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Othello Christian Church Disciples Of Christ

915 East Rainier Street
509-488-2208

Francis A. Ware conducted an evangelistic service June 13, and Othello Christian Church was founded following this meeting. There was no available building in town suitable for an evangelistic meeting, so a makeshift building, sometimes referred to as “The Tabernacle,” was erected. The Tabernacle was located on the Northwest corner of the intersection of what are now Second and Larch Streets on some lots owned then by Charles Showalter.

It was constructed of lumber and canvas tarps, all of which were borrowed. Walls of the Tabernacle were about 6 feet high (made out of rough lumber and were just a single thickness of a board with obvious cracks in between). Canvas tarps served as the roof. There was no floor, and the people who attended sat on hastily constructed benches from borrowed lumber. The benches were placed on the dirt floor with a little straw sprinkled on top of the floor to help keep the dust down. It was a wonderful meeting, and there were about 30 people who became charter members when the church was first organized soon afterward.

During the years of 1915-1917, discouraging times fell on the community and the church as well. Crop failures, bad weather, railroad policy changes, caused many to move away from the area to search for jobs elsewhere. Those who stayed found the going tough. The church did not officially disband, but for several years, no regular meetings were held. Charlie Morgan remembered it thus, “During the years that followed, some of the members moved away, and some lost interest until the church organization ceased to exist.” During the lean years, the building was used for a number of purposes: The Catholic Church rented it for several months, and some other church groups used it for evangelistic meetings and special services.

 Donations and pledges were taken in the fall of 1913 to buy material for a permanent building that would be built with volunteer labor. This building was actually only a shell consisting of a roof, a single wall and a floor. The church was located facing east on the southwest corner of 4th and Larch. Francis Ware returned for the dedication in the Fall of 1919.

 Baptismal services were held in Owl or Dill Lake (about 3 miles north of town) or later at Crab Creek..

 The first person baptized was Mary May.

 In 1917, the Sunday School was organized.

 During the influenza epidemic of the war years, the church was used briefly in 1918 as a hospital.

 The church was served by Paul Downing, a student minister from Spokane University. Later, a man by the name of Barstow came from Spokane for a few Sundays.

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