Stoutsville
Baptist Church
When
Stoutsville was becoming a town, James M. Pollard thought there
should be a Baptist Church. Accordingly, he and his brother, H. O.
B. Pollard, Esquire Woodson, and several others made the plans.
Mr. Pollard donated the lot, S. T. Pollard hauled the first load
of lumber, according to Mrs. Sally Pollard Jackson, of Monroe
City, Mo., a daughter of S. T. Pollard.
A
History of Monroe and Shelby Counties, printed in 1884, refers to
the Stoutsville Baptist Church as follows:
“About
the year 1869, Abram Utterback and wife, Gustavis Bannister,
Joseph Smeltzer, and perhaps others, met and formed an
organization at Hurd School house, largely through the efforts of
Rev. Milford Powers. Since then Revs. W. B. Craig, George C.
Brown, and G. D. Tolle (who was the last one) have been ministers
in charge. There is no pastor of the church at the present time.
Services are held once a month. The present membership is about
50. In the summer of 1873 a frame house in which services are held
was completed and is valued at nearly $1,000.”
Mr.
Bob Yates said that the church was built the same year that the
M.K.T. Railroad was built through Monroe County, 1871.
A
copy of the Bethel Baptist Association, held September, 1-3, 1897,
stated that the Stoutsville Church was constituted in 1870. The
Church was at that time a member of the Bethel Association, and
the first time an associational meeting was held at Stoutsville
was September, 1896. Stoutsville became a member of the Monroe
Baptist Association when it was organized in October, 1904, and
was listed in the minutes of that meeting as being constituted in
1871.
Informed
sources indicate that the church records, from the organization
until Saturday before the second Sunday in December 1891 were
destroyed by fire.
The
first business meeting for which records are available, the record
began as follows: “The Baptist Church of Jesus Christ,
worshipping at Stoutsville, met Saturday, before the second Sunday
on December, 1891; preaching by our pastor after which the doors
of the church were opened for the reception of members; none
presented themselves; the church then set in a business
capacity.” For a good many years the records of the church
business meetings, began with this heading.
For
some time a roll call was taken of members at the business
meeting. The first one of record was Saturday before the 2nd
Sunday in February, 1892, reporting 31 present and 89 did not
answer the call, making a membership of 120.
In
one of the early records of the church, fellowship was withdrawn
from a man and his wife for the sin of dancing. In another
instance fellowship was withdrawn from a man for ill treatment of
his wife.
The
first recorded information available of the ordination of a person
to the ministry was on April 8, 1892, when J. C. Pollard was
ordained. During those early years the Sunday School was not as
closely associated as today, for after giving his report to the
church business meeting, the Sunday School superintendent invited
the Church members to visit the Sunday school.
A
resolution to the memory of Underwood Dooley, a member, who died
November11, 1892, was presented and adopted at the December
business meeting, to be written into the minutes.
The
first person licensed to preach was Joseph W. Borden, March 1894.
At this same meeting the church dismissed a group of members to
organize a Baptist Church at Casey College, a rural school about 5
miles south of Stoutsville, the Church later became known as
Harmony. The following were listed: J. W. Scobee, Mary J. Scobee,
Lula Scobee, W. H. Scobee, John Robbins, Fannie Robbins, Sarah
Robbins, Julian Robbins, Bertha Robbins, W. C. Robbins, Woodson
Reaves, Elizabeth Buffington, E. B. Dowell, Lucretia Dowell,
Benjamin Dowell, Sallie Dowell, Matt Dowell, Nannie Dowell, M. L.
Carman, Lucinda Carman, Hattie Smith, Eliza Leitch, R. E. Tipton,
Ollie Dowell, and Annie Hughes.
In
November 1896, a committee was elected to raise money to purchase
a bell, and in January, 1897, the committee was instructed to
purchase a 40 inch bell. The belfry for the bell was built during
1897. According to Mr. B. J. Dye, the intentions were to place the
bell on top of the church, but when the bell arrived, it was so
heavy that that was fear of it crushing through the roof, so the
belfry tower was built.
Revivals
as we know them now were called protracted meetings, and about the
time the bell was installed one meeting was held for five weeks.
Evidently
Sunday School had been discontinue, for on April 10, 1904 Sunday
School was reorganized. Then on September10, 1904, a committee was
elected to investigate the possibilities of building a new
building, costs, etc. Eventually this committee was dismissed and
the building was repaired. In 1905 the building of a union church
was considered along with the idea of building a church.
The
concrete walk from the building to the street was built in 1907.
The
pastor’s salary in 1908 was $125.00 per year, with preaching one
Sunday each month. The first prayer meeting of record was on a
Friday night in 1910. In 1914 the pastor’s salary was raised to
$200.00 per year with preaching once a month. Through the efforts
of the Ladies Missionary Society, new lights were installed in
1916.
The
first record of fruit being sent to the Baptist Home in Ironton
was in 1915. The church would order a barrel of empty jars, then
the ladies of the church would bring their canned fruit and
vegetables to fill the barrel and send it back to the home. This
practice continued for several years, the last being recorded in
1952.
November
1917 the Duplex System of every member canvass was ordered.
The
church had become a member of the Monroe Baptist Association in
1904, and the first annual meeting was held with the Stoutsville
church was in 1915; then again in 1929, and in 1940, and once or
twice since that time.
October
1944, the church voted to go half time with the pastor’s salary
to be $35.00 per month. For a time in 1943 services were held two
Sundays a month in the afternoon.
The
first Vacation Bible School was held in 1945. Business meetings
were changed to once a month in 1945, changing from a quarterly
meeting begun in 1911. The first Training Union was organized in
1949.
January
12, 1950, the Church voted to go to full time, and has continued
to the present. Salary at the beginning of this year was $30.00
per Sunday. This was later raised to $40.00 per Sunday.
March
4, 1951, at the suggestion of the pastor, Rev. Allen Butzine, it
was voted to hold an Easter Sunrise Service at the Stoutsville,
Cemetery, a practice which has continued to the present time, with
the Baptist and Methodist pastors and congregations cooperating.
On
November 18, 1951, the church observed the 80th
Anniversary, with Dr. L. A. foster, then president of
Hannibal-LaGrange College, as the principal speaker.
The
new floor was put down in 1953.
The
church as at various times had an active Brotherhood, Women’s
Missionary Society, Royal Ambassadors and Girl’s Auxiliary.
The
records indicate that the following men having been ordained as
deacons:
September
11, 1914
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Craig
Utterback; B. J. Dye
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July
5, 1925
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J.
I. Hawn; Eugene Henderson; Wilson Scobee; Ruel Thompson
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Oct.
15, 1944
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J.
O. Dooley; Russell Mc Creery; H. L. Moutray, Raymond Mc
Creery
|
Oct.
15, 1972
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Joshua
Schofield; Joseph Walkup; Lee Mc Creery; Clarence Luttrell
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Ordained
ministers recorded: J. C. Pollard & Jim Wells
In
June 1966, the Thornton property next to the church was purchased.
The
house was repaired and used for social gatherings of the church,
and for Sunday School class rooms. For several months the church
held monthly socials – this house fell victim to the Cannon
Lake. A small amount of material was salvaged.
The
Rev. Walter J. Clark was called as pastor of the church on Nov. 8,
1970, and he led the church in relocating the building. The church
property was purchased by the Army Corps of Engineers for $17,500
and a moving expense of $2,500, with the Church retaining the
buildings. Purchase date April 9, 1972.
Early
in the summer of 1972 option was taken on one acre of groun from
Leo Levings and his mother, and ground breaking ceremonies were
held at the new site on June 18, 1972. At the services held that
day recognition was given to the Mc Creery family for their years
of service in the church. Consummation of the purchase of the land
was made on December 26, 1972.
At
first it was decided to raze the old building and salvage as much
material as possible to be used in rebuilding, but after getting
estimates of cost of materials, it was decided to try to have the
building moved. Pastor and Trustee Schofield met with Mr. Sam
Cobb, house mover of Moberly, Mo., on April 1, 1973. He said he
would and could move the building. When the proposition to move
the building was presented to the members in a business meeting
called for this purpose, there was only one negative vote, so Mr.
Cobb was instructed to moved the building. The bell tower was
removed during the month of August, 1973.
After
many delays, moving of the building was begun on June 6, 1974. A
concrete basement was built during the summer of 1973, and the
building was placed on it June 26 and 27 of 1974. A temporary walk
way was built and the first service was held in the building at
its new location July 14, 1974.
Work
on adding front rooms and entrance hall, and renovation of the
main building was begun August 19, and continued until October 1,
1974 when the carpenter had to leave to finish other commitments.
Work was begun again July 17,1975, and has continued to the
present stage. Services were discontinued from December 15, 1974
until May 4, 1975; because the building could not be heated. The
new furnace was installed between Sept. 19 and Oct 19, 1975.
It
is hoped to continue with work in the basement, installing a
kitchen, and restrooms, and dividing into class rooms and a dining
room.
The
project has been carried out with a minimum of friction. The
congregation lost several members due to their being relocated by
the Corps of Engineers. Others have perhaps become discouraged and
have been going to other churches, but a small group has held on
and come to the present stage. An editorial in the Monroe County
Appeal, dated April 27, 1972 was headed “They’ll Need the
Churches,” referring to the expected population increase after
the Cannon Lake is finished, gave encouragement to the Baptist
Group.
A
satisfying sequence is that the Methodist group also decided to
have their building moved, and it, too has been put on a basement
and renovated.
STOUTSVILLE
BAPTIST PASTORS
From
available records, the following men have served the Church as
pastors at various times, some for many years.
·
Rev. W. B. Craig –twice
·
Rev. George C. Brown
·
Rev. G. D. Tollen
·
Rev. R. T. Colborn three times
·
Rev. W. G. Stephens
·
Rev. Horton
·
Rev. J. W. Crouch twice
·
Rev. Bain
·
Rev. M. L. Heifner
·
Rev. W. D. Cave
·
Rev. Lett
·
Rev. Atterbury
·
Rev. Herbert Miles
·
Rev. Brangart
·
Rev. White
·
Rev. Howell
·
Rev. N. S. Dunham
·
Rev. Glen L. Greene
·
Rev. Ralph Tamek
·
Rev. I. L. McDougle
·
Rev. A. F. Butzine
·
Rev. James Graves
·
Rev. Jim Wells
·
Rev. Dan Cichran
·
Rev. Arthur Griffin
·
Rev. Bill Huntsman
·
Rev. Dan Anderson
·
Rev. Walter J. Clark
History
of Stoutsville Baptist Church now 105 Years Old
At
Stoutsville Sunday afternoon, November 3 1975, when the Baptist
Church building was re-dedicated in its new location, a history of
the Church was read by Raymond Mc Creery of Eldon, Mo., for many
years an active member and Deacon of the church. It was compiled
by Mc Creery and the past pastor Rev. Walter Clark of Hannibal,
Mo.,; from records that are available, some records are no longer
available. Indications are that the church body was organized in
1870, and the first building constructed in 1871.
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