CHURCH HISTORY
There was a church called the Presbyterian Church of the Siuslaw which was organized in 1889 and dedicated in 1892. The founding pastor was the Reverand Albert Robinson. Sometime between 1920 and 1926, the membership dropped and the building fell into disrepair. The building, which was located at the site of the present Florence City Hall, was burned and dismantled. The church bell was given to the school system. From 1926 to 1981 there was no organized Presbyterian presence in Florence.
In July 1981, an organizational meeting was held to start a new Presbyterian church. This meeting consisted of eleven participants and founding Pastor, the Reverand Dr. William H. Bos. After consideringseveral locations that might be suitable for gathering to worship, Lane Community College was chosen.
Thirty-one people attended the first worship service on August 16, 1981. The congregation operated as a branch of the United Presbyerian Church in Reedsport. The church was then named Florence Community Church, United Presbyterian.
On April 15, 1984 the church received its charter from the Presbytery of the Cascades with sixty-one charter members. At that time, the name of the church was formally changed to Presbyterian Church of the Siuslaw. The church facility at its present location was completed and dedicated in Spetember 1986. The new sanctuary and expanded facilities were dedicated in March 1995. The last mortgage payment was made in March 2007 and a mortgage burning celebration was held in June 2007. Since then, the church has been served by a number of pastors:
Rev. Dr. William H. Bos (founding pastor) 1981-1985 Rev. Susan Goddin (interim) 2004-2005
Rev. Richard K. Smith 1985-1987 Rev. Dr. C. Montee Kennedy 2005-2013
Rev. William C. Koch 1987-1996 Rev. Steve Knowles (interim) 2013-2015
Rev. Beverly Crow (interim) 1997-1998 Rev. Greg Wood 2015-2026
Rev. Dr. Michael Moxness 1998-2004
On July 16, 2023, The Presbyterian Church of the Siuslaw congregation voted to change the name of the church to Presbyterian Community Church to honor a request made by the local Siuslaw Tribe and recognize the land the church is planted on.
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