The minister of Tenth St. Methodist Church, Rev. J. Ritchie Briggs, ceased believing in a literal hell and had other problems with the Methodist hierarchy. Twelve followers signed Articles of Incorporation on March 21, 1901, and filed them with the State of Texas on April 2, 1901, to become an independent church named The Methodist Church of Austin. Dr. Briggs then agreed to become the pastor of the group, and preached the first sermon on Easter at the Odd Fellows Hall on Congress Avenue.
The availability of funds and freedom for the local group led to association with the Congregational Conference of Texas and a change of name (in 1904) to First Congregational Church. A.O. Watson, an architect and member of the church, designed the building which was completed in 1906 at Ninth and Colorado St. Stained glass windows in the present building are a heritage from that building.
Reverend Dr. Briggs was a brilliant orator and beloved leader of the total community. He ministered to many persons who were rejected by other ministers. He became ill in 1914 and had to have assistants to aid him. The church lost members from its high of 250, and the leaders of thee church decided in 1921 to locate nearer the University of Texas. The land at 23rd and San Antonio was purchased, and a new building designed by Hugo Kuehne,an architect member, was dedicated on Dec. 9, 1925. The Rev. Almon Stevens was the assistant who became pastor on Dr. Briggs" death on June 18, 1925. He resigned on July 1, 1924 because of ill health.
The Reverend Ruel P. Snider assumed his duties as minister in January of 1925. He emphasized work with students at the University of Texas. The Congregational Conference of Texas considered establishing a Bible Chair but never accomplished this goal. Mr. Snider left on Dec. 2, 1928 for a church at Hilo, Hawaii.
On Sept. 1, 1929, Rev. S. E. Frost became the minister. Emphasis on student participation continued with an open house on Friday with dancing, which caused dissent from older members. The Fellowship Players was organized and gave four one-act plays each year. When other churches in the area had similar groups, competitions were held. The church invited UT students who had no other church affiliation to attend services and established a special student membership category for them.
Rev. Frost was succeeded by Rev. S. Marcus Houge, who continued student ministry with an average attendance of 45 in the Fellowship Club. A group called Campus Critics, which discussed books on social, economic and political issues, was added to the program. Mr. Houge read Lenten Meditations on KNOW Radio and was asked to continue by popular demand. The Easter service that year was highlighted by the refurbished chancel and the addition of a Junior Choir in new vestments made by the women of the church. The church began a unified church service which was performed at an annual picnic with the San Antonio Congregational Church. A united service with University Presbyterian Church was started. Meetings in the church were concerned with civil liberties, natural resources, taxation, amendments to the Texas Constitution, U.S.non-involvement in the next war, and extension and encouragement of Militarism (which led to campaigning against the establishment of an R.O.T.C. unit on the campus). The young people of the church started going to church camp at Cratervijle, Okla. Leadership was given to co-operative student groups. The Rev. Houge left in the summer of 1940 for Westwood Congregational Church in West Los Angeles where he is still the minister.
Rev. Milton Maxwell was called in 1940 and continued the program already begun with steady growth and development. Unitarian, Community, Quaker, Union and Protestant students were invited to a special dinner. Some topics of disucssion were: 1. Support of the Committee for War Victims, 2. Research on ways and means of raising the nutritional level of residents of Austin and Texas, 3. Search for more adequate medical care for residents of Austin and Travis County, M. Study of the recommendations made by the Governor's Commission on Improving Public Education in the State of Texas. Some social projects were:1. A low cost diet class of ten sessions held in the church kitchen, 2. The Pilgrim Fellowship held joint meetings with students from Tillotson College, 3. A Community Canning Center was established in the kitchen; however, a Sunday American-Statesman article attracted too many participants. Church interest was indicated by an average attendance of 99 with an oversubscribed budget in 1944. Rev. Maxwell left in August 1916 to teach at Washington State College.
The Rev. Fred Cole began as minister on Jan. 1 l946 after graduating from Vanderbilt Seminary. He continued the strong student emphasis with Unitarians, E and R, Congregational, and those with progressive backgrounds working together. A large turnover of the faculty at UT in a faculty-administration struggle deprived the church of some of its major financial support, and payments to the Church Building Society were suspended and outside aid was received. A 1948 study of University Community Church (name changed under Mark Houge in June of 1959) was made with these findings: "The Austin Church is the most liberal of Texas churches and has a much more transient membership and attendance than our average church. The average attendance of 90 in l947 is above average for a church of this size. Church school attendance of 75 had 30 in the children's department, with 45 in the two students and adult groups."
A basement was excavated under the Fellowship Room (then the Student Lounge) with volunteer workers removing the dirt by buckets and wheelbarrows.A room of about 27' by 27' provided additional space for church school and fellowship dinners. Pilgrim Guild, a second women's group, was formed for women who could only meet at night. Fred Cole left to pastor the Congregational Church in Coral Gables, Fla., where he served until his death a few years ago.
The Rev. A. B. Miller arrived on July 1, 1950 after graduating from Yale Divinity School. A new parsonage had been built on a lot donated by J.M. Kuehne and the Millers were its first occupants. The Lutheran Campus Ministry began in the old parsonage beside the church but the building was later used for a child care establishment. Rev. Miller taught at Huston-Tillotson College and was Executive Secretary to the Austin Council of Churches.
The name of the church was changed on March 28, 1951 to The Congregational Church of Austin. Some members left the church to start a separate Unitarian church. A member of The Congregational Church of Austin left a legacy to the Unitarian church which paid for its present building. Student work and social emphasis continued and the church became financially self-supporting with some funds being furnished for student work. The Millers left in 1957 to pastor North Congregational Church in St. Johnsbury, Vt.
The Rev. William B. Mathews was the minister of the church from Nov. 1957 until January 1959. He arranged for leaders of the denomination to talk with the members about what changes could be made. The name change of Pilgrim United Church of Christ was rejected. Three Congregational leaders, Dr. Philip Widenhouse, Dr. Stanley North and Dr. John Scotford suggested worship area changes. These included painting the woodwork the same as the walls, removing the globes under the fans for floodlights located near the ceiling, and bringing the pulpit out of the recessed area to a place in front of the wall at a lower level. The members did not approve these suggestions, and drawings of renovations to the sanctuary were submitted to the Building Society which disapproved of them at first. However, by the time approval was received, church school space had become a priority. Rev. Dr. Das Kelly Barnett, who taught "Church and Society" at the Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest, supplied the pulpit, and the Rev. Frank Horak, who was working for a degree, provided student leadership. Dr. Kelly Barnett suggested as a possible pastor the present minister, John C. Towery, who arrived in September, 1959.
Work with the university students was done by students from the Episcopal and Presbyterian Seminaries. Black membership rose to about 11% of the church membership during the 60's (the first black member of the church joined during Rev. Miller's pastorate). The parsonage was a bit small for the Towery family, and the present parsonage was purchased in 1961 and later sold to Rev. Towery.
A legacy of a building on Lavaca St. by E. J. Krohn in the early 60's provided a basis for the new educational wing. A long study under the leadership of Richard P. Swallow, an architect and member of the church, resulted in plans for renovation of the old building and construction of the new wing. A Building Fund campaign over-subscribed the goal of $25,000 by over $4,000. Spiraling construction costs caused an abbreviation of the project. No renovation work on the old building was accomplished and only three floors of the new wing were completed. Dedication services were held on Sept. 28, 1969.
The church school grew for a period of time before leveling off in recent years. Donations to Our Christian World Mission increased with the church leading the Conference in per capita giving for many years. Short drama productions by the young people have replaced plays but continue an old tradition. Meetings on special topics have evolved through the years, with a guest speaker and a "talkback" session after the sermon. Working with a university psychology class, a program for runaways was housed in the church. The People’s Community Clinic took over this space and developed a medical service to the community.
In recent years the church members have done much of the work of painting, repairing, and cleaning and have now realized their earlier hopes with the complete renovation of the pastor's study.