Redmond's Historical Churches
Written by Jalin Rice
Residents of Redmond started to organize churches right after the town was incorporated. Slowly, over time, they built church buildings to accommodate the different denominations within the community.
The First Sunday School
Ezra M. Eby, an early settler in the Redmond area, owned the first butcher shop in the town with his partner Mr. Weston. Mr. Eby organized the first Sunday school called Redmond Union Sunday School in November of 1905. There was no organized church at this time so the new Sunday school was held in a home. The group, composed mostly of Presbyterians, Baptists and Methodists, studied the International Sunday school lessons taught by Mr. and Mrs. Eby. The group met every Sunday afternoon at two o’clock. In January, the people started to meet in a hall over a store and later, after being built, the church services were held in a room on the second floor of the school building.
That same year, a minister from Laidlaw (Tumalo) offered to preach after the Sunday school hour. His name was Reverend Jesse C. George, a former resident of Iowa, who was supported by the Presbyterian Board of Home Missions and appointed by the Presbytery of Pendleton to organize a Presbyterian church in Redmond.
The ladies in the community raised the money needed to buy materials for the Sunday school by holding pie socials. They also raised money to help support the minister by making and selling aprons, pillowcases and other articles.
The Redmond Presbyterian Church was organized six months later on April 27, 1906, with approximately ten charter members. The Methodist church was organized a little later. The two churches continued meeting together alternating ministers every Sunday, which was quite a successful set-up. The Baptist church was organized after the Presbyterian and the Methodist churches. In 1910, the Methodists built a church building and separated from the others. By January 1911, there were five church organizations established in Redmond.
The Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church was constructed on the corner of Eighth and Forest Avenue. Ben Gotter built the church, which was the second largest in the county, and he became the Sunday school superintendent. The church had a large, loud-ringing bell and it was told that a pair of caged coyotes belonging to the owner of the Redmond Hotel would "tune up when the bell was rung" (Ward, 64). What a ruckus there must have been every Sunday.
In the late 1940’s the church was destroyed by fire. At this time it was Forest Avenue Baptist Church.
The Redmond Community Presbyterian Church
In 1911, the building of the Redmond Presbyterian Church was started and in 1912 the church was completed with the dedication held on June 30 of that year. The Rev. George was still coming to Redmond to hold services on Sunday afternoons following his morning services in Laidlaw. Whenever he was not able to come, Mr. McGuffie, who worked with the irrigation company, would preach. "He also held funeral services for people of all denominations when there wasn’t a minister available" (The Deschutes County Historical Society, 83). He was the one to survey, clear and fence the original part of the Redmond cemetery. He did so in preparation for the burial of the Ezra Eby’s young boy who had died the night before.
The Presbyterians and the Methodists voted to unite and adopted the name Redmond Community Church in September of 1929, which was changed to Redmond Community Presbyterian Church by the Presbytery in October of the same year.
The Presbyterians built a new church building but the old church still stands on the northeast corner of South Seventh Street and West Cascade Avenue.
Christian Church
In 1929, a group of students from Eugene Bible College, now known as Northwest Christian College, came to Redmond to hold a series of evangelistic services. The first few meetings were held in the Baptist church building. After about six weeks, the group moved to the Oddfellows Hall until they were given the opportunity to rent the old Methodist church building. (D.C.H.S., 84).
The church was organized in August 1929, while they were still meeting in the Oddfellows Hall, with about fifty charter members; Hiram O. Sabin as the first minister and Mrs. George Fairfield as the first Sunday school superintendent. (D.C.H.S., 84).
The Christian Church decided to build their own building and purchased the lot at the corner of Tenth and Evergreen for $100. They began building in 1932 and were not able to finish for a number of years even though the building was in use. (D.C.H.S., 84).
In 1962, the church was not able to build due to lack of funds. With the remaining money in the building fund, the church purchased the apartment building across the alley. The rent from the apartments was used to help pay for the loan on the new building. This apartment building was constructed in 1920 as a dormitory for high school girls from 17 outlying districts in the Redmond Union High School district. Girls lived in the dorm until the school district bought buses in 1930. In 1978 the church tore down the apartments to provide parking for the new church building. (D.C.H.S., 84).
Other Churches in the Community
The First Baptist Churches were built in 1912. "A little Catholic Church, part of the Bend Parish, was dedicated in September of 1912" (Ward, 64). About 40 years after the dedication, the new St. Thomas Church was relocated to the corner of 12th and Forest Avenue. "Many churches of various denominations came to Redmond to minister to people of different belief and tradition" (Ward, 64).
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Information taken from and credited to:
Clark, Keith. (1985). Redmond Where the Desert Blooms. Western Imprints, The Press of the Oregon Historical Society.
Deschutes County Historical Society, The. (1985). A History of the Deschutes Country in Oregon. Redmond, OR: Midstate Printing.
Smith, Mildred E. (1924). "History of Redmond, Oregon."
Ward, Elizabeth. (1975). Redmond Rose of the Desert. Redmond, OR: Midstate Printing, Inc.
Fred J. Becker, Architect
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