Pueblo, Colo. Christ Congregational Church records, 1955-2023.
Scope and Contents
This collection contains the administrative records of the Christ Congregational Church in Pueblo, Colorado, as well as records documenting the church community. The collection includes meeting minutes, annual reports, baptismal records, membership records and directories, financial records, building records and blueprints, photographs, records of events, and newsletters.
Dates
- 1955-2023
Creator
- Christ Congregational Church (Pueblo, Colo.) (Organization)
Restrictions on Access
Access to this collection is unrestricted and open to the public.
Restrictions on Use
Items in this collection are subject to U.S. Copyright Law. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine the copyright status of collection items and to secure any permissions necessary for their reproduction and publication. Requests for permission to publish material must be discussed with the archivist or librarian.
Historical Note
During the 1950s, Pueblo, Colorado, saw a massive 43% increase in its population. In 1955, in the midst of the population boom, Rev. Hoy of the First Congregational Church in Pueblo suggested that the residents of the developing Belmont neighborhood should consider establishing a “liberal” protestant church. In 1956, Rev. William Shafer was called to eventually lead this church. The first church service, held in the basement of the parsonage, the first building constructed for the church, on September 16, 1956. The church was formally incorporated on February 11, 1957 as the Christ Congregational Church.
The church building was designed by Elizabeth Wright Ingraham, the granddaughter of Frank Lloyd Wright, and her husband, Gordon Ingraham. The original design called for a triangular building with three distinct wings, though only the first wing was ever constructed. Construction of the building was completed in August, 1958. The first worship, and dedicatory service, was held in the newly constructed church building on September 14, 1958.
The church’s membership rose significantly during the 1960s, to a height of 600 members in 1963. The church community was very active at the time, with three youth groups, a Boy Scouts troop, a couple’s club, and the Women’s Fellowship. The 1970s saw a downturn in membership. During the 1980s, Pueblo’s first female minister, Rev. Karen Sorensen, was installed as pastor of the church. While some members left over the decision to install Sorensen, the church overall saw growth during her ministry. The early 1990s saw a similar situation with the church’s eventual decision to adopt the UCC’s Open and Affirming designation; while some members left over the decision, other came to join the church owing to its liberal designation.
The late 1990s and 2000s saw the church’s membership shrink significantly again, owing in part to changes in Belmont’s demographics and controversies that arose around Rev. Sorensen that precipitated her eventual departure from the church. The church continued to serve the Pueblo community as a liberal protestant church until 2023 when the church voted to dissolve.
Extent
4.06 Cubic Feet (5 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
In 1955, Rev. Hoy of the First Congregational Church in Pueblo suggested that the residents of the developing Belmont neighborhood should consider establishing a “liberal” protestant church. The Christ Congregational Church was formally incorporated on February 11, 1957. The church building was designed by Elizabeth Wright Ingraham and Gordon Ingraham and construction was completed on the building in August, 1957. The church’s membership rose significantly during the 1960s and dropped during the 1970s. During the 1980s, Pueblo’s first female minister, Rev. Karen Sorensen, was installed as pastor of the church. During the 1990s, the church adopted the Open and Affirming designation. The membership declined during the 2000s and eventually dissolved in 2023. This collection contains records related to the administration and community of the church and includes meeting minutes, annual reports, financial and building records, membership records, and newsletters.
Arrangement
This collection has been arranged into the three series, and three subseries, listed below. Within each series and subseries, materials have been arranged in chronological order and topic, when appropriate.
Series 1: Church records, 1956-2023
Series 2: Financial and building records, 1955-2023
Series 3: Community records, 1956-2022
Subseries 1: Photographic materials, 1956-2014
Subseries 2: Membership records, 1957-2020
Subseries 3: Events and programs, 1957-2022
Technical Requirements
A computer with a disk drive is required to directly view digital contents found on compact disks.
Acquisition Information
Materials were donated to the Congregational Library & Archives by the Christ Congregational Church in October 2023; 2023-51.
Processing Information
Processed by Zachary Bodnar, May 2024, using Describing Archives: A Content Standard.
Creator
- Christ Congregational Church (Pueblo, Colo.) (Organization)
- Title
- Pueblo, Colo. Christ Congregational Church records, 1955-2023.
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Zachary Bodnar
- Date
- 2024-05-01
- Description rules
- 3
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Congregational Library & Archives Repository