Christian Church, Kellerton

GADD, COFFIN, CARPENTER, LISTER, ATWOOD, FUGATE, MYERS, BARKER, LEWIS, MORRIS, MICHAEL, DRAKE, MCATEE, WILKINS, ROBERTS, FIFER, JOHNSTON

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 6/22/2009 at 23:32:14

CHRISTIAN CHURCH
KELLERTON, RINGGOLD COUNTY, IOWA

Under the leadership of Pastor William GADD from Ottumwa, the Kellerton Christian Church was organized in 1884. The church building was constructed in 1886 with a church membership of 50 parishioners.

The original church building was totally destroyed by fire on March 22, 1906. All of the church's records were consumed in the flames. Built at a cost of between $1,500 to $1,700, the building had been insured but for only $700.

Under the leadership of Elder J. S. COFFIN, funds were raised and a new church, costing between $4,000 and $5,000, was erectd and dedicated on November 22, 1906, Brother L. CARPENTER officiating.

In 1920, Brother E. E. LISTER served the church when the congregation purchased a parsonage. The first parsonage had been lost when a new highway had been constructed. In 1938, the Christian Church became free of debt with "Grandma" BROWN, the last living charter member, given the honor of burning the mortgage. Around this time, Sister Miss Cela ATWOOD (later Mrs. FUGATE) served as the minister.

When Brother J. G. MYERS was the minister in 1941, the ladies of the congregation wrote a cookbook which contained a history of the Kellerton Christian Church. Also, during this year, quite a bit of interior re-modeling had been completed. Transcriber's Note: Perhaps the ladies created the cookbook to raise funds for the re-modeling project?

In 1955, the estate of Mrs. Frances (BAKER) LEWIS, daughter of charter member J. J. BARKER, donated funds to the Church which was used to install a new baptistry.

Reverend Vernon NORRIS arrived on September 27th of 1956, to assume pastorate duties. In 1969, Mrs. Pearl MICHAEL purchased the second parsonage. The church has not owned a parsonage since that time.

Kenneth MICHAEL, church treasurer, hired Lloyd DRAKE to build the wheelchair ramp and deck in 1993. A new furnace was installed in 1990 and the church was re-shingled in 1999.

Larry McATEE probably knows the outside of the church better than anyone, having painted the church three times - in 1978, in 1989, and in 1998.

A children's Sunday School classroom was added on January 15, 2005.

Reverend Merlin WILKINS, former teacher at Mount Ayr Community High School for many years, assumed the pulpit from 1967 to 1992. Pastor Terry ROBERTS served as minister from January of 1995 to March of 2000 when he assumed the pulpit at Trinity Christian Church, Decatur County, Iowa.

The red neon "Jesus" sign was placed by Kathy (FIFER) JOHNSTON and Randy JOHNSTON, present pastors of the Church, now called Bank of Christ Church. (2009)

SOURCES:
The Mount Ayr Record-News, Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa. May 19, 2005.

AVITT, Mike. Pages and Pictures from the Past . . . Ringgold County, Iowa: 1885-2005 p. 30. Paragon Publications, Inc. Mount Ayr, Iowa. 2009.

Photograph courtesy of Sheryl K. Harrison, May of 2009