The official name of this church is The First Church of Christ in Wabaunsee but it is also known as the Beecher Bible and Rifle Church. It is located in Wabaunsee, Kansas. This volume includes minutes of church meetings from its founding on May 31, 1857, through 1917. The church was organized by members of the Connecticut Kansas Colony from New Haven, Connecticut. They had arrived in the Wabaunsee area in 1856. The information for the years 1857 through 1869 was copied from a different volume, as noted on the first page. Page 4 and part of page 5 describe the political context for settlers coming to Kansas, using terms such as "Friends of Freedom" or "slavery propagandists." This introduction provides a summary of attempts to organize the church. The volume contains a statement of religious beliefs, standing rules for the church, and the names of first members accepted. The information contained in the minutes of church meetings varies over the years but includes the activities of the church and the involvement of members as officers, on committees, etc. The volume was loaned to the Kansas Historical Society for copying by the First Church of Christ in Wabaunsee through Donald Whitten. Pages 21, 22, 154, 155, and 205 are missing from the volume. Pages 8, 9, 50 and 280 are blank. Some pages are not legible.
Kansas Memory
Kansas Historical Society
Records of the First Church of Christ in Wabaunsee - 7