McClave Community Christian Church

The year was 1915. Babe Ruth made his debut with the Boston Red Sox and Charlie Chaplain appeared in the Little Tramp. Austria declared war on Serbia and World War Two began.

Over one hundred people turned out for the revival meeting to hear Reverend Ted Phipps deliver an inspiring message. Many were baptized in the Copeland swimming hole down the road and believers were energized by the event.  The Holy Spirit was moving among people in the area and a group of those attending felt called to start a church in McClave. These dedicated believers of around 30 people began meeting in a room at the Farmer’s Mercantile building. Believing the community needed a church; they decided to petition the Colorado Methodist Conference to appoint a minister and the conference agreed, naming Reverend Walter White as the first minister to serve at McClave. He was jointly appointed to the Hasty church.

We’re not sure if he was riding a horse or, one of the first model A’s in the area. In those days, a trip to Hasty would be a bit more work than it is today. The roads were dirt, and mud if it rained; the horse might be the better bet, especially if you had one that liked to run. Reverend White was a tried and true, circuit riding Methodist, the first of 36 pastors assigned to the church over the decades, if you don’t count those who served here more than once.

Reverend White preached the Gospel to a packed house and the regulars now really wanted their own church building to worship in. They started a fundraising campaign for a building and a gift of land from B. T. McClave brought the vision to reality. Some came on horses, others in cars and others walked to church on September 12^th 1915 to see the church building formally dedicated.  

It was a big event. Reverend Harris came all the way down from Denver, a two-day trip. The service was inspired and the collection wiped out the 12-hundred-dollar debt. God had truly moved people to open their purses and give. The 35-member church was on its way to ministering to people in the community and reaching outside its area to those in need.

Women were at the forefront of the church’s growth and the “Ladies Aid” group was formed to provide ways to serve and fundraise. They were creative in their fundraising techniques, which brought money into the budget for needed areas of expansion. Time and time again, the Ladies aid came forward with new resources for church work.

One time each member was required to earn a dollar, then tell a rhyme how she did it. Velma Neary gave this jingle:

A year ago I learned to tat
I tatted this, I tatted that,
And then I learned to tat a collar
And that is how I earned my dollar.

The Ladies Aid, later renamed the Women’s Society of Christian Service, also served meals that became the central gathering time for those needing fellowship. Remembered for their festive mood and upbeat spiritual tone, people engaged in meaningful conversations about their concerns, spirituality and faith. The group formed a formative backbone of the McClave church identity.

Families were at the heart of the McClave church and a father-son event was initiated, one that would allow dads and sons to bond in their Christian faith. Started as a way to celebrate graduation from high school, the father-son banquet has been an enduring event that served to help bring Christ into family life in meaningful ways. A mother-daughter tea is also a part of this tradition

The church structure went through many changes and expansions.

In 1938 the ceiling was lowered. Hardwood floors were laid in the basement. The south wing was built in 1979, debt free. With the addition of the kitchen, more space was added to the sanctuary with folding doors to make an extra Sunday school room. In 1950, stained glass windows were added. In 1960 the sanctuary was completely remodeled and a choir room and nursery were added.

Youth have always been important to McClave members. Summer camps at Beaver Creek offered kids a chance to build their faith in the natural beauty of the southern Colorado Mountains.

These outreach programs were organized to provide youth with the opportunity learn about the needs of the broader world around them. Among the more notable events were trips to Denver, San Francisco and Pueblo. More recently, the McClave youth helped out those impacted by the flooding in northern Colorado.

The Seekers group was initiated in 1980 for junior and high school students and has been a part of the school year offerings every other Wednesday of the month. Over the years, hundreds of teenagers, most of them non-members, have found a place of fellowship, comfort and faith.  For the younger children, the Methodist Mini’s was organized to bring local pre-school to fifth grade kids to McClave church for an opportunity to hear about Christ.

This fall youth from McClave and the community get a chance to decorate their trunks for the Halloween Trunk or Treat event in our parking lot area. The kids love it and so do parents.

Economic times have been rough for many people and when McClave church found out there were hungry in our community, a food pantry was formed. The Five Loaves Food Pantry opened a little over a year ago to serve Eastern Bent and Western Prowers counties. The service offers the necessities by working with other organizations including, the Coalition to salute America’s Heroes (a veterans group), Feed the Children, and the Colorado Coalition for the homeless.

Throughout the years, the members of the church have tried to make access to the church easy for everyone to attend. In 1991, a ramp was built to make the sanctuary accessible for the disabled.  Then in November of 2000 an architect was commissioned to add a 22-hundred square foot addition to the church to make it ADA accessible.   

The ambitious project included a new kitchen, ADA approved restroom, classroom and a storage area.  A goal was set to save 175-thousand dollars to complete the project.   A contractor was hired to do the framing and make it weather tight.   New heating and air conditioning unit was installed.  The members of the church provided the labor, and the interior was completed in time for the 2004 graduating class  from the McClave High School.

To help fund the building project a Fall festival event was formed. The Best Big Bale of Hay contest was a huge success Farmers brought in their bails that were tested for quality and contestants would submit their best guess for prizes. It has grown into an annual event that includes a pie contest and sale help raise money for projects.

New windows were installed in the sanctuary with stain glass inserts in 2007 and the Foyer was remodeled in 2011 to make it a more inviting entry to the church.  The basement entrance restrooms and flooring were upgraded recently.  

McClave Community Christian Church continues to respond to the needs of its community with people coming forward to help in any area of need. We look at this heritage and can see how the faithful people of McClave have been willing to go the extra mile, whether it is welcoming a stranger to worship, creating an inviting place for youth, or offering a chance for families to bond in their faith. It’s a little church, big on caring, big on giving and big on Jesus Christ.

In June 2023, the congregation voted to become an independent church. Our name has been changed to McClave Community Christian Church. We are not affiliated with a denomination. The United Methodist Women will be known as the McClave Christian Women. We will continue to make disciples and nurture our current congregation in their relationship with Christ. 

What will the next hundred years offer us? How will we respond to the changing needs of our community? That all hinges on our saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Under his guidance, we are sure to continue shining our light for all to see.