First organized as the Montrose Church of Christ, our congregation originated with members meeting in a tent at the corner of 44th Street and Evanston Avenue in Indianapolis, during the summer of 1924. Relocating later to a basement, the church members met for three years without their own permanent location. Thanks to volunteers from throughout the county, a modest frame building was constructed at the corner of 49th Street and Kingsley Drive. Over the next 23 years, East 49th Street Christian Church’s pulpit saw some 18 ministers and evangelists.

On September 2, 1951 , Russ and Marian Blowers began their 45-year ministry with the church. The first Sunday’s attendance was 85. The congregation soon began a commitment to sharing Christ with those around the world by sending its first missionary, Exie Fultz, to Japan . Under Blowers’ servant leadership, the church became known for consistent teaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and loving hospitality to members and visitors.

With a membership of 730, the church dedicated a new stone building at the East 49th Street location on September 15, 1957 . At that time, members were actively engaged in Bible school, choir, missions, Vacation Bible School and sharing the Gospel at community-wide events such as the Billy Graham Crusade, with Russ Blowers serving as chairman.

By 1970, the growing congregation decided to relocate to a new and vibrant area known as Castleton. The brick church building on East 91st Street was dedicated on December 17, 1977. Members painted and wallpapered the classrooms; volunteers helped complete Fellowship Hall (now known as the Community Room). With the continued growth of the church came new opportunities for service. Solomon's Wardrobe clothing ministry, a drama ministry, a new orchestra and bell choir, urban outreach and the goal of planting 20 daughter churches in 20 years were just some of the ministries that came on the scene during the 1980's.

As E91 grew to over 3000 members, the campus expanded to include a new sanctuary, children's education wing (1991), and a Community Life Center (1998). In 1999, East 91st welcomed senior minister, Dave Faust and his wife, Candy. During their three years of service, the church worked to develop a new vision for reaching people for Christ in the 21st century. In keeping with the goal of “helping all people become growing disciples of Jesus Christ”, the church began its immense Bethlehem Village Christmas outreach project in 2001, where hundreds of volunteers welcomed thousands of people onto the campus to hear the Gospel proclaimed. During that same year, East 91st purchased 23.69 acres of undeveloped land adjacent to the current campus. This new land moved the church one step closer into the shopping precinct of Castleton and will eventually provide increased visibility within our community. In 2002, new introductory classes and activities were instituted to welcome and connect new people into the church family. Church members were encouraged to go beyond the typical expectations of church membership by making a Commitment to Biblical Fellowship at East 91st.

In the summer of 2003, the church welcomed new senior minister Derek Duncan and his wife, Julie, and their three children. Since then, the congregation has continued to grow, we have extended our evangelistic outreach locally and globally with its 47th daughter church started in October 2007 and 18 more churches planned over the next five years throughout North America. Our local outreach ministry is having a growing impact on the lives of many people in our community, while our foreign missionaries and ministries all over the world continue to focus largely on planting new churches in other cultures, developing national leadership, and then extending their outreach globally.

As we move into the future God has for us, we proclaim with the apostle Paul:
“…let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…” (Hebrews 12:1, 2).