Our hope is that the history and legacy of First Christian Church is one of faithfulness to God’s word, love for all people and a passion for making disciples of Jesus Christ.  The ministry of FCC today stands on the shoulders of all who have gone before us and have been faithful servants of Christ. 

June 24, 1906, the church met for the first time in Gamin’s hall with Dr. J.E. Powell delivering the sermon. The congregation relied on itinerant and interim evangelists to provide Sunday sermons until October 3, 1907 when they called Robert L. Cartwright to be their first permanent minister. Cartwright served a two-point parish at Villa Grove and Longview.

July 16, 1908, ground was broken for a church building on the corner of Pine and Monroe Streets. It was completed May 2, 1909.

January, 1911, the congregation elected their first board of Elders, Deacons and Deaconesses.

September, 1940, a parsonage was purchased at 5 South Pine St.

In 1951, the first major repairs and remodeling of the original church building were completed.

In 1954, a basement on the east side of the building was constructed with the upper east annex being added in 1957.

January 2, 1959, the congregation adopted a constitution and by-laws which established First Christian Church as an independent and autonomous congregation.

In 1963, a new parsonage was built in the McCoy subdivision.

July, 1968, First Christian Church of Villa Grove officially severed ties with the Churches of Christ, Disciples denomination.

In 1977, 5.5 acres were purchased on the north edge of town for the construction of a new worship center. Ground breaking was held on May 2, 1979. Building began on June 8, 1979. The first worship service in the new building was held on Sunday, January 20, 1980. In 1985, the auditorium was enlarged to increase seating and provide more adult Sunday school space. This mortgage was burned in 2001.

The congregation has been served by 27 ministers, 13 interim ministers and 10 youth ministers. Some of the men who grew up in this congregation and have followed God’s call into ministry include: Mark Bragg, Dave Clark, Dale Hillard, Jerry Lewis and Jim Reed.