Palouse Federated Church is an interdenominational Christian church born out of the coming together of the Methodist, Baptist and Presbyterian churches of Palouse, WA. Through the dedication, prayers and hard work of the congregants, lay leaders and pastors our church has been ministering in the community and world for over 80 years!
During, and after WWII, three small congregations in Palouse, WA were experiencing financial strains, aging facilities, and difficulties in finding consistent pastors. Instead of risking disbandment, leaders from the local Methodist, American Baptist, and Presbyterian congregations had many conversations about combining their churches. Even though the people from each denomination had “varied interests, ideas and ideals”, they eventually agreed to come together. A church constitution was formed and adopted. They found ways to honor these differences in a cooperative, collaborative manner. The Palouse Federated Church became a stronger organization that could focus on the work of the Lord. They originally intended to have a rotation of pastors from each denomination, but Mission Northwest, the regional organization of American Baptist Churches USA, became the primary denominational organization that could provide consistent pastors. The constitution said the focus of the Federated Church was to:
- Win people to faith in Jesus Christ
- To help them grow in grace and the knowledge of Christ
- To build the Kingdom of God
In 1947, the first Federated services were held in the Baptist church building, but by 1956 it was evident more room was needed. A new church was built on the North Hill of Palouse…debt-free! It was dedicated on May 5, 1957. It became known as the Palouse Federated Church.
Church foundational work held strong, and PFC continued to welcome those with “varied interests, ideas, and ideals”. Faith in Christ, God’s Grace, and the desire to build God’s Kingdom remained the central tenants.
Below are the names of the faithful pastors who have served this amazing congregation:
Don Aeischliman (1947-49)
Ralph Wood (1949-50)
Ed Dierksen (1950-52)
Marshall Campbell (1952-54)
Henry Jacobs, Interim (1954)
Vernon Kirstein (1954-1957)
Orville Taylor (1957-60)
Earnest Gates (1960-62)
Don Larson (1962-63)
Jim Cain (1964-67)
Elmer Hiebert (1968-71)
Gale O’Neil (1971-72)
Dave Roberts (1972-78)
Jim Rogers (1979-86)
John Seimers, Interim (1986-87)
Myrl Thiesies (1988-89)
Art Jacobson, Interim (1990)
Bill Johnson (1990-1994)
Norman Gano, Interim (1994-95)
Jack O’Neil, Interim (10/1/95-11/1/95)
John Sayers (1995-2002)
Paul Dumas, Interim (2002)
Tom Geshay, Interim (2003-2004)
Corey Laughary (2004-2025)
Rick Church, Interim (2025)
Andrew Kruse, current pastor