The first Metamora Christian Union Church began in 1855 in a church built by the Methodists. There were five Protestant churches in the area with low memberships and it was difficult for any of these to have a full time minister. It was thought that if they would merge together they could be better served. So in 1872 the Methodists and the Congregational Churches united. In the next few years the remaining churches, Episcopal, Christian (Disciples) and American Baptist also joined together. In 1878 those united congregations formally were called the Metamora Christian Union Church.
After sixty–six years of service the old building was one of Metamora’s landmarks. In 1922 they decided to build a new edifice. The wrecking crew found that the old building was in almost perfect state of preservation, barring the dry rotting of floor supports. It was built of native burned bricks, the outside layer being of specially hard burned brick. The ceiling stringers were hand shaped oak logs, forty feet long and the truss-work and roof were hand sawed oak lumber, sawed at the Parks Mill just north of Metamora. The church was patterned after one built at Varna a few years earlier.
During the process of building the new Christian Union Church they engaged the use of the building of the congregation of the Reformed Church, which had but few families and held services at irregular intervals. This building was formerly the Baptist Church organized in 1850. That church was built and opened for worship in 1854. The new church was built on the site of the old church on South Hanover Street. Additional classrooms were added later.
On September 20, 1981, a new church was dedicated on donated land on W. Walnut Street at Illinois Route 116 and the Metamora Washington blacktop. The church today, a 118,700-square-foot structure includes a fellowship hall, 17 classrooms, sanctuary seating for 350 people, and church offices.
Another endeavor of the church was Camp Wildwood. In 1960 land donated by the Ronald Dyar Family the basis for the camp began. The facilities of which were expanded in 2002.
1960 was also the year that Christ Church in Germantown Hills was established as a mission church.
Photos and history submitted by Shirley Adams.
