Worship Schedule
8:15-9:00 Early Worship
9:15-10:10 Praise Worship
(9:15 Sunday School)
10:30  Worship
Nursery Care from 9:10-11:40

        History of GPUCC

A group of 26 people led by Rev. Carl Hildebrand met Sept. 5, 1927 to organize what became Garfield Park Evangelical Church, meeting first in Druid Hall on South Meridian Street in Indianapolis. The land for the church was purchased from Mrs. August Seyfried and used materials (lumber, brick and sltate roofing) were secured from the razing of the Shortridge High School building. The cornerstone was laid in July, 1928. The organ came from Zaring Theater, the chairs from the Shortridge HS Auditorium and an altar from St. Paul's Evangelical Church. In November 1929 a parade moved the location from the Druid Hall to the completed church at the present location (though smaller).

Rev. Norman Schultz became pastor in April, 1934. He would serve 41 years as pastor of GPUCC. He was ordained into the Evangelical church in April, 1935. In 1946 the church was remodeled, which moved the altar and organ from the West end of the sanctuary to the East end. It was again remodeled in 1949. In 1955 two additional lots to the South were purchased with a house being converted to the "annex". In 1959 an extensive remodeling and addition took place, moving the focus of the sanctuary to the present location in the south, plus the first education facilities.

Mrs. Dorothy Knop "calls in" people for lunch at a fundraising tent at the Indiana State Fair in 1940. 

Twice the church has been involved in mergers of the national church organization. First, the Evangelical Church merged with the Reformed church to become the  E&R Church. Then, in 1957, the E&R merged with the Congregational Church to form the United Church of Christ. Rev. Schultz retired Sept. 15, 1974. He was followed by Pastor Victor Schoen, then Rev. John Will and, in 1985, Pastor Tom Blossom. Rev. Paul Frankenfeld was called as the Visitation Minister after retiring from a long career as the Senior Pastor of St. John's UCC in Michigan City, IN in 1987. 

After Rev. Paul Frankenfeld retired for the second time at the end of 2002, the church leaders studied how the church could expand its outreach to more completely fulfill the New Testament call to go out and make new believers. The result was the call of a full-time Associate Pastor, Mark Radke.        

Sarah Blossom, daughter of Pastor Tom Blossom, became the first person ordained from Garfield Park UCC since the 1960s on August 13, 2006. After spending much her childhood in Garfield Park UCC, she served as our Christian Education Director prior to her entry into Christian Theology Seminary. 

Pastors of Garfield Park UCC:

          Rev. Carl Hildebrand
          Rev. Theodore Schory
          Rev. Harold Halfter
          Rev. Titus Lehman
          Rev. Norman Schultz  1935-1974
          Rev. Victor Schoen 1974-1984
          Rev. John Will 1984
          Rev. Tom Blossom 1985 - Current
          Rev. Paul Frankenfeld (Visitation Pastor)  1987 - 2002
          Rev. Mark Radke (Associate Pastor) 2004 - Current