History

In April 1857, 18 people organized Plymouth Congregational Church. Early members built the church’s first building in 1858 at Nicollet and 4th Street. That building was destroyed by fire 16 months later, rebuilt and used until 1875 when a larger building was built at Nicollet and 8th. The present building at Nicollet and 19th was dedicated in 1909. Many additions and changes have been made since 1948 to the present day, with a new education wing and other improvements completed in 2007.

From the start, the congregation was committed to addressing social ills and pursuing justice. Indeed, in 1858, the 18 families who founded Plymouth Congregational in Minneapolis fired their first minister for not taking a strong enough stand against slavery.

Beginning with the waves of Scandinavian immigrants in the 1870s, church leaders established Sunday schools and missions to develop the potential of new Americans and to lift up those less fortunate, such as single mothers. Many of these schools became churches and community centers.

Over the years, Plymouth founded what is now Groveland Food Shelf and, with the Plymouth Church Neighborhood Foundation, launched what would become Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative. Through Beacon, the Plymouth congregation partners with Westminster Presbyterian on supportive housing such as Nicollet Square and the upcoming Great River Landing.

Plymouth is a member of the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches (NACCC) and the Minnesota Conference of the United Church of Christ (Schedule II status).