Our Beginnings | fcclodioh

A Bit of History

First Congregational Church was the first church in Lodi - the first community in Medina County, Ohio. Lodi was originally founded in 1811 as Harrisville and the first log cabin was built by Joseph Harris. Joseph Burr and Russell Burr came soon afterwards from their home in Connecticut. Other settlers soon followed into this territory of forest, bear, panthers, and deer and a few Wyandott Indians. The pioneers that came brought their axes, plows, and seed – and generally being of Puritan faith, they brought their Bibles. Something about the beginnings of First Congregational Church is stated in a handwritten record by Nathan Hall, the first clerk as well as the first deacon of the church. The following was taken from Nathan Hall’s record as printed in the Sesquicentennial Booklet of the church published in 1967.

"Ohio State, Medina Cty., Harrisville Township"

A number of persons in this township, having a desire to form themselves into a church, met for the purpose October 3rd, 1817, at the schoolhouse in said township. Revd.. Messrs. Luther Humphrey and Amasa Loomis, a missionary from the Missionary Society of Connecticut, being present – proceeded to examine them respecting the reason of their hope and their views in uniting together as a church. The examination not being finished on the 3rd, they met again on the 4th day of October, and after a full examination a charitable hope was entertained of them. The following persons were considered suitable to be constituted a church: Isaac Catlin and Eunice, his wife; Louami Holcomb and Hannah, his wife; Nathan Hall and Pamelia, his wife; George Burr and Mehitabel, his wife; Russell Burr and Elizabeth, his wife; Carolus Tuttle and Cyrus Curtis. In the afternoon of the same day, Rev. Luther Humphrey preached a preparatory lecture from Romans 12:1.

On October 5th in the morning, a Sacramental sermon was preached by Rev. Humphrey, after which the above-named persons came forward and publicly professed their faith in Christ, and solemnly covenanted with God and with one another to constitute the church.

The Lord's Supper was then administered by Rev. Humphrey.