SNOHOMISH — The First Presbyterian Church of Snohomish has a storied past, and in some ways it’s come full circle.
Up until 1902, the church was considered a “mission” church, meaning it drew financial support from the church headquarters.
Now, 140 years old, the church has transformed from a mission church to a church with a mission, with a congregation dedicated to living by the church’s example both at home and around the world.
“They’re a collection of people who are really committed to doing God’s work in the world,” longtime member Curt Johnson said.
The Union Presbyterian Church of Snohomish City was established in 1876 when the Rev. John R. Thompson, with the help of a local Native American, paddled up the Snohomish River to the town, according to church records.
There he found a village with a population of about 100 men and 10 women that was nonetheless the seat of a county of scattered logging camps, native villages and wilderness. A few local elders convinced him to try and establish a church there, even though several missionaries previously had tried and failed to put down spiritual roots.
The first services were held in the Blue Eagle saloon, and it wasn’t until June 6, 1877, that the first dedicated church building was opened on the corner of Second Street and Avenue A.
The church moved twice more, and has been in its current building, at 1306 Lake View Ave., since 1965.
Johnson joined the church in 1971 after returning from his military service in Vietnam. He has remained a member ever since, even though he now lives at Tulalip.
“I walked in and connected with a lot of people initially; some of those people are still my friends,” Johnson said.
“The sense of mission is really big with me. That was the same thing I liked about being in the Navy. I thought we were doing good things,” he said.
One late member of the church who personified the zeal for working outside the community was Dr. Leeon Aller, who established the Hands For Peacemaking mission and clinic in Santa Cruz Barillas, Guatemala, a mountainous community far from the capital.
“Our church has many people who have lived abroad,” said Pat Sanvik, another longtime member who also served as a mission elder.
She also helped launch the Kaleidoscope Academy two years ago. It offers more affordable music lessons and now other subjects, such as French and video editing, both in the church and the Snohomish School District.
Sanvik and her husband had careers teaching in international schools, but always came back to Snohomish in the summers.
“We had history here with a lot of the folks,” she said.
That value is shared by the church’s current pastors, Charles and Ann Lewis, who are on a four-month sabbatical to Israel, Palestine, Great Britain and Ireland. In the interim, the church has had 19 different visiting pastors from all over the world.
From its days as a frontier church to the current incarnation, the sense of connection to the rest of the world has given First Presbyterian its character and mission.
“It started here when it wasn’t easy to get to Snohomish, and it used that strength of faith and character to venture out into the world and the community,” Sanvik said.
Chris Winters: 425-374-4165; cwinters@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @Chris_At_Herald.
Church celebrates 140 years
The congregation and staff at First Presbyterian Church of Snohomish is celebrating its 140th anniversary this year with a weekend full of events. Those include a variety of meditation and study sessions Saturday morning, a square dance and barbecue Saturday evening, and a breakfast Sunday before the 10:30 a.m. service. More information is online at snopres.org.
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