In the 1830’s a man by the name of Joseph Wolfe, who served Sullivan County as Auditor and Clerk, and was also a member of the Sullivan County Bar, was best known as a Christian preacher. He, together with A.P. Law, began conducting preaching services in about 1835. From those preaching services a church, First Christian Church, was established and this group of Christians erected a small frame building in 1840. The location of that small church building was on the corner of Section and Wall Streets in Sullivan. Under Wolfe’s leadership and direction, churches were also established at Shaker Prairie, Paxton, Carlisle, Bruceville, and Oaktown in Indiana, and Hutsonville, Lawrenceville and Palestine in Illinois.

By 1868 the church had outgrown the original frame building and began construction on a new building in the 100 block of North Broad Street. Since then, that church building has been added on to several times, yet has stayed in that same Broad Street location. In 1910 there was an additional sanctuary built on the south side of the 1868 building and was completed in 1911 and was dedicated on July 24 of that year. This sanctuary served as the primary place for the church to gather to worship for the next 53 years.

In 1964 the church began a new building program and would begin construction on a new sanctuary on the north side of the existing building. This new sanctuary, dedicated January 31, 1965, would be larger and could better meet the needs of the church and is still where we worship today. This construction program, like that of 1910, would renovate the older 2 buildings to be used by the Sunday School department.

In 1988, the church began a “Because He Gave” capital campaign to begin raising funds for a major building renovation. This renovation would include demolition of the original 1868 building, the 1911 building, as well as filling in the basement. The new addition would be just one story and include a large fellowship hall, kitchen, bathrooms, nursery, office space, choir room and classrooms. There was also additional parking that was created on the west side of Broad Street directly across from the church building. The project began in 1989 and was completed in 1990.

To better serve our teenage youth, the church made the decision to construct a building that would primarily be for teen ministry. In 1999 construction began on The Gathering Place. It was completed and dedicated July 2, 2000. TGP is a multi-level building consisting of several areas for teens to gather for classes as well as socialization, an area for larger groups to gather for teaching, as well as a small gymnasium.

We realize that First Christian Church is not really about buildings. It’s about Jesus, the gathering together as a body of believers to worship Him and the world’s need for His message of salvation that the church has been commissioned to teach. And, for nearly 190 years, FCC has opened its doors to the community to introduce people to Jesus and to come to know Him.