Our church's beginning
Hickman Mills Community Christian Church has a rich and interesting history. Many early American settlers wished for one Christian church based on a simple New Testament faith. Their desire for simplicity, unity, and practicality led to the formation of The Disciples of Christ. In 1804, Presbyterian minister Barton W. Stone began to meet with others who simply called themselves "Christians." Thomas Campbell, who was also a Presbyterian minister, established another independent group of worshipers who also insisted that the church should be open to all who wish to follow the Lord. By 1832, the two groups united under the name Disciples of Christ. Today this international church is one of the largest founded on American soil, with more than 1,000,000 members comprising 3,800 congregations in the U.S. and Canada.
"We the undersigned do hereby give to God and to each other to live together in the capacity of a Christian congregation and to be governed by the sacred scripture as our only rule of Religious Faith and conduct." With these words and by this commitment, the thirteen charter members bound themselves together in 1845.
In 1856 Edwin A. Hickman, who had a steam mill grinding flour and meal, offered the congregation an acre of land for the site of a new building. When the one-room frame building was constructed, the congregation's name changed from Bethlehem Christian Church to Hickman Mills Community Christian Church.
In 1896, a new frame church with a belfry and a short steeple, was built. The congregation called its first full-time minister in 1923, and soon there was a need for a larger building. Construction of the present building was completed in 1929. The Norman-Gothic building received first prize from The Christian Herald's Church Building Competition. In 1958 the congregation added an educational building.
Hickman Mills Community Christian Church has been worshiping and witnessing in its present location since 1929. While the church has enjoyed a glorious and fascinating history, today, we as members look to the future. We seek to practice a religion devoted to justice and peace, responsive to truth, and concerned for the spiritual growth of all persons.
This congregation is a part of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), with origins on the 19th century frontier. Since our beginning, the Disciples of Christ have endeavored to increase respect, understanding, and unity among the believers of Christ. We invite you to tour our building and to witness and feel the love and strength of God that has allowed our congregation to grow, prosper, and minister to each other, the community, and the world.
