ZION UNITED EVANGELICAL REFORMED CHURCH THE LITTLE CHURCH WITH A BIG HEART 6347 S. INTERSTATE 35 WACO, TEXAS 254-662-0579 EMAIL US AT ZIONWACO@YAHOO.COM

A NOTE FROM OUR PASTOR WELCOME TO THE WEB PAGE OF THE ZION UNITED EVANGELICAL REFORMED CHURCH OF WACO, TEXAS. WE EXTEND A WARM WELCOME TO YOU TO COME AND BE A PART OF OUR FELLOWSHIP.  YOU WILL FIND A FRIENDLY FAMILY OF FAITH TO WORSHIP AND SERVE THE LORD WITH HERE AT ZION CHURCH.  WE HOPE THAT THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WILL HELP YOU TO KNOW US BETTER AND THAT YOU WILL WANT TO COME AND JOIN US FOR WORSHIP AND FELLOWSHIP.  IT IS MY PRIVILEGE TO SERVE AS THE PASTOR OF THIS CONGREGATION AND I LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING YOU IN PERSON.  I WOULD WELCOME AN OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT WITH YOU FURTHER IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR DESIRE A PERSONAL CONTACT.  THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU. RICHARD RUST PASTOR

COMPLETED IN JANUARY 1915.  IN SEPTEMBER 1918 THE WORD "GERMAN" WAS DELETED FROM THE NAME "GERMAN EVANGELICAL CHURCH". IN OCTOBER 1930 THE FIRST EVANGELICAL SERVICE WAS HELD IN ADDITION TO THE GERMAN SERVICE.  IN 1934 THE EVANGELICAL SYNOD OF NORTH AMERICA AND THE REFORMED CHURCH IN THE UNITED STATES MERGED, THUS GIVING THE CHURCH THE NAME "ZION EVANGELICAL REFORMED CHURCH.  IN 1942 SERVICES IN THE GERMAN LANGUAGE WERE DISCONTINUED. IN JUNE 1957 THE UNION OF THE EVANGELICAL AND REFORMED CHURCH AND THE CONGREGATIONAL CHRISTIAN CHURCH WAS COMSUMATED GIVING ZION A NEW NAME, "ZION UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST". IN JUNE 1959 A NEW EDUCATIONAL BUILDING WAS CONSTRUCTED ON SOUTH 8TH STREET. THE TEXAS STATE HISTORICAL MARKER WAS AWARDED IN JANUARY 1973 NOTING THAT ZION CHURCH WAS THE FIRST EVANGELICAL CHURCH IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, ESTABLISHED AS A MISSION CHURCH BY THE GERMAN EVANGELICAL SYNOD OF NORTH AMERICA. IN JULY 1994 ZION CONSTRUCTED IT'S NEW AND PRESENT FACILITY, SOME 7100 SQUARE FEET, AS IT'S NEW WORSHIP CENTER.  THE PROPERTIES ON 8TH STREET IN WACO WERE SOLD TO TWO SEPARATE CONGREGATIONS.  THE STAINED GLASS WINDOWS AND ALL INSIDE FURNISHINGS WERE MOVED AND ARE A PART OF THE PRESENT FACILITY LOCATED AT 6347 S. I H 35, WACO, TEXAS.  STILL CLINGING TO OUR "EVANGELICAL AND REFORMED" TRADITIONS, WE VOTED ON A NAME CHANGE TO "ZION UNITED CHURCH" ON DECEMBER 19, 1993. WE ARE A CONSERVATIVE AND CONFESSIONAL CONGREGATION WITH ROOTS IN THE LUTHERAN AND REFORMED CHURCHES OF GERMANY.  THE CHURCH DOCTRINAL STATEMENTS ARE THE AUGSBURG CONFESSION, LUTHERAN SMALL CATECHISM, THE EVANGELICAL CATECHISM AND THE HEIDELBURG CATECHISM.

OUR HISTORY THE MISSION WORK OF THE GERMAN EVANGELICAL CHURCH OF NORTH AMERICA BEGAN IN THE STATE OF TEXAS IN  THE YEAR 1881 WHEN REV. FRIEDERICH WERNING CAME TO WACO TO ESTABLISH A CHURCH.  THE FIRST SERVICE WAS HELD IN NOVEMBER IN A PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH ON SECOND AND JACKSON STREET.  WITHIN A YEAR A SMALL CONGREGATION WAS ORGANIZED. IN SEPTEMBER OF 1882 A NEW SMALL CHURCH WAS DEDICATED. THE SECOND CHURCH BUILDING WAS STARTED IN JUNE 1914 AND