About us

 

Religion has played an important part in the life of the Big Moose community.  In 1893 there were seven camps around the lake.  It is known that religious services were held in these camps beginning that year. Sometimes they were only song services; at other times, when a minister was vacationing at the lake, a sermon was included.  Some of the camp boat houses were large and the second floor lent itself well to informal services.  They became regular meeting places for the purpose of prayer, song and sermon.  On occasion, the attendance was such that some moored their boats to the dock and joined with those in the boat houses in singing hymns.  When hotels were built on the lakeshore these too, became assembly places for Sunday services.

​

The need to formalize the services gradually became evident, and the minister of the Inlet church was engaged for afternoon worship at Big Moose.  This arrangement continued from 1910 to 1928.  With the institution of a year-round church program in 1926, began the organized life of Big Moose Church.  At this time it became apparent that it would be desirable to have a summer minister, and one was called for the summer of 1929.  For many years, a chapel had been dreamed of and the congregation voted to erect one at a meeting in September 1928.  Ground was broken that year and proceeded until its completion in July 1930. On the eve of the first service, fire broke out and destroyed the edifice. Friends came to the rescue, funds were procured, and the building was restored and completed the following summer.  Dedicatory services were held on August 2, 1931.