Our History
First Pastors, The Kulps
120+ Years of Ministry
For over a hundred years Woodland Church has ministered to the Battle Creek Community. Woodland began as a prayer group led by Rev. George Kulp in 1898, which met at at home that stood on the location of the original Horrock’s Market in downtown Battle Creek. The church was officially founded in 1899, with Rev. George Kulp as the very first pastor. In 1968, we became known as First Wesleyan Church. The name was changed to Woodland Church in 2019. There have been 3 physical locations for the church, as we have expanded and grown. We moved into our current location in the early 1980’s.
Fun Fact: Our early congregants rented space from a Lutheran Church (now Farley Funeral Home) for $12.50 per month until 1903 when the congregation agreed it was time to move to a space of their own. A lot was purchased for $1,980, after which the congregation raised $2,583 cash towards building costs for our first location. Among the contributions were three gold watches and five wedding rings!
First Location, 1899
Reaching a Community
The church has benefited from visionary pastoral leadership over the years. The body at Woodland has always been outreach oriented, fulfilling Christ’s command to go into all the world and make disciples by equipping the body for acts of service. One of our mottos in the 1980’s was:
“Bring them in, Sit them Down, Build them up, Send them out.”
Woodland has done this in a variety of ways over the years and has never shied away from trying new things. With our ever-changing world, we have used radio ministry, bus ministry (seen below), sports ministry, Christmas baskets, a living Christmas tree, drama productions, hosted a preschool, food pantries and the like to reach the lost, and meet needs in our community.
Kids picked up for church by the bus ministry, 1968
Generational Transformation
Woodland Church has been blessed with the opportunity to see generational transformation throughout our 120+ years of ministry. Our history has been marked by sacrifices, celebrations, challenges, victories, and heartache, but its people have remained focused and motivated by the call God has placed on us all to “go and make disciples…” (Matthew 28:19-20).
With the help of the Holy Spirit, one transformed life has the ability to transform a family, a community, and even our world! At Woodland, our mission is to point people not to the power of the four walls of the church, but to the life-transforming power of the Gospel and person of Jesus Christ!
It’s never too late to begin your story with Jesus.
Baptism service at Goguac Lake, 1960s
