FORT SENECA COMMUNITY CHURCH THROUGH THE YEARS
A promising future, built on a rich foundation
Fort Seneca Community Church has a long and rich history which began in 1857 after a group of Christians from the Fort Seneca area grew tired of travelling to Tiffin in their horse drawn buggies. So, for a cost of $1,200, a group from the First Reformed Church of Tiffin founded the Reformed Church of Fort Seneca with Reverend Moses Keiffer as the pastor. Both of these churches were German Reformed and it is believed that services were originally held in the German language.
The church was founded in conjunction with a seminary once located at Heidelberg University. G. W. Willard served as pastor while also serving as president of the college and under his leadership the small congregation grew. The current building is the same structure from 1857.
Over the years, changes and remodeling have occurred as the congregation of the Fort Seneca Community Church grew. Early in 1911, while it was still known as the Fort Seneca Reformed Church, the congregation voted to perform an extensive remodeling project. The original cupola was replaced with a bell tower on the front of the building and an addition was built on the North side containing the pulpit, piano and choir loft. All of this work cost the congregation $4,062. The bill was paid and the church was debt free.
In 1951 the annex was built and today it houses the nursery, pastor’s office, kitchen and fellowship hall. Children’s Church and Sunday School are also held in the annex. In 1962 the sanctuary was remodeled to look as it does today.
Fort Seneca Community Church began as a German Reformed Church in 1857. The German Reformed Church can trace its roots back to the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. By the mid 1900s, many smaller churches began to join together to form associations of churches and denominations. One of these was the United Church of Christ (UCC) which began as a merger of the Congregational Christian Church and the Evangelical and Reformed Church. In the 1950s Fort Seneca Reformed Church voted to join the U.C.C. and became known as the Fort Seneca Community United Church of Christ.
In September 2016, the congregation of Fort Seneca Community Church, after spending much time in prayer, seeking God’s will and direction, and after much discussion, voted to withdraw from the U.C.C. Association and establish itself as an independent, nondenominational church and return closer to its reformed roots.
The church is now pastored by Lamar Baker of Fremont, since October 2022, and offers Sunday School at 9 am and worship at 10 with Children’s Church for ages 4-12 and a nursery. This small church is steadily growing and thriving as we focus on the word of God and the Lord Jesus Christ.