Aurora – The Church in Aurora is one of the most prominent landmarks in the City of Aurora. With its towering white steeple and beautiful architecture there is no question why so many couples, my husband and myself included, choose to share their wedding vows there every year. This is the perfect setting for every fairy tale wedding. It is center stage in Aurora, across the street from the town’s gazebo, a perfect place to snap those once- in-a-lifetime wedding photos. As a little girl I used to drive by the church and see the beautiful brides in front of the church and hope that some day I would be the bride walking out the front doors of the white church, surrounded by many bridesmaids and bubbles, listening to the majestic church bells ringing as I walked down that path to wedded bliss. This fantasy came true for me in April of 2008. Since that day the Church in Aurora has been such a special place for me, I wanted to honor it by sharing a little of its history and encourage everyone in the community to check it out.
Although many young couples begin their futures in the Church in Aurora, the church, both building and congregation, has a very rich history. The church can be traced back to the early 1800’s when a young Reverend was sent from the Missionary Society of Connecticut to minister to the settlers of the Western Reserve. As there were only a couple of families to preach to, the congregation first met in homes of the settlers and then later in the Aurora town hall and school. The church was officially established in 1809 with a growing congregation but still no building to call home. Soon the congregation decided to take on the task of raising a church building. Finances being very depressed at the time, the church members donated their time and materials for the building project instead of money. After much hard work, prayer and fundraising the church building was erected in 1822 and finally dedicated in 1824. At the time of its dedication, the building had a brick exterior and much smaller footprint than the structure that stands today. The brick church served the community well but by the 1870’s it had to be torn down. Soon after, a new wood structure would take its place. That wood structure is the center of the white church that is still standing.
Over the last decades the building has had several face lifts and expansions, bringing it to be the beauty that it is today. The sanctuary, the only original piece of the 1870 building remaining, is the home of a beautiful and quite massive, organ that was added during World War I. It was built in honor of those church members that served in the war.
Serving God and the community in Aurora for more than two centuries, the Church in Aurora is more than a historical landmark and site for weddings. It is still a place for the local community members to come together and worship. Services are held each Sunday at the Church in Aurora at 9:30 AM and 11:00AM. The church offers many activities for its members and also for other members of the community. Rev. Dr. William Schnell, the current Senior Pastor, and Rev. Kevin Horak, the Associate Pastor, are also involved in the community. You can often see Rev. Horak stepping out from behind the pulpit and onto the stage at Aurora’s local community theater.
The church also invites the residents of the local area in each year for its annual The Nutcracker Sweets Fine Arts and Crafts Show. It is held each fall at the church and will be held again this year in October. This is a great opportunity see all of the local crafts and crafters but also get a peek at this great historical landmark that we have in our own community.
Whether it is for a Sunday morning service, a wedding or a craft show, everyone should share in the beauty of this treasure that we have in our own back yard.
