Part 1: The Beginning-1940

The Discples met and organized formally in 1839 in Middlebury, Ohio, when the membership was 32. It was not the custom of the Disciples at this time to employ paid pastors; in fact most small congregations could not afford paid pastors. As the new town of Akron grew and prospered it lured many persons away from Middlebury and the Middlebury Disciples did not thereafter meet regularly. By 1845, the Disciples numbered 50 souls and as a result, needed to find larger quarters. They were able to purchase a small vacated Congregational Church building located at the corner of High Street and Quarry (now Bowery Street). This new location then became known as the "Disciple Church". In 1845, Webster B. Storer, Arza Kellogg and Samuel Bangs filed papers incorporating the congregation as the "First Congregation of Disciples in Akron in Summit County".

In 1852, at the first Ohio Convention held at Ravenna, Ohio, the Disciples organized and became known as the "Churches of Christ". Jesse Jasper Moss was called in 1852 to become the second pastor of the church, which then reported a membership of 48. In 1857, the building which the Disciples had purchased from the Congregationalists was sold to the Lutherans who moved the building to back of the lot to be used as a school. The church purchased a lot on High Street at the site of the present building and a bulding of wood was constructed there at a cost of $6000. The new church opened in 1863, and Sunday School classes were organized soon thereafter (by James O. Beardslee).

A fire in 1869 extensively damaged the building and destroyed records, an event which accounts for the difficulty in piecing together the church's history with accuracy. Following the fire, the building was remodeled, doubling the available space by adding a 2nd floor balcony. Among other destroyed church records was the 1845 charter, thus necessitating a re-organization of the congregation. A new charter was filed July 3, 1871.

Around 1892, the trustees and congregation had decided to construct a new church. The wood-constructed building was sold for $25 and dismantled. The new building was dedicated on December 3, 1893. The pastor at this time, Rev. C. J. Tanner, was influential in discontinuing fund-raising, such as suppers, bazaars, concerts and auctions. On August 2, 1897, the congregation voted to terminate any such fund-raising, and this policy remains in effect today.

The first church paper, The Disciple, appeared on October 6, 1900, being the joint venture of Harry D. Teeple and the pastor, John G. Slayter. However, during Rev. L. N. D. Wells' tenure, the name of the church was changed from the "First Church of Christ" to "High Street Church of Christ" to better reflect the location of the church. The official name of the church was changed from "First Congregation of the Disciples in Akron in Summit County" to "High Street Christian Church" in 1956.

During Rev. George W. Knepper's ministry at High Street, the congregation and Sunday School grew and by 1927 a total of 925 new members were added to the rolls. Rev. Knepper was a "live wire" preacher, Bible-centered and his sermons attracted capacity audiences. From 1927 through 1930, the services were broadcast from Akron radio station WADC. High Street's membership was about 2000.

Go to Part 2: 1941-1980