Christianity in Omaha, Nebraska facts for kids
Christianity has played a big part in shaping Omaha, Nebraska, ever since the city started in 1854. Churches in Omaha have not only offered religious guidance but have also helped lead important social and community efforts over the years.
History of Faith in Omaha
The very first sermon in Omaha was given in 1854 by Peter Cooper, a Methodist from England. He ran a quarry in the city. Most of the sixteen people who attended lived in nearby Council Bluffs, Iowa. Within six months, Omaha had a regular Methodist "circuit rider," a preacher who traveled to different places to hold services. These early services were held at the territorial capitol building.
The Omaha Claim Club gave two plots of land for the Methodists to build a church. Soon after, other Christian groups like Baptists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Episcopalians, and Roman Catholics also started churches. Catholics dedicated St. Philomena's Cathedral in 1856. The entire Creighton family, including Edward, his wife Mary, and his brother John, strongly supported the Catholic Church.
A pioneer banker named Augustus Kountze helped start the first Lutheran church west of the Missouri River. It was first called Immanuel Lutheran Church and was located downtown. In the 1880s, it was renamed Kountze Memorial Lutheran Church after Kountze's father.
Many political leaders in the 1900s were Episcopalians. St. John's African Methodist Episcopal Church, started in 1867, was the first church for African Americans in Nebraska.
Edward and Lizzie Robinson founded the first Church of God in Christ congregation in Nebraska. This happened in North Omaha in 1916. A respected United Methodist Bishop named John Louis Nuelsen worked in the Omaha area from 1908 to 1912. The Notre Dame Academy and Convent in the Florence neighborhood was closely connected to the Czech community of Omaha. This lasted from its founding in the 1920s until it closed in the 1970s.
In 1936, a government survey on religion found that Protestants were the largest religious group in the city. Among Protestants, Lutherans were the biggest denomination. Roman Catholics from different parts of Europe had formed churches throughout South Omaha. These included churches for people from Latvia, Poland, Germany, and the Czech Republic.
In 1953, Hanscom Park United Methodist Church gained national attention. Its pastor started a support group for Methodist ministers. St. Cecilia Cathedral, the main Catholic church for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha, is famous for its beautiful Spanish Renaissance Revival style. It took 54 years to build in the city's Gold Coast Historic District. A 1966 documentary about an Omaha church, called A Time for Burning, was nominated for an Academy Award. The film was added to the 2005 National Film Registry list, which preserves important films.
Church Buildings and Design
Several churches in Omaha have very special architecture. Eleven of the city's churches have been named Omaha Landmarks or are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Calvin Memorial Presbyterian Church is known as a great example of the Neo-Classical Revival style of architecture. Holy Family Catholic Church is the oldest Catholic Church still standing in Omaha. Zion Baptist Church, an early Black church in the city's Near North Side neighborhood, is in a building designed by the famous architect Clarence W. Wigington.
Churches Today
Churches in Omaha continue to make a difference in the city. In the 1960s and 70s, Holy Family Catholic Church was seen as a center for social change. Former United Methodist minister and district superintendent Lowen Kruse has served as a Nebraska state senator since 2001.
In 2007, some churches protested a planned speech by author Anne Lamott at Creighton University. This led the university to cancel her appearance. However, a group of other churches then invited Lamott to speak. She gave her talk at the Holland Performing Arts Center instead. Lamott was so impressed by this action that she did not charge any speaking fees.
Other churches in the city have been active in groups like Nebraskans for Peace and Habitat for Humanity. Rev. Kenneth Vavrina, a priest at St. Richard's Catholic Church, has spoken out to help calm racial tension in Omaha.
Omaha has also had many churches that are no longer active. These include Pearl Memorial United Methodist Church and Lowe Avenue Presbyterian Church.
