A new building was built in the early 1850's. It was heated by two pot-belly stoves. New members were taken to the "deep hole" of Ursa Creek to be baptized.

     In 1892 a lot of remodeling was done including two Sunday School classrooms, stained glass windows, a large kerosene chandelier in the Sanctuary and later, a baptistery was added. Water was hauled in stock tanks to fill the baptistery. During the winter months, Harry Cory, Jack Jordan, and John Grimes would take pieces of iron to nearby homes, heat them hot, and then rush them back and throw them in the baptistery.

     For Communion the unleavened bread was baked each Sunday and handled similarly, but the wine was kept in a pitcher on the communion table. It was poured into two silver chalices and passed to the congregation.

     Sunday School was at 10 a.m. Communion followed, even though church services were held only on the first and third Sundays of the month. The young people received little attention until a Christian endeavor was organized in 1918. Mrs. Mary Tout was a long-time leader. Mrs. Anna Frazier was Sunday School Superintendent for twenty-five years.

     Men of the church excavated a small basement room to hold a new furnace and coal bin about 1918. This room also held a small generator for lights. In 1932, the women of the Willing Helpers Society saved about $3,300 from quilting, bazaars and Thanksgiving Day dinners. The church needed repairs and if they would build a new building they could have the money. A local contractor, Virgil Baker, agreed to build the church for $6,000, as long as he could have the old lumber and church members would donate labor. The first service was held Easter Sunday, 1933.

     L. C. Mauck was an evangelist who came to the church in November 1920 to conduct Fall Meetings. He became the permanent minister in 1921, a position he held for twenty years.

      William Herod was the minister in 1941, when full time services began. Ruth Nicklin became minister in 1943. She was the first ordained woman pastor at Ursa Christian Church. She led a parsonage building project, which was completed from volunteer labor in 1947. The first person to live in it was Waldo Adams.

     The first person to be ordained from the church was Eugene Frazier, son of Norman and Esther, in 1950. In 1962, Ronald Frazier, son of Kenneth and Pauline Frazier, was also ordained in the Ursa Christian Church. In more recent years Allen Shriver, son of Russell and Mary Kay Shriver, was ordained on March 12, 1995. Dennis Voth, son of Doris and Dick Voth, was ordained on July 1, 2005. Rita Grimes Allen, is attending seminary at Phillips Theological Seminary in Oklahoma. Rita grew up in the Ursa Christian Church and married an Ursa pastor, Rev. Steve Allen. She is the daughter of Jean and Morris Grimes.

     The church was damaged by lightning in September, 1959 causing considerable damage. In 1954, the Add-A-Couple Class sponsored a Bell Tower Fund. When it was completed it was 36 feet tall and used the old bell. In 1960, a newsletter was started and functional committees were organized. In 1980, the Parsonage was remodeled and some rooms were added. In 1981, The B-1-2 Class headed fund-raising to add shutters to the parsonage. There were stained glass windows, and baptistery doors added to the sanctuary that depicted many biblical scenes. Most recently the church has air conditioning, remodeled the kitchen,  and added carpet to the basement as well as painting the basement and several classrooms. The parsonage got new carpeting and a deck put on the back of the house. The entryway is now enclosed . The Boy Scout Troop #70 of Ursa Christian, has had two boys dedicate their Eagle Scouts projects to the church.  The prayer garden was built by Josh Palmer in front of the church building. A church member, Greg Huckstep, erected a flagpole to accompany the prayer garden.

     During 175 years six constitutions have been drafted, 1926, 1961, 1980, 1983, 1994, and 2004. The church was incorporated in 1980.

Pastors that have served are:
     Stephen Ruddell, Jess Bowles, John Clare,
     Rev. Yates, Rev. Powell, Rev. Knight, W. M.
     Roe, Rev. Hendrickson, Rev. Daniels, Lewis
     Hatchett, Revs. Rhodes and Kincaid, Frank
     Nichols, L. C. Mauck, William Herod, Ruth
     Nicklin, Waldo Adams, Arnett Winn, Paul
     Stewart, Robert Clark, Don Whitehead,
     Warren Turner, Lee Anthony, Roy Miller,
     Harvey Wilfred, Stephen Fisher, Steve
     Allen, Douglas Moore, Marty Hermanstorfer,
     and Linda Hunsaker.

Notable Interim Ministers:
     Tom Allen, Edward Sawyer, Leland Beck,
     Bob Williams, John Foster, E. P. Schaich,
     Roy Griggs, Bill McDermett and Charles Harris.

     During Arnet Winn's ministry the two youth groups, women's and men's fellowships were formed. An electric organ was purchased. A new educational wing was added under the watch of Paul Stewart. A baptistery was built behind the chancel. Under Linda Hunsaker's ministry, the LOGOS youth program was started and a contemporary worship service has been added to our current worship services.

     In 1976 the church honored ministers and their wives who have come from the congregation. 
The honored were:
     Ruth Isaacson Kuntz, Shirley Nichols Elliot,
     Wanda Frazier Brown, Eugene Frazier,
     Ronald Frazier, Kent Grimes.

     Helen Steinman, longtime organist, was honored in 1974 for her forty plus years of service. In 1993 Martha Muegge and Myrna Mixer were honored with Organist Appreciation Sunday.

     The church is very proud of its heritage and intends to maintain its high standards. As in 1879 it is recognized as one of the leading religious institutions in Adams County. The work of the church continues as they serve the residents of Ursa and the surrounding area, the country and our world ministering in the Name of Christ.

[History of Ursa Christian Church used with permission from Rev. Linda Hunsaker.]

Please visit the Ursa Christian Church website.