After the railroad was completed in 1923, we became an “out station,” served by Nenana based Presbyterian missionaries who traveled by rail.

In February 1935, Presbytery recognized the need for pastoral leadership in the growing Matanuska Valley, noting there were already 100 people without regular religious oversight. The Rev. Bert Bingle, pastor of Cordova, was appointed missionary for a three-year term. Known as the “railroad minister,” he traveled to the area about once a month, and congregants attended worship in Palmer, as Wasilla had no church at the time.

By the summer of 1946, as the Fairview-Knik area opened for homesteading, the community recognized the need for an organized church. Weekly services were held at 9:00 a.m. in the Wasilla Community Hall (now the Wasilla Museum). The first congregational meeting followed in March 1947, with Dorothy Nelson, James Pendleton, and Harold Dinkel being appointed to the church constitution committee.

In those early years, the congregation worshiped in various locations and found creative ways to fund a permanent building—most memorably through farming potatoes. Martin Olsen donated an acre of land, known as “The Lord’s Acre,” with proceeds dedicated to the church’s future home. Even then, the church committed 10% of its offerings to post–World War II European relief.

The church building was largely constructed through donated time and materials, allowing the first regular worship service to be held on January 14, 1951. Aside from the organ and makeshift pews of planks on cement blocks, the building was unfurnished. With no telephones and roads often poor or nonexistent, attending church required perseverance—but the congregation remained faithful.

Originally named the Wasilla Community Church, the congregation later chose a new name as other churches formed in the area. When asked, Elder Esther Hanson replied simply that it should be “the First Presbyterian Church of Wasilla—because we were the first Presbyterians here.”

In January 1972, the church became fully self-supporting. Two years later, recognizing the need for space to support future growth, the congregation once again became nomadic, meeting in City Hall, the museum, Wasilla Realty, and the Krenik Building. The new church facility held its first service on April 24, 1983, and we have been worshipping here every since.

From this foundation of faith and service, ministries such as the Mat-Su Council on Alcoholism and the Mat-Su Valley Habitat for Humanity emerged—both with lasting impact in the community.

As we near our 80th year, we celebrate a legacy built by faithful hands and look ahead with hope, ready for the next chapter God has prepared for us.