continued to meet in the schoolhouse. In 1854, Erastus Barnes and Anson Chipman, the appointed building committee, chose a lot where this church building now stands. A. L. Williams had sold a parcel of land to a Joseph Eastman of Rochester, NY, and the church bought the above lot from Mr. Eastman for $5. The church is the third owner of this property from the original grant of 1833.

In February 1855, Dr. J. B. Barnes and B. W. Davis were appointed to see "that the building be completed forthwith." The first church building on the site was built of white brick made in the yards of C. E. Shattuck, and cost $2,400. This first building is often remembered to have been "as magnificent a church for those days as our 1892 church is today!" Amos Gould presented the church with a bell (cast in 1856 in West Troy, NY). As it was the only bell in town, it was also used for a curfew and fire alarm. On January 30, 1867, a petition was presented to the city asking for $75 a year for ringing the bell five times daily: 6 and 7 a.m., 12 noon, and at 1 and 6 p.m. The petition was granted. Sometime, no one knows just when, it was rung so hard it cracked, and the 2 in. crack is there to this day. Today it is rung on festive and important occasions.

The Rev. A. H. Fletcher came on April 6, 1858, and was rehired a year later at a salary of $600, a parsonage and a vacation of three weeks. Money was always a problem. Ministers were hired for one year at a time, provided the salary could be raised. The congregation tried various methods to ensure proper funding. For example, pews were rented for between$10 to $50 per year. However, it is not noted whether the more affordable seats were those closest to the pulpit or the door.

In 1864 a Rev. John Patchin was hired for $600, plus $200 from the Home Missionary Society (Boston, Mass.) and a donation of $100. From 1853 to 1875, six ministers served:the Revs. O. M. Goodale, A. H. Fletcher, Henry Cherry, John Patchin, Charles H. Bissel and Derwin W. Sharts. But things got better.

In October 1875, the newly graduated Rev. Lucius O. Lee came and was approved after being examined by ministers from Detroit, Flint, Jackson, Laingsburg and St. Johns. An article appeared in the local paper which stated "last Sunday morning the Congregational Church of this city received an addition of 63 members, making about 100 additions in  the last thirteen months, a fine rendering of the stewardship of the diligent young pastor, Rev. L. O. Lee." In 1878, Mr. Lee had a leave of absence and went to the Holy Land. On his return, he eventually resigned in 1880 to go to Marash, Turkey, to establish a school to educate young people for the ministry. In 1880, Myra Barnes, daughter of Erastus Barnes, went to Turkey and in 1881, Etta Doan also went, and later married there a Rev. Marden. On his death she brought his two children to America for education. The daughter, Mary, later taught in a Negro school in the south, and the son returned to Turkey as a Medical Missionary. Mrs. Marden returned to teach at a girls' school in Constantinople, Turkey.

William Ament was another young person greatly influenced by Mr. Lee. Born in Owosso in 1851, he was the second boy to go from here to college and the first to graduate. He worked his way through Oberlin College and later went to Andover Theological College in Massachusetts. On August 6, 1877, he was ordained a missionary in Owosso's First Congregational Church and left at once for the mission at Pao Ting Pu, China; later he was in Peking. He returned to Owosso in 1897 on furlough. Returning to China, he had a great influence in the rebuilding of the missionary work after the Boxer Rebellion. Overworked, he died in January, 1909. The Owosso paper said he was easily the most useful man Owosso ever produced.

On May 17, 1880, the Rev. Lester Platt came. A bachelor, he married Lucy Tillotson while here. He visited Mr. Lee in Turkey and on his return in 1882 preached to "packed houses" about his wide travels. He wanted to build a new building to increase capacity, but the church refused, so he resigned in 1882 and went to Flint.

The Rev. George Wilson succeeded him on October 26, 1882, and soon became very well liked, building up the membership and especially a large young peoples' society. Fundraising was changed from pew rent to weekly pledges. The ladies of the Society (the church was still called the First Congregational Church and Society) agreed to provide for the contingent expenses of the Society. This was the first mention of women taking on a project.

Regretfully the congregation accepted his resignation in December, 1887, and he was succeeded on February 2, 1888, by the Rev. Richard B. Davies.  The Trustees were authorized on July 16, 1888, to buy a lot and plan for a parsonage to cost not less than $2,000. A three story brick home was built at 414 W. Oliver and continued in use as a parsonage until it was sold over 90 years later in 1982. In April of 1890 there was talk of a new church building. The wooden chapel at the northwest corner of the lot at the alley was no longer adequate for the children, and a larger auditorium was desired. Mr. Davies left in December, 1890, for Sandusky, Ohio.

Mr. Wilson was asked to return as supply pastor, and proceeded to get pledges toward a new building. He helped organize a Ladies' Building Society which pledged $2,000. By early 1891 much new enthusiasm resulted in pledges of over $9,000 being secured, and a building committee was appointed consisting of C. D. Steward, A. M. Bentley, Albert Todd, Thomas Wylie and Fred Gould. (Daniel Gould, surveyor of Owosso and a founder of the former Presbyterian Church, had died in 1848. His brother, Amos Gould, had died in 1882. The latter's son, Frederick, was very active in the church long after the completion of the new building, and was one of the men who climbed around the roof repair-ing the slate shingles after the famous tornado of November 11, 1911. He died on October 13, 1936, at age 79).

Mr. Wilson again left, and on February 1, 1891, the Rev. John Reitzel became minister. On Easter Sunday, April 12, 1891, farewell services were held in the old church with Mr. Wilson returning for the sermon. At the Communion Service in the p.m., 32 members were received (22 on profession of faith). On April 16, 1891, George Fulmer was paid $50 to start tearing down the building and some of the material was sold for $510. His total bill was $200.  The wooden chapel was moved across Washington Street to the Duff's side yard (where the Sunshine Store now is in 1986), for continued use by the Sunday School. Later it was sold for $100.

The large fieldstones for the stone church were largely from the Gould farms (off East Oliver, near Hintz Road) and from the Getman farm at 1675 North M-52. The cornerstone for the new building was laid July 28, 1891, with the Rev. Davies returning to give the sermon.

During 1891, worship services were held in the Opera House (where the Murphy Store now is). The Methodist Episcopal Church was completed in early summer so the Methodists moved into their new brick church on the corner of Ball and William Streets (now torn down) so the Congregationalists moved their worship services to the vacated Methodist building on the corner of Oliver and Washington Streets (now occupied by St. John's United Church of Christ). Services continued there ,until the new stone church was completed in the summer of 1892.

Dedicatory services started Friday evening, September 30, 1892, with an organ recital; at 2:30 p.m. Saturday for the dedication of the large windows in memory of Owosso's pioneers (three north windows), and of Amos Gould (center east window) and of the Osburns, son-in-law and grandsons of Judge Amos Gould (the two side east windows); five services on Sunday: 9:30 and 10:30 Sunday morning, 3:00, 6:45 and the main service at 7:30 p.m.

At the morning of the dedication, the balance owed was about $10,000 of the total cost of $32,433.39 which included organ and hymnals. The beautiful windows totaled $1,600. Thechoir was under the direction of C. Duff and included: Tenors: Fred Gould and Alex Mosher; Basses -- C. A. Goodale, Seymour Hoyt, Fred Frieseke; Sopranos -- Bertha Patterson, Cora Merrell, Gertrude White; Altos -- Mrs. Duff and Minnie Finch. Organist was Helen Duff.

Mr. Reitzel resigned at the end of 1894 after a three-month tour of Europe and the Holy Land, and was succeeded by the Rev. Jeremiah C. Cromer, and in 1897 by the Rev. Carlos H. Hanks, who was very popular and served nearly seventeen years. In 1914, came the Rev. Bernard Matson, in 1919, the Rev. Walter B. Denny and in 1923, the Rev. J. Twyson Jones, a very formal Welshman. In 1927, the Rev. Rex O. Holman started the longest pastorate, resigning in spring of 1945, serving over seventeen years. In the fall of 1945 came the Rev.R. Russell Denison, who, being very fond of music, urged formation of the Owosso Community Concert Association by local citizens. Among them were several Congregational families, the Bernard Nagelvoorts, the Walter Howes, the Clyde Pinneys, the Harold Burks, the Madison Gilberts and the Russell Denisons. Mrs. Muriel Denison, a certified teacher, started the Congregational Day Nursery which continues to this day. In late 1953, Mr. Denison went to Cleveland, Ohio, served other pastorates until his retirement in 1985 after his 85th birthday. They live in Sun City, Arizona, where he loves to play golf. He is our only surviving former pastor and holds a special place in the hearts of those who were members during his tenure.

The Rev. Dr. Halley Brooks Oliver came January, 1954, and is now in his 32nd year of a beloved pastorate. In 1958, remodeling of the 1892 sanctuary started by reorienting it fromfacing south to facing west, and the floor was lowered and leveled (removing the slanting amphitheater floor). The magnificent picture windows and the Williams Street entrance, with its beautiful balustrade, were retained at the original level through use of two low balconies.

The old remodeled organ was replaced with a fine new Kilgen instrument. New white oak wainscoting replaced the original wainscoting and covered the remodeling construction. Anew black stained oak Altar with a white marble mensa, a pale aqua dossal curtain, and organ screen of white oak and gold colored metal mesh, became a lovely and effective worship center. Herbert Trost, a member and contractor, was invaluable in the remodeling of the sanctuary.

At the same time, a two-story addition was added to the south on land obtained from razing a duplex residence. West Construction Co. of Flushing was general contractor andRobert Snyder of Cranbrook Institute was the architect for both remodeling and addition.

In 1985, Perrin Construction of Durand began remodeling the tower for a three-level hydraulic elevator installed by Detroit Elevator Co., and a barrier-free entrance. A barrier-free bathroom was completed and a new office for the new associate pastor, the Rev. Joan E. Jacobson.

A new Constitution/Bylaws took effect in January, 1986 to provide for election of the Church Council and the first President, William C.Whitlock, and first Vice-President, Barbara Louden. The MusicDepartment is under Roger Matthies, organist, and Cheryl Gapinski, director, with its four vocal choirs, and English hand bell choir, and a hand chime choir. The church school is fully staffed under the direction of Maxine Capitan. The United Church of Christ Women is active with annual projects and area activities. The church is busy serving its growing membership, supporting the work of the denomination at home and abroad, with many members continuing the 160-year tradition of serving Owosso in civic affairs.