Aurora Presbyterian Church has a rich history.
Our church was established in 1888 as a Sunday school for children with classes in the Old Aurora Grade School. By 1904, a congregation had formed, and they chartered as Presbyterian. The church building was constructed in 1911. In 1932 the state put a highway through Aurora, and the building was relocated to its current location on Liberty Street. The charm of the outside of the “little white church” follows to the inside where the sanctuary contains the original 1860’s pews from the Colony Church and a 1915 Hinners Organ which was installed in 1992. In the upstairs bathroom, one can pull the rope to ring the church’s original bell.
APC has been a part of the Presbyterian denomination since 1904. We stand in a long tradition of Presbyterians who strive to connect the life of the mind with the love of the heart and do all things for the glory of God. However, the denomination is a “big tent” with people from many backgrounds with diverse understandings of who Jesus is and what it means to be a Christian. Yet in our great diversity we all agree that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior. As Presbyterians we believe we are just one expression of the Christian faith and seek to partner with all Christians everywhere.
In 2016 we completed a Mission Study to help us define identity and mission. We invite you to discover what we have discovered about ourselves in the Aurora Mission Study Report. The mission of the congregation is, “Seeking to deepen our love of God as revealed in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit by inviting one and all to worship, to study, to serve, and to share God’s love with each other and our community.”
Over the years, the church has at times had part-time ministers and been yolked to other congregations in the area, sharing with Gervais Presbyterian Church, Butteville Community
Church, and Hubbard United Church of Christ. In 2003, Aurora Presbyterian called a full-time Presbyterian pastor, Rev. Paul Belz-Templeman. Pastor Paul left in June 2015 to become the Stated Clerk of the Presbytery of the Cascades. The Rev. Bill Taylor served as Interim Pastor from November 2015- June 2017. In July 2017, Aurora Presbyterian Church called Rev. Amber Slate as their three-quarter time pastor.