On the first Sunday of October in 1856, the inaugural worship service of the ‘Troy Mission’ took place in the courthouse, organized by the Missionary Board of the Miami Christian Conference and led by Elder James Maple.
On August 23, 1857, the First Christian Church of Troy, Ohio, was established with 27 founding members, marking its first sermon in the central building of what is now West Main Street in Troy. At that time, the population of Troy was 2,643, and there were 83 churches in Miami County, representing ten different denominations.
Arthur L. McKinney became the first pastor of the church and also served as a chaplain for the 71st Infantry of Ohio, stationed at Camp Todd in Troy during the Civil War. He dedicated three years to this service, witnessing action in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas.
Harry Brown contributed to the church’s establishment by helping to dig the basement. Once completed, the church was dedicated on August 30, 1863. The cornerstone of the First Christian Church bears the inscription: “Christ our leader, Christian our only name, Christian character the only test of fellowship, and the Bible our only statement of doctrine.” In the 1890s, a monthly newspaper titled “The Troy Christian” was published from the parsonage of the original church, with the minister also serving as the editor. The subscription rate was just 20 cents per year, and our first church “Messenger” was printed in 1942.
The sanctuary’s three stained glass windows, along with additional stained-glass windows, were installed in 1906 by Schuler and Mueller Ornamental Glass of Chicago, Illinois. Each exquisite window was installed at a cost of $500, although one window had to be replaced in 1920 after a severe storm damaged it.
Initially established as the First Christian Church, we underwent a denominational merger in 1931, becoming the First Congregational Christian Church. In 1957, our denomination merged with the Evangelical and Reformed Church—formed from the union of the Evangelical Church and the Reformed Church in 1934—and by 1961, we had transitioned to the First United Church of Christ.
