A Brief History of SFC |
What does "Federated" Mean? |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |