05/27/2026
This last Sunday (Pentecost) was West Des Moines Christian Church's 136th birthday!!! Accounts of the early years meeting in a small residence above a Valley Junction storefront resemble the scene in Acts 2:42-47 describing the fellowship of early believers.
In 1890, WDMCC--then called Valley Junction Christian Church--started above a storefront on 5th Street in Valley Junction as the first church in town. Bible students from Drake Bible College would come to preach and teach at the gathering weekly. When Valley Junction became an official town 10 years later, the church moved to the corner of 6th and Elm. It was the largest gathering space in town and held many community events. In 1940, the church burned to the ground, prompting the local newspaper to ask if the church would rebuild. And in 1941, the congregation responded by purchasing a lot out in the country on the corner of 8th and Grand where it raised a building to call home. For 58 years, the congregation worshipped, fellowshipped, and served from that location until 1999, when the the congregation again decided to move to the outside of town. For the last 27 years, WDMCC has worshipped, connected, and served from that spot on Mills Civic Parkway. We're grateful for the faithful Disciples who grew and sustained Christ's church before us, and we humbly commit to do the same for many years to come!
