Mission:

The mission of Christ Church is to worship God, to proclaim God's love by word and deed, to nurture spiritually a diversified parish, and to serve the community and all who come among us.

History of the Church:

Christ Episcopal Church, the oldest church building in Kent, dates from 1837 when Lynn Griswold, George DePeyster, and Lee Lattimer formed a committee to select a construction site. The present location on South Mantua Street was chosen, and building began before the end of the year. The foundation stones were given by Zenas Kent along with brick and lime for the chimney. Kent (1785-1865), who moved to Ohio from Connecticut, was one of the most prominent early settlers in Portage County. The famous but short-lived Franklin Silk Co. donated studs and shingles while parishioners contributed money as well as labor for construction.

The original building was a wood frame structure with a bell tower on the front center of the roof and was similar in design to other early Episcopal churches in Ohio. The entrance was at the center of the building into a vestibule. The interior of the Church had pews in a solid block down the center with aisles on either side. A small gallery at the back of the church accommodated the choir. Holy Communion was celebrated using a plain wooden table covered with a linen cloth, according to practices favored by the early bishops. Charles P. McIlvaine, Bishop of Ohio, consecrated the new Church on June 12, 1838.

The Church was remodeled in 1867, 1886, and 1900. As a result of this work, the gallery was removed from the rear of the church to make more seating, the nave was enlarged, a center aisle was created after the purchase of new pews, and a robing room and sacristy were constructed at the front of the building.

Major remodeling of the Church was undertaken in 1926, when the exterior walls were covered with stucco giving the church its present appearance. The entrance was moved from the center to the northeast corner, and the bell tower was placed above the new entrance. Inside the church, the present chancel and sanctuary were added while the undercroft was excavated. The cost of the work was $22,443. The first services in the enlarged building were conducted in January 1927 with a formal dedication the following October.

The education wing of the Church was constructed in 1958. In 1990 damage to a 152 year-old beam led to extensive restoration of the old church building.