About Us

Homedale Friends Community Church was first located in Homedale on West Montana and Third Street. The church was remodeled  in 1958 in which the bell tower was repurposed as a staircase leading to new class rooms in a new second story. The Friends Community Church moved to its current location in 2006. The original bell was installed at the new location keeping a wonderful piece of history alive.

• 1905 Sunday School was organized by the Cowans and Tracies under the Methodist denomination, a preaching service when a preacher would come. Eventually we had a circuit preacher biweekly.
• 1912 The new four-room brick schoolhouse was built, and it was the location of services.
• 1914 We bought a church building in Caldwell, and it was moved to what is now First Street West and Washington Avenue.
• 1914-23 Deaconess Billie Fergenson, Mr. Merril, Reverend Fabian, Mr. Lamb, and Reverend Martin were some of the pastors during this period. Sometime during this time, the church was moved to the corner of West Montana and Third Avenue, as the first was too sandy. At this time, we were under the Methodist Church but known as the Community Church.
• 1930  First record since 1923 is that of a Pastor Ellis.
• 1932 Reverend Sister Payne lived in the church basement and may have preached at Wilder.
• 1939  (Friends Church begins) The property was purchased for $1,200. The group attending felt a need for reorganization. A Lutheran pastor preached several months, but we were unable to come to terms with this denomination. Several of the attendees were of the Friends belief and so it was decided to ask the Greenleaf Meeting to help organize us as a Friends Community Church where all denominations could participate. Six faiths were represented. Louis McConnel and Carl McKain served as pastors until September when George Moore and Evelyn Mary Isabel came. Plans were started to build a parsonage with funds raised by the sale of donations, borrowed money and all the labor was donated.
• 1940 A year's probation is over, and we set up the meeting under the leadership of Everett Leonard Craven on October 13.
• 1942  Oral Tish substituted until the Mady’s came in September.
• 1944  Clynton and Marjorie Crisman ministered for four years.
• 1949 Ridgeview Church decided to join us, and this strengthened us considerably. During these years many improvements came.
• 1950  Clare and Edna Willcuts and family came from Kansas in August.
• 1953 All improvements were made, and the building was dedicated debt free. Deawn Gregory gave the dedicatory address.
• 1954  Williard Kennon began pastoring on September 1.
• 1959  Ground was broken for a new addition for Sunday School classrooms. Elmer Mitchell was in charge and received much donated labor.
• 1961  Irwin and Zerilda Algers came in August from Hayden Lake.
• 1965  Quincy and Eileen Fodge came in August.
• 1969  Clare and Edna Willcuts returned in July.
• 1976  Harvey and Terri Boan came to us in October from California.
• 1980  Kenneth and Rosalie Pitts left retirement to join us in July.
• 1986  Rob and Betty King joined us from Woodland.
• 1990  Colin and Janine Saxton came.
• 1994  John and Betty Jean Penrose and family came.
• 1997 John Beck and wife came from Booker, Texas. It was during this time that the church building on Montana Ave was sold and in a leap of faith a new building was built across the river on a piece of property purchased from Duane Root and now sits at its current location, 17474 Highway 95, Wilder, ID. The new church was completed in 2006.
• 2009 Carl and Sheri Bennett and family came. Carl passed away after a short time due to a 10-year battle with cancer.
• 2011  Luke and Heidi Ankeney and family came in October.
• 2017-19 The church spent this time without a pastor and utilized the people of the church. This was a trying but good time of rebuilding and recognizing God’s many blessings.
• 2019 Pastors, Scott and Kim Morin came in May from Woodland, Washington.
• 2025 Construction on the church basement resumed.