The first United Brethren activity in this community was in 1893. Rev. J. L Hayden, pastor of the Carrollton United Brethren Church, held services in the Rich Schoolhouse located 1 miles west & north of Ralston. Rev. Hayden organized a church class. This class, on Mar. 22, 1894, decided to erect a church building in Ralston. Lots 1 & 2 of block 3 of Ralston were secured for this purpose. These lots are located on the corner of Main St., one block north of the railroad. Mrs. Slater donated one lot and the Trustees bought the other lot for $50. Henry Snyder and Jack Nicholson acted as overseers in the construction of the building. The dimensions were 28 x 40 ft with three windows on each side. The roof was pitch. The entryway was 6 x 14 ft. The trustees of 1894 were T. K. Smith, H. E. Snyder, Myron Young, Wesley Taylor, and A. W. Hobbs. The trustees received a Warranty Deed for the lots and recorded them in the Auditor's office in Carroll. On Mar. 30, 1894 the trustees filed Articles of Incorporation for a period of 50 years. These Articles were renewed for another 50 yr. period in 1944. A. Jenks was hired for the contractor for constructing the church building--the building was to be completed by July 10, 1894. The building was constructed without a steeple or alcove. The building was hard-oiled instead of being painted. The dedication of the building was delayed until the pews and other supplies had arrived. It was dedicated on Aug. 19, 1894 by Rev. Geo. Porter the Presiding Elder of the District. The church cost with seats and pulpit installed was $1,238.37, and was dedicated free of debt, and all bills for its erection had been paid without asking for one cent on the day of dedication. The name of the church has always been the Ralston Church and Charge. Later the Ralston Church was taken from the Carrollton Circuit and added to the Scranton Circuit, which consisted of Scranton, Union Chapel, and Maple Grove Churches. Still later the Scranton and Union Chapel churches were abandoned; Scranton Church was sold to the Lutherans in 1910 for $1,000 minus the cost of abstract examination. The Union Chapel Church was sold in 1909 for $275 and torn down. From then on the Circuit consisted of Ralston & Maple Grove. Some of the earliest families associated with the church were T. K. Smith, Myron Young, H. E. Snyder, Taylor and Hobbs. Some of the subsequent families were: Knight, Hartwigsen, Bruntlett, Thomas, Brown, Tower, and Huffman.

    The original parsonage was built in 1903 during the pastorate of E. A. Elliot. The site of the parsonage cost $100. It was located of a block east of the church. The total cost of the parsonage was $1360.44. W. A. King was the first minister to occupy the parsonage. On Dec. 5, 1905 during the pastorate of Rev. Johnson a meeting was called to make plans for excavating and cementing a church basement. The said room to be used for the YMCA and other purposes of the church. The Committee appointed for this project were: Finance--Chas. Harlow, Geo. Wood, Jr., Ernest Wetter; Building--Joe Nicholson, C. P. Hartwigsen, Rev. Johnson; Labor--L. Smith, William Bliss, Frank Gregory. The mason work for the church basement was paid in full in 1906. The church sidewalk was laid May 21, 1907.

     In 1906 the church and parsonage Trustees were as follows: Claude Huffman, President; Dr. F. M. Roberts, Sec'y & Treasurer. The other members were: W. Zimmerman, Amos Spring, J. A. Chambers, and H. Bruntlett. Premium paid for insurance for five years was $13.50.

    The church was remodeled in 1910. An overflow room 18 x 30 ft was built onto the south side of the sanctuary. An 8 x 8 ft. entryway was built on the southeast corner of the building which was built up as a tower housing a church bell and crowned with a steeple. The sanctuary was fitted with two large art glass windows one in the east end of the sanctuary and the other in the west. Smaller art glass windows were placed on the north side and also on each side of the large windows. The rostrum and pulpit were moved from the west end of the building to the north side. An alcove was added to the north side to make more room on the rostrum.

    A Davis Acetylene Gas plant was installed in the church in 1910--cost $200. The largest attendance in Sunday School was during the 1920's when the attendance at times was 100 to 125. The attendance now (1960) is from 25 to 40 and the worship service is around 50. The young people were organized into a Christian Endeavour Group in the early 1900's. At the present time the youth work is organized as the Youth Fellowship. This group is made up of the young people of both the Ralston & Maple Grove churches with an average attendance of 11. For many years there was an active Ladies Aid that helped finance many projects in the church. In recent years the Ladies Aid was disbanded and a missionary society was organized known as the Womens Society of World Service that promotes the missionary work of the church. This Society is composed of women from both the Ralston & Maple Grove churches. There are 18 members. A Junior Church was organized in 1951 for children under 12. It meets in the church basement during the worship hour. Mrs. Ivan Rose, the pastor's wife, is the leader. Marietta Shickell represents us on the Red Bird Mission Field at Beverly, Ky. Ralston is her home church. Mrs. Shickell is the wife of Rev. Eldon Shickell the lab technician of the Red Bird Mission Hospital.

    A Modern Aire oil furnace was installed in the church in 1949 at a cost of $841.50. In 1950 the public school used the overflow room of the church for classes. The school lowered the ceiling and put in a permament partition making two good Sunday School rooms. A new carpet for the rostrum of the church was purchased in 1951 for 295.80. It was paid for by a supper under the supervision of Hazel Hunt. The same year the pulpit and pulpit chairs were renovated by having the dark paint removed. The first and last God's portion sale was held Nov. 3, 1951 and it took in $372.72. In 1953 Ralston & Maple Grove started union Sunday evening services alternating the services between the churches. This practice is still being followed. The old parsonage in need of remodling was sold in 1955 for $2,800, and the newer Raymond Watt house was purchased for a parsonage for $6,000 by the Ralston & Maple Grove Churches. An outside bulletin board was erected in 1956 with Memorial Funds given by Mrs. Maud Epperly and Mrs. Margaret Tuttle. Cost, $185. The ceiling in the church sanctuary was lowered and the old plaster removed from the walls and replaced with plasterboard at a cost of $468.38 in 1958. The work was done by Ralph Merriam assisted by the men of the congregation. Helen Kernen donated five large electric lamps and the pink paint for the new walls. Mrs. Minnie Emmeck donated a song bulletin board in memory of her husband, Henry Emmeck. Inez Knight, Dottie Cook, and Minnie Emmeck furnished draperies for the altar. The church foundation and basements walls were repaired in 1956 at a cost of $376.14. Work was done by Knight & Jordan of Coon Rapids and the men of the congregation. Rev. Shickell installed the railing on the church porch in 1953. In Oct. 1953 the Ralston Church Women joined the Maple Grove Missionary Society, calling it the Ralston-Maple Grove W. S. W. S. The carpet for the church aisles and the choir drapery were installed in Nov. 1953. Helen Kernen gave the church an electric clock in 1954. The church floors were sanded in 1953.

    Pastors who have served this church are: J. L. Hayden-1893; J. A. Mitchell 1895; O. C. Buxton-1897; E. A. Elliott-1903: W. A. King-1904; Rev. Johnson-1905; Rev. Wolfington-1908; J. W. Peterson-1909; G. W. Mills-1911; Chas. Hansen-1912; D. W. Thompson-1913; Fred Riggs-1915; C. A. Baldwin-1917: Mrs. Nella B. Naly-1919; S. Hobson-1980; Wilbur Gott-1921; D. L. Hammond-1922; L. L. Morris-1926; Howard Mintle-1927; Harry Dirks-1929; Philip Brun-1930; Lyle K. Anderson-1933; J. H. Hampshire-1935; N. A. Hollingshead-1936; L. A. Stangle-1939; Rev. Lawrence-1940; Arthur Peters-1942; L. B. Mitchell-1943; C. E. Kissinger-1948; V. E. Shickell-1953; Donald Jones-1957; Ivan D. Rose-1961.