Our History

As Earnest Matthews and E.A. Lewis gathered in an old skating rink, little did they know their God-inspired dreams of a Nazarene church in Ridgefield would be alive and flourishing over a hundred years later. On July 26, 1914, our church was first organized under the name, "First Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene."  Twenty-two charter members began worship services in a rented hall, and then moved to the homes of Daniel N. Cowley and James S. Maxson until a barn on the Cowley property was remodeled to serve as a meeting place.

Under the direction of Rev. D.P. Henry, a new church was built on the corner of 5th and Pioneer, and was ready for use in November of 1922.   In that same year, our church’s name was officially changed to “The Church of the Nazarene."

Twelve years later on September 1, 1934, our church rejoiced as they held the first mortgage burning ceremony. Our church was debt-free, with the property valued at $5,000.

In April 1954, our church purchased new property at 747 Pioneer Street, our church’s current location. After the new property was purchased, but before any new facilities were built, our District Superintendent and Rev. Howard Stephens (along with 56 members) decided to build a church in the Baker area a few miles southeast of Ridgefield. Our sister church, Pleasant View Church of the Nazarene, was completed in 1956.

In August 1960, Rev. and Mrs. Art (Doc) Fee began a wonderful ministry that lasted for 15 1/2 years.   Rev. Fee led a successful financial drive to support the construction of new facilities on the Pioneer Street property.

Construction of our current facilities (minus the Family Center) started in 1967 under the supervision of Ted Hubbard, a member since 1943. Our church was completed and ready for worship in 1968.

Our church has been blessed with good leadership since its inception in 1914—leaders who inspired physical and spiritual growth of the church based on prayerful hopes and dreams to reach people for Christ in the greater Ridgefield area:

Rev. E.G. Smurr (1914)
Rev. E.F. Taylor (1915)
Rev. D. Rice (1916)
Rev. Miss Bertha Welsh (1917)
Rev. F.E. Blackman (1918)
Rev. Miss Louise Pinnell (1920)
Rev. D.P. Henry (1922)
Rev. Carleton D. Jones (1923)
Rev. J.S. Parkins (1925)
Rev. H.C. Baker (1928)
Rev. Herman L.B. Smith (1932)
Rev. Richard S. Taylor (1935)
Rev. W.H. Lowry (1936)
Rev. Warren Rood (1943)
Rev. C.V. Bryson (1945)
Rev. Howard D. Stephens (1952)
Rev. Paul W. Wordsworth (1956)
Rev. Arthur (“Doc”) W. Fee (1960)
Rev. Carl C. Mullen (1976)