This church is situated on section 3,
township 54, range 9, five miles east and one mile north of Paris.
Its formation occurred in December, 1862, Elders S. H. Smith, C.
W. Chowning, J. N. Reaves and J. J. Crigler, Milas Johnson, W. F.
Adams, H. C. Greening, Alexander Smith, William Y. Smith, Joseph
Smith, S. O. Adams, A. H. Adams, Sue Elliott, Annie E. Long,
Mattie A. Long, Nancy Adams, Lucy J. Reaves, Allie E. Crigler,
Sallie A. Greening, Rebecca Johnson, Delia Searcy, Mary Adams,
Eliza Norman, Patsy Smith, Elizabeth Reavis, Mary Johnson, Isabel
Chowning, Mary A. Scobee, Sallie Adams, Hannah Livingstone Jane A.
Adams, R. Underwood and Andy Underwood comprising the organizing
members. Of these 18 are dead, and 15 survive. In 1868 a frame
house of worship was built for $1,400. The pastors of the
congregation (which now numbers 108) have been E. J. Lampton,
Alfred Wilson, Bob Wallace, Henry F. Davis, G. W. Surber, Philip
Bruten, A. J. Myhr, R. M. Giddens, J. N. Wright and Jacob Hughley.
Several successful revival seasons have been held by E. J. Lampton,
W. M. Featherston, Alfred Wilson, A. H. Rice, William Martin, J.
C. Reynolds, H. F. Davis, G. W. Surber, R. M. Giddens, J. N.
Wright, A. B. Wade and J. J. Errett. Mrs. E. M. Howell is
superintendent of a Sabbath-school numbering about 70 scholars.
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Pleasant Grove Christian Church Has Last
Service of 107 Years
Pleasant Grove Church Members: The
remaining members of the Pleasant Grove Church are shown in above
photo taken Sunday at the final service. They are front row left
to right, Mrs. Audrey Dooley, Mrs. Charles Simon, Mrs. Jim Evans,
Mrs. Bessie Scott; back row, Charles Simon, Rev. Aubrey Russell,
pastor, Jim Evans. Mr. and Mrs. Sam White, the fifth family, were
absent when the picture was taken. Picture by Calvert.
End of Career: This is the Pleasant Grove
Christian Church building, as it appears today. The picture was
taken by the Appeal from the north side, looking southeast. Back
of the building where a creek runs, normal water levels of Mark
Twain lake will in the creek channel at about the point where a
bridge crosses. At flood time, the water could be well up on the
sides of the building. The yard is one of the prettiest in the
county, with several magnificent old oaks growing in it.
An all day program was held Sunday at
Pleasant Grove Christian Church and was the final service to be
held in the church after it had been in existence 107 years. Since
the waters of the Cannon Dam and Mark Twain Lake will take the
building, the five remaining families, who have kept the church
going for many years, decided to close its doors.
The Sunday program, attended by around 45
persons opened with letters being read from former pastors of the
church. The morning speaker was Lester B. Rickman of Jefferson
City, secretary of Missouri Christian Churches. A carry in dinner
was served at noon.
During the afternoon session trustees
were elected who will have the authority to sell the building and
contents. The building will in all probability be bought by the
government for the Cannon Dam and the contents will be sold at
public auction The proceeds of the sale and all other money will
be given to the St. Louis Christian Home (a children’s home).
Trustees elected were Jim Evans, Charley
Simon, and Mrs. Audrey Dooley.
Mrs. Charles Simon gave a history of the
church and Jack Barnes, third district minister, was the afternoon
speaker. Eugene Ott, administrator of the St. Louis Christian
Home, conducted the communion service which closed the days
program as well as being the final service of the church.
According to the history compiled by Mrs.
Simon, the church was organized in 1860 with 31 charter members.
The church has had six young men and one woman who became ordained
ministers. They were Mrs. Anna Scott Carter, W. E. Reavis, Frank
Reavis, B. G. Reavis, Overton Reavis, Frank Tibbs and Claude
Hamilton.
The Ladies Aid was organized in 1906.
Their main project was to travel by buggy to gather eggs at Easter
time for the Orphan’s Home in St. Louis, the name by which it
was known at that time. They also contributed homemade rugs and
comforts to the home. The Ladies Aid was changed to the Christian
Women’s Fellowship in later years, and although the membership
was small, it was an active group until the past year.
Over the many years, the church was the
scene of many bazaars, oyster suppers and ice cream suppers.
One incident the members remember vividly
is a revival held by W. E. Reavis at which time 40 additions came
into the church, some were by confession and some by letter from
other churches.
During revivals the evangelist always
brought in a packed house and in the days of the two day
conventions, when the church took its turn as host church, many of
the visitors were “put up” in the homes of the members.
A corner of the church was called “the
Amen corner.” This was where elderly men sat and when they
agreed with what the preacher was saying called out “Amen.”
The church has always contributed to home
and foreign missions.
A complete list of the ministers has not
been kept, but among them were Revs. Strong, Alexander, Burns,
Johnston, S. H. Anglemyer, Cunningham, J. B. Weldon, and S. B.
Owings.
Rev. Owings was the minister for the
longest period, 9 years. After his death in 1957 the Owings
Pastoral Unity was organized with Santa Fe, Tulip, Oak Ridge
Churches also taking part. The Unity has continued for ten years
using one minister with a worship service held at each of the
churches one Sunday during the month. The Tulip Church withdrew
from the Unity some time ago but the other three churches
continued together until September of this year.
The five remaining families of Pleasant
Grove church plan to transfer their memberships to other churches
in the county.
Provided by: Judy Baker Barklage from an
article in the Monroe County Appeal, October 26. 1967.
Additional notes:
Mother has annotated: "Ray,
Roy and Mildred TURNBOUGH (mother) joined the Pleasant Grove
Church July 30, 1931. Minister Reverend Willard REAVIS began
his meetings at Pleasant Grove July 15 and closed July 30.
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joined, some by letter, the rest of us were baptized in the river
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