The First Church of the Nazarene in Upland started as a mission by Mrs. Pullman and then used the home of Mr. and Mrs. S. T. Whipple, on the corner of First Avenue and "C" Street when it was formally organized on December 4, 1904 by Rev. S. S. Chafe. Fifteen people were there for this organizational meeting. In 1906 Pastor W. C. Wilson reported, "There are about sixty on the roll at present. The blessing of God has been constantly on the work, and a large number have been converted and sanctified.
That year Mr. Jackson Deets joined the church and donated two lots on the northeast corner of Second Avenue and Ninth Street for a church location. The congregation constructed a mission style building and worshipped there until 1925, when the building was moved to the corner of Third Avenue and Ninth Street and an addition added.
In 1951, under the leadership of Rev. W. E. Thompson, the church purchased five acres of orange grove on West Ninth Street, and on March 23, 1952, ground was broken for the construction of Thompson Hall. Within two years the building was completed -- mainly with volunteer labor -- and on May 30, 1954, the first building of the "master plan" was dedicated. The next three years saw the construction of both a lovely new parsonage and a desperately needed Educational Building.
As the Sunday School and congregation grew and filled the facilities which were available, the hearts of the people became burdened to build the third structure of the plan, the Sanctuary and administration offices. On May 3, 1959, ground was broken for the construction of the Sanctuary in which we now worship.
In May of 1978 a Christian School was established and named Ninth Street Christian School (which later became Upland Christian Schools).
In 1984 the church built the Learning Center, the building south of the sanctuary.
In 1994 the adjacent Upland Lumber Yard was purchased. Half was rebuilt into a gym and the other half became a 28,000 sq. ft. high school.
The church opened a preschool (age 2 through pre-kindergarten) in September of 1997. Eagle's Nest Christian Preschool has impacted hundreds of children and their families.
Western Christian Schools (WCS) acquired Upland Christian Schools (UCS) in July of 2009. WCS is the oldest Christian school west of the Mississippi! WCS will be continuing to further quality Christian education on our campus where so many invested so much in providing a quality Christian education. Upland First Church of the Nazarene will continue to minister on campus for the foreseeable future.
