A Brief History of Riverside Church
The life of Riverside Church is rooted in the stories of three Welsh Presbyterian (Calvinistic Methodist) congregations formed around Linn Grove, Iowa. Zion Church started in 1873 and later built a small building 6 miles north of town in and hired a resident pastor. Peniel Church began in 1892 and later built a building 2 miles north of Linn Grove.
In 1907, Riverside Church was started in Linn Grove, using the Union Church building constructed in 1889 and which was used by several congregations. That year the three congregations Zion, Peniel and Riverside jointly hired a minister, the Rev. Mr. Harris. A home was rented for him in Linn Grove and he was paid an annual salary of $600. It is remembered that Rev. Harris would set out on horseback early each Sunday morning to hold a morning service at the Zion church. From there he would ride to Peniel Church for an afternoon service after which he would hold an evening service in Linn Grove at the Union Church.
The present Riverside church building dates from 1924, when the Peniel Church building was dismantled and moved across the Little Sioux River into Linn Grove. The building was cut into six parts. Each part was dropped over a haystack and carried into town when the river was low.
In God's providence, Riverside has a long heritage as a faithful evangelical church. It was affiliated with Presbyterian denominations, then Riverside was an independent church from January to October 2011, when it voted to become part of the Central District of the Evangelical Free Church of America.
As we move into the future, we continue to hold our evangelical values, mission and vision !
Come grow with us !
