Mission:

The purpose of this church shall be to bind together followers of Jesus Christ, for the object of sharing in the worship of God and in seeking His will for our lives, especially as that will is set forth in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.

About Us:

First Congregational Church of Marshalltown, Iowa is a church comprised of a congregation of followers of Jesus Christ united voluntarily in love to God and one another by a covenant.  Church members gather in the name of Jesus Christ knowing He is among them as He promised in Matthew 18:19-20.  God the Father is the Sovereign Ruler of this church.  Jesus Christ is the Head of the church, and each member calls Him Lord.  The Holy Spirit is present in each believer to be the guide in their daily walk with the Lord.  The Bible is the Word of God and is the ultimate standard in all church matters.  The covenantal relationship with God and fellow believers begins with each individual giving up self to be a child of God.  In so doing believers submit themselves to God’s will in their lives.  The New Testament is the source of the covenantal relationship and the foundation of the Congregational Church government.

First Congregational Church participates in the Sacrament of Communion and Baptism, including infants, as celebrations of faith. Believers know that Salvation is solely through the profession of faith in Jesus Christ, “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” (John 14:6)

Congregational believers enjoy the freedom of “individual conscience.” Each member is personally responsible to worship, study, learn, and grow…as the Holy Spirit leads them…free of the demands of others and creeds. No person, no position, nor power stands between the believer and Jesus Christ.

Congregational members respect the freedom of all members to develop understanding of God and Jesus Christ in their own personal time and way as God’s will unfolds in their lives.

First Congregational pastors as teachers and leaders are called first by God then by the congregation. The privilege and duty of serving in church government belongs to every member equally. Officers are elected by church members to be leaders with direction from God. First Congregational Church recognizes that its members have gifts given by God to share in service to the church.

The local Marshalltown Congregational Church is free and independent but joined to fellowship with other individual churches through but not limited to the National Association of Christian Churches.

In summary, the First Congregational Church of Marshalltown shares these words from Creeds and Platforms of Congregationalism by Williston Walker, PhD. N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1893, Kindle location 893. “There is but one God and Father of all, one Lord over all, and one Spirit: So is there but one Truth, one Faith, one Salvation, one Church, called in one Hope, joined in one profession, guided by one Rule, even the Word of the most High.”