.:: Church Information: History of Mt. Zion United Methodist Church ::.
In the early 1820's, most of the families who were the first Methodists to organize the Mt. Zion community came from Ohio and Pennsylvania. A quotation from the history of Trinity Methodist Church of Lafayette helps give the setting: “Working alongside the farming pioneers were minister pioneers. As early as 1824, Methodist pastors visited the settlers, preaching in the homes. In the autumn of 1825, Rev. Hachaliah Vredenburg preached to scattered settlers at Lafayette.” The town of Lafayette was incorporated in 1829.
The Rawles school house was where the earliest meetings were held. I tw as located near Morehouse Roa and County Road 250 West. The first document which tells about the beginning of Mt. Zion church is one which states: “at Rawles School House March 24, 1847, William W. Robinson, James Servison, George Headley, Jonathan Hoffman and John Rawles (ancestor of current member, Alan Morehouse) were elected trustees to receive a deed for a piece of ground (1 square acre off the NW corner of Section 36, Twp. 24 N, Range 5 W) on which to erect a meeting house for the Hebron class of the Harrisonville Circuit, Northern Indiana Conference.” This site is approximately 1/4 mile east of the present church. The town of BattleGround was called Harrisonville from 1845 to 1855. There is also the deed dated March 31, 1847, from James Pierce and wife, Elizabeth, to the trustees of the M. E. Church of Harrisonville Circuit, Indian Creek Society or Hebron Class.
James Servison settled nearby in 1824. James Pierce Sr. settle one and one-half miles southeast of Mt. Zion. George Headley came from Ohio and settled near the lake that bears his name. Jonathan Hoffman came from Pennsylvania.
George Rawles (John Jr.'s son) stated once: “these old men who came here and settled down in the wild woods to build everything new for their children ought to have great praise for their hardship and work in building this community and the church, Mt. Zion.”
Permission was granted by J.O. Allen of J.C. Allen & Son, Inc.
This picture was printed on the final page of their book
'Pictures from the Farm'
:: The Current Building ::There was originally a parsonage where the present Mt. Zion church building stands; it was moved a short distance south. The first church building was built in 1849; the second building, the one still used, was built in 1899. It is of the vernacular and gothic revival architectural styles with plans provided by the Methodist church.
There were 4 churches built by the Methodists in Wabash township, outside of West Lafayette: Mt. Pleasant (3 miles SW of West Lafayette); Mt. Zion; Burton (at Klondike); and Fair Haven (at Octagon).
The church was built in 1898 and 1899 with much volunteer labor. The actual cost of the building was about $2,000. All of the lumber and materials were hauled by horse and wagon to the site. Pledges for the new building ranged from $300 down to those who only pledged to work. The largest pledge was made by the Ladies Aid Society from the sales of sunbonnets.
Probably the first major change to the church was the installation of a Delco plant in 1938, so that electric lights replaced the old gas lights. In 1949 a full basement was put under the original building. The basement space was doubled in 1961, when the education annex was constructed. The steeple was toppled and walls damaged in 1954 by a tornado, but repairs were quickly made. The large painting of Christ, “I Am The Way”, was painted by Mrs. Belle Robbins, a former art teacher at Klondike, and given to the church many years ago.
In 1988, Mt. Zion received the first historic plaque awarded by the newly formed Wabash Valley Trust.
Many years ago the church had a program to help finance the building fund called the “God's Acres” plan. It involved most of the farming members of the church at that time, as well as others. The church rented a small farm for several years, all of the work on the land being donated and all of the profits going to the building fund.
Many chicken suppers and other money raising projects sponsored by the church helped contribute to the building fund over the years.
In 1916, a missionary serving a hospital in India visited the church. She said that the hospital did not have a stretcher, so the people of Mt. Zion decided to send one to them. A manufacturing company in Hammond had the stretcher. The cost was $34.00 and the company arranged for the shipping. The stretcher was sent by rail from Chicago to Vancouver, then by ship to Bombay, India.
During the 1920's and 1930's the Foreign Missionary Society sponsored study groups for the children.
Awareness for home missions came later, but by 1920 the women of Mt. Zion and Montmorenci were meeting together as a Home Missionary Society. Interest was greatly increased when Clara Jakes, a member of Mt. Zion church and a former teacher at Montmorenci school became a missionary in the United States.
In 1939, the Ladies' Aid Society, Women's Home Missionary Society and the Women's Foreign Missionary Society united into one organization called the Women's Society of Christian Service. In 1969, when the Evangelical United Brethren combined with the Methodists, the name was changed to United Methodist Women, which is still the name today.
With our pledge, Call to Prayer and Self-Denial, and Thank You Offering gifts we are able to participate in national and world mission projects. Locally the total congregation has helped to staff the Food Pantry, provide meals for families at time of bereavement and illness of family members.
Every year the local unit makes a pledge to the national organization and through time has never failed to pay the pledge.
United Methodist Women of Indiana own the Lucille Raines Residence, a former hotel in Indianapolis that is now a half-way house for recovering drug addicts. It has had a very successful record.
As a church, we strongly support the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) which provides assistance to disaster victims all over the world, including the United States.
We look forward to remaining in mission in the next century and realize the concepts of mission in the future will change from our traditional past. To set the captive free may mean to bring persons out of poverty; to liberate women and children from the dehumanizing work conditions around the world, and right here in our own communities.
Today, worship service is every Sunday starting at 11:00 a.m.
This picture, of the inside of the church, was taken prior to the addition
of the education wing. It was taken by J.C. Allen of J.C. Allen & Son, Inc.
Permission was granted by his grandson, J.O. Allen,
and was printed in their book 'Pictures from the Farm'.
:: Sunday School ::Over the past few years, our Children's Education structure has changed from time to time to meet the changing needs of the children. Sunday school classes are held after the praise and worship time, during the message time. Our cluster of dedicated teachers have tried to incorporate a variety of learning styles into their instruction. We have done some fun things over the course of time such as skits, puppet shows, musical presentations, video recording and viewing, games, and seasonal parties all somehow tied to the stories and instruction of the Bible. Over the past year, while continuing to include some of this variety, we have concentrated on getting back to the basics of Christian instruction.
:: The Beginning of the Church ::
In the early 1820's, most of the families who were the first Methodists to organize the Mt. Zion community came from Ohio and Pennsylvania. A quotation from the history of Trinity Methodist Church of Lafayette helps give the setting: “Working alongside the farming pioneers were minister pioneers. As early as 1824, Methodist pastors visited the settlers, preaching in the homes. In the autumn of 1825, Rev. Hachaliah Vredenburg preached to scattered settlers at Lafayette.” The town of Lafayette was incorporated in 1829.
The Rawles school house was where the earliest meetings were held. I tw as located near Morehouse Roa and County Road 250 West. The first document which tells about the beginning of Mt. Zion church is one which states: “at Rawles School House March 24, 1847, William W. Robinson, James Servison, George Headley, Jonathan Hoffman and John Rawles (ancestor of current member, Alan Morehouse) were elected trustees to receive a deed for a piece of ground (1 square acre off the NW corner of Section 36, Twp. 24 N, Range 5 W) on which to erect a meeting house for the Hebron class of the Harrisonville Circuit, Northern Indiana Conference.” This site is approximately 1/4 mile east of the present church. The town of BattleGround was called Harrisonville from 1845 to 1855. There is also the deed dated March 31, 1847, from James Pierce and wife, Elizabeth, to the trustees of the M. E. Church of Harrisonville Circuit, Indian Creek Society or Hebron Class.
:: First Trustees ::
John Rawles Jr., one of the first trustees, was born in Pyke County, Ohio, on January 17, 1813. In 1820, he came with his parents to Tippecanoe County, Indiana. John Rawles Sr. bought 320 acres of land and built a log house one and a half stories high. He and his wife had 11 children. John Rawles Jr. moved one-half mile southwest of Mt. Zion church. For more than a century the Rawles family (now Morehouse) have been active in the Mt. Zion church, with John Rawles Jr. joining the church in 1843.James Servison settled nearby in 1824. James Pierce Sr. settle one and one-half miles southeast of Mt. Zion. George Headley came from Ohio and settled near the lake that bears his name. Jonathan Hoffman came from Pennsylvania.
George Rawles (John Jr.'s son) stated once: “these old men who came here and settled down in the wild woods to build everything new for their children ought to have great praise for their hardship and work in building this community and the church, Mt. Zion.”
Permission was granted by J.O. Allen of J.C. Allen & Son, Inc.
This picture was printed on the final page of their book
'Pictures from the Farm'
:: The Current Building ::
There were 4 churches built by the Methodists in Wabash township, outside of West Lafayette: Mt. Pleasant (3 miles SW of West Lafayette); Mt. Zion; Burton (at Klondike); and Fair Haven (at Octagon).
The church was built in 1898 and 1899 with much volunteer labor. The actual cost of the building was about $2,000. All of the lumber and materials were hauled by horse and wagon to the site. Pledges for the new building ranged from $300 down to those who only pledged to work. The largest pledge was made by the Ladies Aid Society from the sales of sunbonnets.
Probably the first major change to the church was the installation of a Delco plant in 1938, so that electric lights replaced the old gas lights. In 1949 a full basement was put under the original building. The basement space was doubled in 1961, when the education annex was constructed. The steeple was toppled and walls damaged in 1954 by a tornado, but repairs were quickly made. The large painting of Christ, “I Am The Way”, was painted by Mrs. Belle Robbins, a former art teacher at Klondike, and given to the church many years ago.
In 1988, Mt. Zion received the first historic plaque awarded by the newly formed Wabash Valley Trust.
Many years ago the church had a program to help finance the building fund called the “God's Acres” plan. It involved most of the farming members of the church at that time, as well as others. The church rented a small farm for several years, all of the work on the land being donated and all of the profits going to the building fund.
Many chicken suppers and other money raising projects sponsored by the church helped contribute to the building fund over the years.
:: The Sunbonnet Story ::
Mrs. William Davis, wife of Mt. Zion's minister in 1895 and 1896, offered a suggestion to the Aid Society that sunbonnets be made and donated an old pink one of her own as a model. This meant much in the building of the present church, for about 900 or more bonnets were made by the society and sold for 25 cents a piece. The women drove down River Road and also up into White County to sell the bonnets. They uesd straw matting and usually brown and white or blue and white gingham cloth to make the bonnets. Grace and Alan Morehouse have one of the original sunbonnets. The raise money the women also gave coffee suppers, ice cream socials, Easter bazaars, Thanksgiving dinners and a football supper. Weekly meetings were held, at which sewing was done: bonnets, aprons, stockings-bags, and iron holders being some of the articles made. There is a report of about $750 in expenditures for the new church by the Aid Society. We hope to have a picture of the sunbonnet in the near future. Watch the photo gallery for updates.:: Mt. Zion Ladies' Aid Society ::
Mt. Zion Ladies' Aid Society secretary book (from May 1 to January 31, 1898) tells of the election of the first officers of the Society. Their constitution stated: “For the benefit of Mt. Zion M. E. church and for the promotion of the cause of Christ, the undersigned agree to form themselves into a society.” It was signed by 34 ladies. Today the Ladies' Aid Society is known as the United Methodist Women.:: Missions ::
Interest in foreign missions characterized the early church. The earliest records for the Women's Foreign Missionary Society are for the year 1914. There were 14 members, each one contributing one dollar a year by giving 10-25cents a month.In 1916, a missionary serving a hospital in India visited the church. She said that the hospital did not have a stretcher, so the people of Mt. Zion decided to send one to them. A manufacturing company in Hammond had the stretcher. The cost was $34.00 and the company arranged for the shipping. The stretcher was sent by rail from Chicago to Vancouver, then by ship to Bombay, India.
During the 1920's and 1930's the Foreign Missionary Society sponsored study groups for the children.
Awareness for home missions came later, but by 1920 the women of Mt. Zion and Montmorenci were meeting together as a Home Missionary Society. Interest was greatly increased when Clara Jakes, a member of Mt. Zion church and a former teacher at Montmorenci school became a missionary in the United States.
In 1939, the Ladies' Aid Society, Women's Home Missionary Society and the Women's Foreign Missionary Society united into one organization called the Women's Society of Christian Service. In 1969, when the Evangelical United Brethren combined with the Methodists, the name was changed to United Methodist Women, which is still the name today.
:: The United Methodist Women ::
For the last quarter century, Mt. Zion has been fortunate to have a local member and sometimes two members elected as District or Conference officers. The local unit can be better informed about current mission projeects, spiritual growth and other educational opportunities as a result of this contact with the District and Conference Executive Committees.With our pledge, Call to Prayer and Self-Denial, and Thank You Offering gifts we are able to participate in national and world mission projects. Locally the total congregation has helped to staff the Food Pantry, provide meals for families at time of bereavement and illness of family members.
Every year the local unit makes a pledge to the national organization and through time has never failed to pay the pledge.
United Methodist Women of Indiana own the Lucille Raines Residence, a former hotel in Indianapolis that is now a half-way house for recovering drug addicts. It has had a very successful record.
As a church, we strongly support the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) which provides assistance to disaster victims all over the world, including the United States.
We look forward to remaining in mission in the next century and realize the concepts of mission in the future will change from our traditional past. To set the captive free may mean to bring persons out of poverty; to liberate women and children from the dehumanizing work conditions around the world, and right here in our own communities.
:: Worship Services ::
When Rev. Charles Kern came to Mt. Zion and Brookston in 1951, it was the first time in the church's history that preaching services were held every Sunday morning. Mt. Zion shared ministers with other churches. During this time the minister held three Sunday services, each at a different church.Today, worship service is every Sunday starting at 11:00 a.m.
This picture, of the inside of the church, was taken prior to the addition
of the education wing. It was taken by J.C. Allen of J.C. Allen & Son, Inc.
Permission was granted by his grandson, J.O. Allen,
and was printed in their book 'Pictures from the Farm'.
:: Sunday School ::
:: Notes ::
While working on some updates for the website, I came across an article that had been saved from the celebration of the Church's centennial back in 1999. With permission from Bob Scott of the Journal and Courier, it is being included on our website. To read the article, please click here. There were pictures with the original article, but they will not scan very well due to the age of the newspaper clipping.:: Pastor List ::
For those that are interested, the following is a list of the pastor's Mt. Zion has had from 1856 to the present: | Year: | Pastor's Name: |
| 1856 1857-58 1859 1860 1861 1862-63 1864-65 1866-67 1868 1869-71 1872-73 1874-76 1877 1878 1879-80 1881-82 1883 1884-85 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892-94 1895-96 1897 1898 1899-1900 1901 1902 1903 1904-08 1909 1910-14 1915 1916-17 1918 1919-20 1921-25 1926 1927-30 1931-36 1937-40 1941 1942-43 1944-48 1949-50 1951 1952-54 1955 1956-57 1958-60 1961-62 1963-66 1967-69 1969-73 1974-76 1977-85 1986-2005 2005-Present | Charles A. Brooks William R. Mikels Henry Huffman Thomas C. Stringer Thomas Bartlett Francis Cox Michael M. Stolz John F. McDaniel William Wiley Jones John B. DeMotte Moses Wood Henry M. Middleton J.J. Thompson J.E. Steele William Crapp Cyrus O. Stallard G.M. Glick Jasper I. McCoy J.W. Wiley (supply) M.M. Menagah (supply) W.B. Alford E.B. Dunklebarger Andrew Yount Thoams E. Webb Oscar H. Berry William Davis George F. Cramer Henry Ross John W. Richards G.B. Stanforth C.R. Brewer (6 months) C.B. Stanforth (6 months) C.R. Brewer John H. Rayle A.L. Brandenburg Olin S. Stewart W.C. Appleby (8 months) O.F. Hall (4 months) T.J. Reder Lloyd Montgomery W.J. Stewart Earl Heimburger A.W. Smith A.A. Dunlavy Jas. A. Niell Cyril C. Rockwell Ernest M. Fradenburgh Eldon M. Farmer Theodore R. Roberts Chester A. Mahan Charles Kerr John Hoadley James W. King Ronald R. Hamilton William Taylor Duane Spiers Don Carpenter Robert Greeley Marvin Anderson Thomas Wilson Forest Howell Dwight Monical Ernie Elder |