Monroe Baptist Church Organized In 1850

HERZOG, KETCHUM, SHANNON, STINE, SWEENEY, WOODY

Posted By: JCGS Volunteer
Date: 5/7/2017 at 10:29:42

Monroe Baptist Church Organized In 1850
A resume of the history of the First Baptist Church of Monroe must of necessity begin with the establishment of the Harmony Baptist Church on March 3rd, 1850. On this date a group of persons desiring an organization met at the home of John Woody and a church was established with a membership of nine. Later a church building was erected on the Jasper Marion County Line – three miles east of Monroe on land which is now a part of the George Stine farm.
It was from this group of Baptists that the local church had its inception – when on May 5th, 1855, a council was called and nineteen persons presented letters and were constituted the First Baptist Church of Monroe.
One week later this group met in a covenant and business meeting and plans were made for the building of a church and parsonage. At this time there was no church building in the town and all such services were of necessity held in the school house.
During the next year a brick church was built and dedicated one block south of the S. E. corner of the square. In 1884 the present site and a building were bought from the Congregational people. That building was used until 1895 when the church now in use was built – and during the intervening years many changes and improvements have been made in it.
During this period of ninety-one years, twenty-three pastors have served the church, and on July 21st, 1946, Rev. H. E. Ketchum began his ministry. The longest pastorate was that of Rev. G. W. Herzog, who ministered for two periods of six and twelve years each.
Several missionaries have gone out from the church during the interim and at the present time the church is giving full support to Rev. and Mrs. Clyde Shannon in the Belgian Congo, as well as partial support to two other couples.
In nine years the church will celebrate its centennial anniversary – no earthly record can tell of its accomplishments but only Eternity itself. – Mrs. Emma Sweeney
Source: Monroe Mirror; August 8, 1940