A Brief History of SFC
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What does "Federated" Mean?
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| Is it a bank? Is it a Savings and Loan? A
church, you say? Then what is a Federated Church? A bit of
history might help. |
| In 1872, the first church of Saratoga was
founded. This Congregational Church had ten charter members:
eight women and two men. In 1876 a building was erected on the
site of the present Oak Street School. |
| More churches followed. The Disciples of Christ
started a church in1878. In 1890, the Methodists organized. In
1894 a group of Episcopalians started up. And, in 1895, the
Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church erected its building.
Within a span of less than twenty-five years, five church
buildings housed small huddles of Christians in Saratoga.
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| Gradually, many realized that four Protestant
churches were too many for this tiny community. Discussions
arose in the various churches about the possibility of
federation (union). After much consideration, two churches
merged. The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and its
pastor, the Rev J.A. Emrich, and the Congregational Church and
its pastor, The Rev. F.H. Rolls, committed to this federation.
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| The Congregational Church building was chosen
for worship. A "federated" experiment began. Mr.
Rolls served as the pastor and Mr. Emrich became the Minister
of Christian Education. After a trial year, the federation was
enthusiastically finalized and the Saratoga Federated Church
became a reality. In 1920, the Rev. Roscoe D. Douglass became
pastor of the new church. A vigorous building campaign
followed and the sanctuary (now the chapel) was designed by
Julia Morgan and dedicated on Sunday, November 4, 1923.
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| More people, additional buildings and expanding
ministries carried the church through the 20th century. The
leadership of the church has continually sought to conform the
church to the Biblical model of the early church, without the
unnecessary embellishments added by some denominations. The
church is truly an interdenominational church. While the name
"Federated" might be confusing, it speaks to our
commitment to the unity of all of Christ's followers. We
continue to welcome members and friends from all backgrounds
as we discover the joys of Christian community.
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| We find ourselves in a promising time and
place. We are positioned strategically in the heart of the
Silicon Valley where the vast majority of the population,
though spiritually hungry for deeper meaning and values,
remains unchurched. May God be our guide as we offer the
people of this valley a place to belong, a place to grow in
Christ and a place to serve.
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