Stoutsville Church Re-dedicated 104 Years After Originally Constructed

 

At the top, the Stoutsville Baptist Church building as it appeared Sunday when rededicated. Part of the capacity crowd that attended is shown in the Appeal photo, with Rev. Roy Kinder, district missionary, at left center shaking hands with a participant, and the pastor, Rev. Walter Clark, white shirt with back to camera, visiting with several people. Judge and Mrs. John Fields, at right, are just arriving.

The lower photo shows the back (west) side of the reconstructed building, with outside entrance to the full basement at lower right. There is also an inside entrance to it.

The Stoutsville Southern Baptist Missionary Church building, 104 years old, was rededicated Sunday afternoon in special ceremonies held I the building, with a capacity crowd in attendance. Among them were many former, as well as present members. The building, originally located on a lot in downtown Stoutsville at the edge of the business section, was built in 1871, according to the most authentic records available to church historians. It has been used continuously since then except for a short period during which it was being moved out of the bottom in which it stood, to higher ground just north of the village on the west side of the road that leads into Stoutsville from the north. It was moved to its present location by a Moberly contractor, and now stands on an acre of ground bought by the church from the Levings family. Originally without a basement, it now has one under the entire building, has furnace heat, and will be equipped with kitchen and dining furnishings. In its former location, it had a bell tower, but this was torn away when the main building was moved, and the bell is being preserved for possible future use at the church. Added to the old building in its new location is a vestibule, or entrance room, with cloakroom on one side, and inside entrance to the basement on the other. The interior has been paneled and ceiling lowered and other improvements made. It stands on the west side of the Stoutsville entrance road, faces east, whereas it formerly faced south.

Once a fairly large membership congregation, it now has approximately 40 members, with about 22 living in the area. There are many others on the roll, pastor Walter Clark said Sunday, but they are on an inactive list. As new homes are built and new families move into the area with the coming of the Cannon Dam & Mark Twain Lake, present members and the pastor are confident the membership will increase. The lake will be only a quarter mile distant on both south and west sides, and U.S. Highway 24 only a few hundred feet away on the north side of the church building in its new location. Several pastors from neighboring churches, and the District Missionary, Rev. Roy Kinder, attended the Sunday rededication program. Morning services were held and a carry-in dinner served at noon, with the official rededication program starting at 2:00 p.m. Because of deaths or people moving to other locations, Joseph Walkup is at present the only deacon living in the area. He was ordained October 15, 1972, and is largely responsible for the leadership that has kept the small congregation active, making it possible for the building to be moved and reconditioned in its present location. Money for the project came from the sum paid to the church by the U.S. Corps of Engineers, which bought the land where the church formerly stood, and to funds donated by present and former members, some of who have been away for fifty years or more.

The rededication event was presided over by the pastor, Rev. Walter Clark, who lives at Hannibal. Pianist was Mrs. Clark. The official program included congregational singing, prayers, special vocal trio music by sisters from Monroe City – Mrs. Sandra Friedank, Mrs. Carrie Beaver, Mrs. Janita Wiegle; two songs by Gary Minor with his mother, Mrs. J. W. Minor as accompanist, recognition of special guests, recognition of those who materially helped with the removal work and costs, reading of the church history by Raymond McCreery, the rededication talk by Rev. J. S. Laws of Moberly, formerly district missionary, rededication scripture, and prayer of Rededication.

Source: Photos and article from the Monroe County Appeal dated November 06, 1975; submitted by Judy Baker Barklage.