Bangor Churches

The first known missionary to server the Bangor area was Father Louis Baroux who came to the region in 1874. Mass was celebrated in the homes whenever a priest was available. Bangor, along with South Haven and Grand Junction, was a mission of St. Augustine's in Kalamazoo.
  Father O'Toole obtained permission from Bishop Gallagher of Detroit for the 32 Bangor families to build a church but but it had to be dept-free. In 1924 the building on southeast corner of Center and Douglas Streets was dedicated as Sacred Heart Church. 

It was 1932 before the mission achieved the status of a parish with a resident priest, Father Michael Sajnaj.
  On October 14, 1956 a new school building, which also housed a temporary church, was dedicated. On September 3, 1957 the Sister of St. Joseph opened the Bangor Sacred Heart School to ninety-nine pupils. In 1967 the school was closed.
  In August 1970 the parish received permission to hire an architect and plan a new church to be connected to the existing school building. On Dec. 14, 1973 the first mass was said in the new church. Father James O'Leary was then pastor of the church of the church.

Simpson United Methodist Church
Joy Street and Morrison Avenue
  The Methodist Society, consisting of 45 members, was organized in 1865 at the old red school house, which stood on the bank of Maple Creek in the southwest past of the village of Bangor. The leader of this organization was Rev. William Paddock, who was one of the early Circuit Riders.
  Under the leadership of Rev. Paddock, the first church building was erected in Bangor, on the north Side of Black River in 1868.
   The Methodists lost their church by foreclosure of the Mortgage in 1870.

They later purchased the lot where the church is now located and built another church home there in 1873. This building was moved around and extensively added to in 1923. In 1958 an educational unit was added.
  The church celebrated its centennial in 1973 by building a new structure and dedicating it in August that year. The educational unit was retained when the old church building was demolished, and is now a part of the new unit.
  Rev. Charles D. McNary served the church as pastor from June, 1970, until June 1977. Rev. Larry Higgins was appointed as the new minister.

The church was founded December 18, 1882. Reverend Ablert B Cochran, of Centralia, Kansas, was the first pastor. The first church building was erected in 1885.
  A fellowship Hall was added to the original building in 1953; a Sunday School annex in 1961; a new entrance and cloak room in 1963; and a choir room and boiler additions in 1969.
  The present membership is 167. John C. Willis, who began his pastorate in September of 1960 is the present minister.

The Bangor Christian Science Society located at the corner of Monroe and Morrison Streets had its beginning through the efforts of Mrs. Bianca Durham, who made a house-to-house canvass of the village in 1910, inviting any and all interested in Christian Science to her home for services. In January, 1911, the Christian Science Society was organized with 16 charter members. One month later, the Church of God chapel at the east end of Washington Street was rented and the first meeting is a public building was held on February 26, 1911.
  Several years later, the Christian Scientists bought the chapel and in 1925 moved it to its resent location. Through the generous contributions of members and friends of the Society, the building has been completely remodeled.
  Messrs. Clifford Perkins and Kenneth Overton are First and Second Readers and Mrs. Donna Overton is soloist.

  Bangor Free Methodist Church
105 Division Street
  December 5, 1946, marks the anniversary of the organization of the Bangor Free Methodist Church. At that time only one small Free Methodist Church was in operation - at South Haven. The Noack family, and others, has long been praying that a Free Methodist Church be formed in Bangor. A Sunday School has been loosely gathered in 1946. The annual Conference convening that year at Spring Arbor, Michigan, appointed Leonard Soldan as supply minister at Bangor.
  In the beginning, services were held in the parsonage on the corner of Douglas and Division. On November 13, 1949, a modest cinder block building just behind the parsonage was dedicated
  In 1954 Rev. H.L. Newland was appointed as pastor. During his ministry the church experienced its greatest growth, with a membership of 55 and an average attendance in Sunday school of 165 by 1958. The major part of the construction of a new church structure was attached to the original building. The church structure and furnishing of the chapel were completed during the tenure of Rev. Earl McDonald. 

A unique project of the Bangor Church has been the construction of the pews for the sanctuary. A local land owner and friend of the church donated a stand of fine red oak trees for the lumber. A local customer cabinet maker pledged his time to design and build the pews. The logs were cut, skinned, rough sawed at a local mill and kiln dried at the local piano manufacturing firm. Members and friends of the church assembled the pews and placed them in the sanctuary. Ladies of the church made the pads.
  During the first year of the present pastor's appointment, J.A. Carpenter, a memorial fund was donated to the church for refurbishing the chapel area. This memorial came from the estate of Edna Wright, a precious member of the Bangor Free Methodist Church for many years.
  This brief history can never tell the labors, prayers, and sacrifices of the members and friends of Bangor Free Methodist Church. And, Because of these continuing labors, the Bangor community has in its midst a lighthouse of hope to look to, and a bulwark of strength to lean upon.

This first Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Bangor was located on the corner of First and High Streets. It was the former Bangor Town School House. On May 5, 1966 work on the construction of a new church was begun. The new church is located on M-43 west of Bangor. The new facilities provide a spacious sanctuary with a seating capacity of over 140 people, children's rooms, and a large fellowship hall. Dedication and open house for a new church were held on April 6 & 7th, 1968. The minister at that time was D.J. Gettys. The present minister is Allen Lincoln.

Division & Joy Street
  The Bangor Bible Church started as Calvary Church on December 4, 1932 in  the G.A.R. Hall (a building formerly across the tracks from Jerry's Barber Shop).
  In 1933 they moved into what is now Jerry's Barber Shop and changed the name to Bangor Gospel Mission. In 1941 they bought the dining hall of the Park Resort, moved it to the present site on Division Street, and remolded it. The name was then changed to Bangor Bible Church.
  The first minister was Rev. George Sheets. No replacement has been found for Fredrick A. Sharp, the last minister to serve the church.

115 E. Monroe
  Trinity Lutheran Church was founded chiefly by Lutherans who had moved to Bangor to operate Du-Wel Manufacturing plant.
  On September 7, 1952, Pastor W. Westendorf of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in South Haven began holding services in Bangor Town Hall. On October 20,1956 Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church was formally organized and became a mission church of Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. Pastor Westendorf served the church from South Haven until August, 1958 when Paul Hoenecke became the first resident pastor.
  In August, 1960, a church was completed on a 5-acre tract of land on east city limits of Bangor. The parsonage is on the same tract.
  Pastor Edward Schaewe served at Trinity 1967 - 1974. Pastor Roy Rose has served the church since 1974.
  In September, 1975, a Christian Day School began in the church's fellowship hall. Miss Jan Christianson teaches children in grade K-8.

New Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church

County Road 681
Starting out as a prayer band of six members meeting in the home of Mrs. Simiel Mae Brundidge, the group organized as a church on April 13, 1967, with twelve adult members. Rev. McGee was the minister.
On January 5, 1967, the church adopted the name New Jerusalem and choose Rev. Henry Bland, the present minister, as their pastor.
They built a church on County Road 681, about one and a half miles north of Bangor, and held their first service in this building on May 25, 1970.
Mrs. Simiel Mae Brundidge, who was largely responsible for getting the church started, served as the Superintendent of the Sunday School until just recently.
A men's quartette, the Harmony Gospel Singers, directed by Bill Coates, sings regularly at the church services. They also sing at other church gatherings in the area.
The church now has over forty members.

Faith Tabernacle

High & First Streets
Faith Tabernacle started out about 1966 in the building which was formerly the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Rev. Mock was the first minister.
In October, 1976, the name was changed to International Pentecostal Church of Christ. Rev. Dillard Cupp is the pastor. The church has a member of about thirty.