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The
History of Metz
Churches |
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AT THE
CHURCHES
(From the November 4-11, 1910 issue of The Metz
Times, Metz, MO.)
A Short History of Our Houses of Worship.
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Metz M. E. Church.
The following brief history
of the Metz M. E. church, South, was written by Col. John G. Hudson:
 "The Methodist Episcopal
church, South, was built at Old Metz in the summer of 1887. The
size of the building was 26x36 feet. It was enclosed and then
seated with slabs and loose lumber. The year following--1888--the
building was finished and seated. Henry Pond made the seats and T.
J. Pond made the pulpit and gave same to the church. Rev. A. B.
Donaldson was the pastor in charge and Rev. Joseph King presiding elder.
In 1890
the town of Metz was laid out and the town committee gave the church lot
No. 1, block 2. In 1891 the church was moved from Old Metz to
Metz, and the following September J. F. Robb was assigned as pastor by
conference. In 1893 T. J. Pond made a stand table of walnut and
 gave same to the church. In 1899 an addition to the church was
built on the south side, size 20x36; Rev. J. C. Diggs, pastor. The
first bell was hung May 31, 1902, and was rang for the first time for
services June 1, 1902, at 9:30 a.m. The church as a membership of
163. W. B. Bull is the pastor, and preaching services are held on
the second and fourth Sundays of each month. The Sunday school has an
average attendance of about 85. J. J. Stark is the superintendent.
The Epworth League, with a membership of about fifty, holds meetings
ever Sunday evening.
M. E. PARSONAGE.
A handsome parsonage of six rooms was erected on the lots just north of
the church building the first of last year at a cost of $1,200. A
picture of same is given above. |
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Metz Christian Church.
 The Metz Christian
church was organized by Eld. Claypool on October 12, 1898. The
charter members were: Mrs. Emma King, T. J. Pond, Mrs. L. P.
Pettit, Mrs. W. W. Penrod, Dr. J. T. Hornback and wife, J. W. McKibben
and wife and daughters Blanche and Nellie, Frank Bennett and wife, Mrs.
M. J. Plew, Mrs. Lee Schrutchfield, Mrs. Elijah Stout, Mrs. Rosa Usrey,
Mrs. Mary E. Willis, Mrs. Mary Baze, Lillie Baze, W. S. Earhart, Elmer
Charles and wife, Mrs. Belle Cline, Mrs. Syrenus Cline, Mrs. Deleu
Blake, Ella Barry and Marion Bouse and wife. Eld. R. R. Coffee was
the first pastor.
The church building was
erected in the year 1890. An addition of 20x40 feet was built in
1908, giving two thousand feet of floor room.
Preaching service is held
the first Sunday of each month. Eld. C. B. Wait is the pastor.
The membership now numbers 155.
The Christian Sunday school
has had an average attendance of almost 100 during the past three
months.
G. H. Summers is the superintendent.
The Young People's Society
of Christian Endeavor meets at the Christian church every Sunday
evening. The society has a membership of about fifty-five. |
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Metz Baptist Church.
The Metz Baptist
church was organized January 22 of this year by Rev. G. W. McClanahan,
missionary and colporteur of the Nevada Baptist Association. It now
has a membership of about twenty. The church building known as the
Methodist Protestant church was purchased a few weeks later.
Services are held the third Sunday of each month, with Rev. G. W.
McClanahan as pastor.
Sunday school is held every
Sunday with a good attendance at 3 o'clock p.m. G. P. Wolfe is the
superintendent.
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Osage Valley Baptist Church.
 The Osage Valley
Baptist church, one and one half miles west of Metz was organized in the
spring of 1869.
The original members were Alfred R., Cornelia A.,
G. W., Nannie A., Jacob F. and Eliza Norman and Robert T. Ellis; Jas.
Morgan was soon after admitted. The first pastor was Jesse
Johnson, and the first deacons were R. T. Ellis, Benj. Wickham and S. J.
Conner. In 1872 a frame house of worship was erected at a cost of
$1,000.
The church had a large
membership for many years, but removals and other matters caused a
decrease in the number and about two years ago the congregation
disbanded.
The cemetery, a part of
which is shown in the picture below [to the right], is a beautiful burial place. |
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Rinehart Christian Church.
 Rinehart Christian
church was organized in 1872. The first members were J. R.
Rinehart, M. M. Summers, E. B. Weyand, John Daniels, Jas. Wilkins, Allen
Summers, W. A. Fleaher, M. A. Rinehart, J. J. Townsend, S. J. Baze, J.
M. More, Joseph Rynard, and [their] wives, Mrs. Leach Townsend and Mrs. L.
Price. The church building was erected in 1882 at a cost of
$1,200.
Services are held monthly,
with Eld. De Jarnett as pastor, Sunday school is held every Sunday.
Charles Scott is the superintendent.
Rinehart cemetery, adjoining
the church grounds, is the last resting place of many who have passed
away in that locality. |
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(Historical church photos courtesy of Madge Baze,
The Metz Times, P. Netherton and Georgia Charles. All
photos had aged color tones removed for uniform presentation here.)
Tri-County Genealogical Society published
Celebrating 150 Years
of Churches in Vernon County, Missouri,
a 2005 sesquicentennial commemorative calendar
featuring pictures of 116 church buildings from Vernon County, both past
and present. Many of the structures are now gone. The
Forward to the calendar reads as follows: |
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As Vernon County celebrates 150 years of history, the story would not be
complete without remembering the many churches of our county.
These pages will bring back memories of beloved structures of the past,
while proclaiming the strength of present day churches. The
pictures remind us of the buildings, but we know that the real church
exists in the lives of the thousands of people of faith who worshipped
in these previous places.
We are honored to share 2005 with you by giving daily memories of an
important part of Vernon County's history.
Carolyn Gray Thornton
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Click here
for additional information
and photos
of the Metz Christian Church
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