ABOVE: The Christian Church of Fairmont, located at 625 Johnson St., is celebrating 125 years this weekend.

FAIRMONT– The Christian Church of Fairmont will celebrate 125 years this weekend. The idea for the church started in 1895 and it’s been in its current location at 625 Johnson St. since 1989.

Pastor Jacob Wurster has been with the church since Nov. 2020. He took over for previous pastor of 20 years, Glenn Davis. Wurster was previously a youth minister at a church in the small community of Galesburg, Kansas.

Wurster shared that for the 100th anniversary of the church in 1995, a member of the church typed up a book of its history.

“The church actually started in 1895 when a christian missionary had come to the area,” Wurster said.

He noted that in the same year, Immanuel Lutheran Church, now located on the north end of Fairmont, was also established.

While the desire to start a church started in 1895, Wurster said nothing was really started until 1905 when another Evangelist, C.R. Neel, came to town.

“He was the real proponent in making our church a thing. That’s when we found a lot,” Wurster said.

The first official location was on the southeast corner of Elm Street and 3rd Street. Then they met at Daniel’s Hall until 1914 when they were compelled to move because the Hall was to be made over by the owner. The Haynic Theater, later the Nicholas Theater and now the Fairmont Opera House, was used on Sundays while the Park Street church was being built.

The congregation moved out of the Hall and into a church on Park Street, which it occupied for 23 years.

At that time, the church actually moved into what is now the Red Rock Center for the Arts in Fairmont. The building was originally built in 1898 by a small group of Christian Science parishioners. In 1937, the church changed hands when it was purchased by the Christian Church of Fairmont.

“We owned that building and used all parts of it. The top was for worship and the bottom was for Sunday school classes and things like that,” Wurster explained.

He said they ended up growing out of that space and sold it in 1988 at which point they had an opportunity through a person by the name of Jack Ballard and his church builders, called Mount Carmel Church Builders of Decatur, Georgia.

“Every year their group would build churches for free. They would require us to cover any additional costs and the physical labor but the majority of the big cost, they would cover,” Wurster said.

However he said the outcome was typically a smaller building with one sanctuary and a few bathrooms.

“In his whole time of building, ours was the biggest church they ever built,” Wurster said.

At the time that the church was built on Johnson Street, Wurster said there was really nothing in that area except the hospital.

The groundbreaking was on Sept. 19, 1988 and the first service was held on Jan. 29, 1989.

In the 33 years that the church has been at its current location, no significant work has been done. Wurster said the parking lot was originally gravel and is now a nice, paved blacktop. Air conditioning was also added years ago as the original building didn’t have it. Projectors and sound systems were also added as technology has advanced.

The sanctuary shares the same room as the fellowship hall, which Wurster said proved beneficial during Covid when restrictions were in place since they were able to spread out and utilize the whole room.

“The space has been used since 1989 for all sorts of different things,” Wurster said.

About seven years ago, Minnesota Valley Action Council began renting the youth group space at the church for a Head Start program. Wurster said the partnership helps out both parties.

While maybe smaller in size, the church has remained active. Wurster said the whole heart of the church is reaching the community.

It’s offered a free Christmas Day dinner year after year to the community. Last year’s was the first back after missing the last two due to Covid. Wurster said they had 157 people come through this past year.

This spring the church held its first clothing swap. Wurster said nearly 100 people came to get clothes and they donated many to Twelve Baskets afterward. They plan to do the clothing swap twice a year moving forward.

“We have a great team of leadership here. We work well together and see the big vision of what we’re trying to do and willing to put in the sweat equity to make it happen,” Wurster said.

The church will celebrate its 125th anniversary this Sunday. A regular worship service will take place at 10:30 a.m. Then there will be a catered meal for those who made a reservation. At 1 p.m. there will be a celebrate and worship service that is open to the public.

Wurster said they have a former pianist and some former ministers who are coming back for the celebration.

“It may not be as grand as our 100th was, but still just as meaningful,” Wurster said.

He shared why he thinks it’s important to mark the church’s anniversary.

“As I’ve gone back in the book and seen all the incredible things we’ve been able to do, the tenacity the church had to stay relevant makes me encouraged going forward. Yes, 125 years is a long time. My heart says another 125 years of our church existing. Not just being here, but reaching people and making Jesus known in our community,” Wurster said.