First Congregational Church/United Church of Christ
Alameda, California

"First Congregational Church of Alameda was founded in 1879 by missionaries. The first minister (George Morris) of our church was was born in England and traveled from there via Capetown South Africa and Tahiti before coming to San Francisco and the Bay Area. When the rent of $2.50 a week at the original space became too high, services were moved to a hayloft above a livery stable on Webster Street and the Church became known as the "hayloft Church." In 1883 a small building was purchased in the 1700 block of Central Avenue which was moved in 1885 to our present location at the corner of Central Avenue and Chestnut Street, (1912 Central Avenue) in the heart of Alameda. In 1904 the cornerstone for the new building was laid and the completed structure was dedicated on Easter Sunday 1905. An education wing was added in 1963.

"In 1961 the members of the Church voted to become a congregation of the United Church of Christ (UCC) which was formed in 1957 by the merger of the Congregational Christian Churches and the Evangelical and Reformed Churches.

Corner Scroll Plaque

"The UCC has a proud history of being on the leading edge of working

toward social justice. FCCA joined in this tradition in 1987 when our congregation accepted the 1985 resolution and call from our General Synod to declare ourselves “Open and Affirming,” adopting an Inclusive Non-discrimination Policy that states: “We do not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, gender, age, sexual orientation, nationality, ethnicity, marital status, or the differently abled.”

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"In 2004 we celebrated our 125th anniversary as a congregation and the 100th anniversary in this historic structure. Today, FCCA is a growing and vibrant community of Christian faith, where all persons and families are welcome. We move into our future full of hope and with gratitude for God’s faithfulness – yesterday, today and tomorrow." (See Link.)

Photos: Taken in 2011 by SW.
Link: http://www.fccalameda.org/index.html

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Prayer

God, be with the persecuted Christians through out the world. Amen (SW.)