Union Summer Services in Idaho Falls
Union Summer Services in Idaho Falls
For many of the 60 years 1885 through 1944, churches of
Idaho Falls met together for worship at least once during the summer.
Starting Monday evening June 22, 1885, joint services of the
Baptist and Methodist churches of Eagle Rock were held and continued each night
through the week.[1] The
pastors of the two churches, Reverends E. B. Bartley J. P. Morris, led the
meetings. At the time, these two were
the only non-LDS churches in town, and only the Baptist church had a building.
The next notice in an Idaho Falls newspaper of a summer union
service of all the evangelical churches, by then numbering seven, was for July
2, 1899 in an announcement of the Episcopal Church, noting that it would be
held in the Presbyterian Church.[2]
Baptist pastor Reverend A. G. Miller preached to a large
crowd at a union service in the Methodist church on July 6, 1902[3]
and at the next monthly meeting of the Idaho Falls Ministerial Association he brought
up the idea of holding union services every Sunday evening in August.[4] While apparently not implemented then, a
series of four evening services in July or August were held most years from
1913 through 1937 and again in 1944.
In 1913 the services were held on the lawn of Central
school.[5] In many subsequent years the services were also
held outdoors, some years in front of the courthouse and some years on the lawns
of the various churches.
At a July 8, 1923 union service held at the Presbyterian
Church, Rev. J. Elliott Slimp of the Christian Church was the speaker. The Presbyterian
Church’s announcement of the service included, “This will be our last
opportunity to hear Rev. Slimp as he concludes his pastorate in Idaho Falls
Sunday. Let’s make this union gathering a splendid testimonial of our
appreciation of Brother Slimp’s past services in our city.”[6]
In 1926, six Sunday evening union services were held in July
and August.[7]
Union summer Sunday evening service series were held
throughout the 1920s and 1930s and often included the host church’s choir or a
combined choir, occasionally guest speakers from out of town, and song services. Announcements for these services indicated
that they were appreciated for the fellowship they provided. For example, an announcement of the Baptist
Church in 1937 included, “It is a real privilege to fellowship with the wider
range of Christian friends in the union services which are being conducted in
this city.”[8]
The first of four outdoor services in 1944 featured a
speaker from Boise, Dr. Irving Gaines Roddy, pastor of the First Baptist
church of Boise, and noted that Dr. Roddy was a member of the New York bar before
going into the ministry, a trustee of Linfield college, a member of the board
of directors of the American Baptist Foreign Mission society and the author of
several books. He spoke on the subject “The Christian Church in This Age.”[9]
While in recent years these summer union services have
largely been replaced by individual churches holding services at Tautphaus Park,
Freeman Park or in their parking lots or on their lawns, as late as June 28, 2020,
six Idaho Falls churches held a joint worship service.[10] These as well as joint Thanksgiving services,
Holy Week services, prayer gatherings and other types of meetings[11]
have provided fellowship with, participation in and understanding of the larger
body of Christ in Idaho Falls.
[1] Idaho
Register, June 20, 1885 p. 4.
[2] The
Idaho Register, June 30, 1899, p. 5.
[3] The
Idaho Register, July 11, 1902 p 5.
[4] The
Idaho Register, August 1, 1902 p 5.
[5] The
Idaho Register, July 22, 1913, p 1.
[6] Idaho
Falls Daily Post, July 6, 1923, p. 2.
[7] The
Times-Register, July 16, 1926 p 8.
[8] The
Post-Register, August 6, 1937, p. 7.
[9] The
Post-Register, July 20, 1944, p. 9.
[10]
Jesus in Idaho Falls email, May 24, 2020.
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