History of the Federated Church

The history of the Federated Church is almost as old as that of Sutton. The first religious services were held in what is now the park in July of 1871. They were conducted by a Reverend Jones, a Congregational minister from Iowa, who preached to the few scattered settlers and railroad workers.

In February of 1872, the Congregationalists and Methodists organized a Union Sunday School. It was quite an active group, presenting concerts, dramatizations, and assembling a library. At this time, the population of Sutton was about forty. The Union Sunday School lasted three years.

On May 26, 1872, the Reverend O. W. Merrill, Superintendent of Home Missions for Nebraska, organized the Congregational Church. There were eight members, and Dr. David E. Perry, who was later to become the first president of Doane College, was the first minister. (Read More Here)pdf