Collister Community Church

Collister Community Church History

The Reverend E.N. Murphy organized two Sunday schools in 1910, one at Pierce Park and the other at Collister. Both communities were without a Sunday school or preaching services during this time.

In May of 1912, Dr. George Collister gave the land and a generous amount of cash to the Presbyterians to build a country church. At that time, the Collister area was all farm country. Dr. Collister had this provision: The church was to be of brick to cost not less than $2,500 and to be completed on or before January 1, 1913. The generous offer was this: If the above request is carried out, "I will deed you the lots on which to build the church and give you a specified amount of cash, and if you still owe anything on the building at the time of it's dedication, I will help you raise the money that it may be dedicated free of debt."

The offer was accepted by the presbytery of Boise and the present building was erected and dedicated free of debt on November 3, 1912. The total finished cost with equipment was $3,500.

The Presbytery assembly held services for many years but eventually outgrew the building and around 1940, the building was abandoned.

Local farmers then used the empty building to store hay until a brother in Christ named Ken Reese held a gospel tent meeting in Boise. At the close of the meetings, a group of 20 to 30 people wanted to continue studying the Bible. They found the abandoned church building was for sale and it was being considered by someone who wanted to make it into a bar (or tavern) but the Lord had another plan!

Bother Ken and this small group of believers made an offer of $3,500 which was accepted and the transaction was completed in 1945.
The building was in bad disrepair, hay was stored in it and animals wandered in and out. With all donated labor it was renovated and used by the small group for church services and bible study and was known as "Collister Bible Hall" (As shown in picture above).

Ken Reese built a small two bedroom house on the west side of the church property and lived there for many years. He also built a home for his mother on the east side of the church property,

In the late 1960's the present fellowship area and kitchen were added to the west side of the church using donated funds and labor.

In the mid 1970's the name was changed to "Collister Community Church". Sermon responsibilities were rotated among several brothers in Christ including Ken Reese, John Church (former Boise Chief of police), Mark Lynn, Phil Lynn, Corbett Lynn, Carl Struthers (Carl's Cycle), Bob Klein, and Ken Reese.

In 1990, Corbett Lynn became the full time pastor of Collister Community Church and soon the church began the ministry to get the gospel message out to the masses. Funded entirely by donations, Collister Community church has spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ by billboard and Television commercials seen throughout Idaho and Eastern Oregon.

The present congregation has outgrown the little church building built almost 93 years ago and has just completed building a new 300 seat sanctuary attached to the west side of the existing fellowship building.

Our first service in the new sanctuary was held October 2, 2005.

Historical information taken from Idaho Statesman and former members of the Collister Bible Hall.