First Presbyterian Church of Fort Dodge traces its roots to the very beginnings of the community. When the military post was abandoned in 1853 only a handful of civilians remained behind and the future was uncertain. It was only when the federal land office for North central Iowa was located in Fort Dodge that the economy of the new community began to boom. In 1855 and 1856 five churches were organized, Methodist, Congregation, Episcopal, Presbyterian and Catholic.
Credit for the organization of the Fort Dodge Presbyterian Church can be given to Rev. S. T. Wells, the first minister commissioned by the Board of Domestic Missions of the Presbyterian Church as a missionary and evangelists for the Synod of Iowa. Rev. Wells sent Rev. E.I. Dodder to serve as the first pastor in October of 1856. The first two months the congregation met in people’s homes but in December services were moved to the new but uncompleted public school.
In July of 1857 it was decided to build a new church on a lot on the east side of Seventh Street, between 2nd and 3rh Avenue South. The new church, like most frontier churches suffered through difficult times. When Rev. Dodder left in 1861 membership had fallen to sixteen. Without a pastor regulars worship services were suspended.
In 1863, the Presbyterian Church and the local Congregational church agreed to unite for worship and share a pastor. Under this agreement which lasted until 1866, Presbyterian membership fell to only ten members. Over the next thirteen years the church had eight different pastors.
When Dr. Coyle arrived membership had reached 119 with 175 in the Sunday school. Under Dr. Coyle’s leadership a new church was built at 1st Avenue South and 9th Street, the largest church in the city, capable of seating nine hundred. With the support of the church the Fort Dodge Collegiate Institute, the predecessor of Buena Vista University, was established.
Growth continued over the next few years as the church was blessed with several excellent pastors. Especially noteworthy was Dr. J. Milton Greene who came to the church in 1893. He led the church to greater commitment to Christian outreach including the organization of the First Presbyterian Calvary Church of Barnum in 1899. Under Dr. Green’s successors the Rich Memorial Chapel was organized in Pleasant Valley neighborhood and Sunday school centers near Duncombe School, at the gypsum mills, and at the brick and tile plants were established. Several women’s groups were established and successful efforts were also made to establish church youth groups.
Dr. Greene was succeeded by Phil Baird a brilliant preacher and lecturer and Dr. Hastings who entered the ministry after a career in law.
In 1916 Dr. Harless assumed the pastorate and served twenty years, the longest pastorate in the history of the church. During his term membership grew and eventually exceeded one thousand making g it the 4th largest Presbyterian church in Iowa. In 1922 lots were bought at the site on the current church and a new building found was started. The Depression of the 1930’s and World War II created financial hardships for the church and plans for the new building were placed on hold. Rev William Paden became pastor in 1936 and he brought a new vitality to the church. For the first time focus was placed on families with the organization of the Mariners clubs. Church life was disrupted by the coming of the Second World War. One hundred and thirty-eight members served in the armed forces, roughly 15% of the members. Others moved to new places to work in defense plants. In 1945 Rev. Paden entered the military as a chaplain and his position as pastor was filled by Rev. Harrison Hilscher, former missionary to China.
The return of peace brought a renewal for the church. The drive for a new church was revived and in 1948 ground was finally broken. In 1970 the East wing was added as the church programming expanded and the existing facility proved inadequate.
American culture changed drastically after the 1950’s and the change was apparent in church life as well. Church attendance nationally declined and worship styles which satisfied the previous generation lost their appeal for the baby monomers and later generations. First Presbyterian responded by placing an increased focus on its youth program, hiring full time professionals to expand the offerings. Traditional styles of worship were also reconsidered and it was determined that an alternate style of contemporary worship might more effectively meet new needs. In response the congregation purchased the former Jewish synagogue and named it the Shalom Center. First Presbyterian also committed itself to the construction of another addition, the Christian Life Center, completed in 2003, to better accommodate changing conditions. A Hispanic ministry was added in 2004, which started it's own church in spring of 2010.