At the behest of three women in the town of Clinton (now a part of Oakland) Fr. Benjamin Akerly began Episcopal services in the living room of a local home in 1858. One of them convinced her non-Episcopalian husband to donate a lot. The women raised the funds for the building which was constructed and occupied in 1860. Akerly said, "we owe it ... to the women of the Parish, that we have a house of worship." The congregation was formally organized as the Church of the Advent.

Most churches rented pews to raise money. Without fanfare, Advent decided to join the new movement-- free pews. All people were welcomed and seated where they chose. Income was from voluntary donation. A series of short pastorates followed, during which the congregation grew slowly. In spite of many baptisms and a large Sunday school, the adult membership remained small. The women of the Church continued to raise critical funds for major local needs, but income was always small and finances were difficult. The congregation remained distant from the Diocesan structure; the Bishop rarely visited, and the congregation made few contributions to the various Diocesan funds. In 1880 the church building was moved to a larger lot seven blocks away. The interior of the building was renovated, and the congregation