History
75 Years of Christian Service
Seventy-five years ago a Tent Meeting was sponsored in Olive Green by Rev. Howard B. Wilson, his wife, Agatha M. Wilson, and Harry McQuigg of Fargo and his wife. At the close of the Tent Meeting the people present wanted to organize a church. A letter written 10 September 1980 by Agatha M. Wilson herself, outlines the early start of the church.
She states that the church was organized in 1934 with her husband, the Rev. Howard B. Wilson, as the first pastor. (He served the congregation for eighteen years.) Harry McQuigg was elected First Elder and George Minniear (Minier) was elected Treasurer. Mrs. Wilson taught the adult class of Sunday School.
With no place to worship they met in homes, often those of the Minniear (Minier) families. They also used the old Methodist Church. That is until, as quoted from her letter, "until it became too Spiritual for them so they locked us out". Realizing the need to build their own building, Agatha's sister, Iva Masher, gave the first $50 to buy the land. The lot was soon paid for and a friend that owned a lumber company trusted them for the materials. The members of the new little church did the building themselves.
The building sits on the point in Olive Green where Route 656 and Route 521 cross. The building had a lighted cross and two wings added at a later date. The building is still used for Sunday School, Junior Church, Youth Meetings, and as a study for the Pastor.
The congregation now meets in a modern building built between 2001-03 on the lot behind the original church. That building was also built by the members. A parsonage was built across the street between 1965-1967.
