AFTER having met for several years in private houses, on March 16, 1900, five class students gathered at a private residence in Montgomery and formed a church organization. Corporation papers were delivered to them March 27. The continuity of the spiritual idea has been proven in this field, as ever since finding a foothold in Montgomery, Christian Science has been demonstrating its power to heal sickness and sin. In April, 1900, as a result of faithful work done and an increase in membership, a hall in the business district, at 16½ South Perry street, was rented, in which to hold church services and to maintain a reading-room. At the first meeting, on Easter Sunday, nineteen persons were present, and the collection taken up that day was sent to The Mother Church, as a loving testimonial of their loyalty and devotion to the revered Leader and to the cause she had established.
Two or three years later, however, circumstances were such that several members withdrew from the church, and this, with other reasons, necessitated the engaging of a smaller hall for church purposes; but in spite of this apparent set-back, the healing work continued. As a result, enough new members were added so that in October, 1906, a return to the former hall was found advisable, and here both spiritual and numerical progress was manifested. The first contribution to The Mother Church building fund was given in 1903. After the completion of the extension of The Mother Church, this branch, which had been giving its building fund collection for this purpose, began to think definitely of an edifice of its own.
In the summer of 1909 a committee which had been serving in this capacity was empowered to select a suitable lot on which to erect the church building, and it was agreed upon to purchase a house and lot on High street, between Court and Perry, the present location of the church. This is one of the most desirable residential sections of the city, convenient to the car line and yet easy of access to the business district.
