Previous to the organization of the Drummond Island Church as a Congregational Church, there was this: Reverend George Strickland, settled on Drummond in November of 1879. He was then a minister in the United Brethren denomination. In 1881 he organized a United Brethren Church, so
from 1881 to 1893, the church on Drummond was really a United Brethren Church. Church at that time required their mi
nisters to attend the denominational annual meetings at least once every two years, it would require him to go out of state to attend his church conventions, which was impossible for him to do. Therefore, leaving the work on D.I. in the hands of his church officers for a time, he accepted a call to the Congregational Church in Vanderbilt, MI, where he was ordained in the Congregational Association on April 30, 1889. He returned three years later to D.I. October 9, 1893 – A church meeting was held to organize the First Congregational Church on Drummond. On November 6, 1895 we voted to join the Sault Ste. Marie association of Congregational Churches. On March 31, 1896 we voted to be incorporated as a Congregational Church according to M.I. May 17, 1901 D. Murray Seaman donated a lot for the present day church. The cornerstone was engraved with the date, 1901, and the building was erected in 1902. Between 1896 and the occupancy of the new church building Church services and Sunday school were held in three different locations. Strickland, having spent nearly fifty years in service on D.I., as doctor, pastor and missionary decided to retire at the age of 84, so Miss Myrtle Raynor, a former missionary of the Hopi Indians, took his place in the fall of 1927 and was here more then nineteen years. She retired in Dec. 26, 1946. During Miss Raynor's ministry she laid down a firm foundation of bible teaching and fundamental doctrine which has and still is bearing fruit in the lives of many people and homes. At Easter time 1947, Rev. Charles Sheldon took up the work where Miss Raynor left off and served nineteen years retiring in Dec. 8, 1966. During his term of service the church was remodeled and a parsonage and Sunday School rooms added across the back of the church. In the spring of 1967 Rev. and Mrs. Archie Brodie came to serve the church and was here until the spring of 1970. On January 22, 1970 the congregation voted to build a new church on the same sight. Church services were held at the D.I. School from June until October of 1970. On June 21, 1970 Pastor Lobdell took up the work of Rev. Brodie. Pastor Labdell was here for thirteen years and retired on June 1, 1983. On December 1983 Pastor Loren Deal took up the work of Pastor Labdell. He was here for fourteen years, leaving in spring of 1998. In 1998 Pastor Bob Milne took up where Pastor Deal left off. The name of the church was changed in 2000 to Lighthouse Christian Church. He was here until 2002. Dan Klinger came in Dec. 2003 and left in Sept. 2004. Pastor Daniel Hintz came in late 2005 and left in the fall of 2007. Pastor Scott Danforth came in November 2007 and is still our pastor today. There have been many changes over the years to the church inside and out.
