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Clarence United Methodist Church
316 Seventh Avenue
The Clarence Methodist church began in 1862 with the retired Reverend E. C. Woodford coming up from Tipton to preach. The present sanctuary was built in 1919, following a fire early that same year. The educational wing was added in 1966 and the present parsonage was built in 1979-80, replacing the original 1877 building.
Our office received its first computer in 2001 and the kitchen was remodeled in 2004. A chair lift was added in 2006.
In 2008, lightening put a basketball sized hole in the east sanctuary roof, which was patched and the entire roof is soon to be recovered with steel shingles. The electrical installation was upgraded also in 2008 to provide a ground for the building and to eliminate overloaded circuits.
The present Shepherdess of the church is Karmen Jamison, who is ably supported in the office by Johanne “Chris” Williams and Tracey Host who maintains the building and grounds.
The church is active with a large number of groups, mission projects and activities, listed below.
Adult Bible Study meets Wednesday evenings at 7:00 beginning after Easter. CUMC Cards plays cards Mondays at 1:15. Movie Night is held four times a year and shows a variety of movies. April 3rd will be “The Passion”. Family Fun Night is held three to four times a year, with activities such as games and picnics. The Brown Mug Club meets for breakfast at 9:00 on the second Saturday and puts on a Chili Cook Off to aid the mission work of the church. The current project is to provide a solar oven for Haiti. The Berry Cup Girls started in the Fall of 2008 and meets monthly for coffee and tea. This Fall will be the start of both the Confirmation Class and the youth group. Sewing Surkle quilts on the 2nd Thursday each month. They have taken on the mission project of making quilts for new babies in the church family and also use cloth scraps to make quilts for the Madge Phillips Center in Cedar Rapids. United Methodist Women meet on the 3rd Thursday and work to support the church. In November they put on the Harvest Bazaar with its quilt and gift basket auction and provide the lunch. A given meeting date may be substituted for a visit to a shut in from the church. They also prepare the church for weddings, funerals and any other reception. A lunch is put on the 1st Saturday in June, during the town’s garage sale in addition the winter Soup Supper and the Fall Farmer’s Brunch.
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Picture: Karmen Jamison, Shepherdess
Picture: Megan Berry, Stephanie Russell, Stacey Wynkoop – Graduating Seniors in 2009. Unable to be present: Lacey Wynkoop, Whitney Elijah, James Kost, Ryan Frahm, and Scott Community College graduate, Amanda Muhs
Friday Bible Study meets every Friday morning at Florence Bachmann’s, except the 2nd Friday, when they meet at the care center. Second Tuesday Prayer Group meets at 10:30 for an hour of prayer to address concerns of the church. Body, Mind, and Soul meets every Tuesday at 6:30 for a period of education, a short devotion and exercise. On July 26th they will hold an Ice Cream Social in the town square, just east of the fire station. A Nativity Wake will be held on December 6th. Each person will bring a nativity piece and then have coffee and hot chocolate in the Fellowship Hall. Food will be collected for the local food pantry on Super Bowl Sunday.
They have Girl Scout meetings every other Monday. November begins our Hat and Mitten tree and a Bell tree in early December. Pull tabs from pop cans are collected for the Ronald McDonald house in Iowa City. The Sunday School has a holiday card ministry for the Iowa City VA Hospital. Cell phones and personal items are collected for the women’s shelter. Old glasses go to the Lion’s Club.
The Camp Dinner for Camperships helps to send kids to church camp. The Noisy Bucket Offering gathers loose change and buys water filtration units for Haiti. The units cost about $40 and last about 20 years. Undie Sunday collects socks and underwear for North Cedar school kids, which parents can pick from at registration. Finally, they also support the United Methodist Missions.
It is easy to see that the church has been keeping busy. Thanks to all of the people who have made these efforts possible.
| 1925 C. Z. Mack | Forest Flowers 1954-1956 |
| W. H. Doner 1901-1904 | Cyril Ashton 1956-1961 |
| M. J. Locke 1904-1906 | F. G. Steinman 1961-1964 |
| R. D. Parsons 1906-1907 | Richard Keim 1964-1967 |
| A. M. McIntosh 1907-1908 | Donald Kehrli 1967-1976 |
| W. M. Lemen 1909-1909 | Wayne Clark 1976-1978 |
| S. S. Smith 1909-1921 | Michael Wintz 1981-1984 |
| K. E. Anderson 1921-1923 | Stephanie Raphael 1984-1988 |
| Wm. J. Macauley 1923-1927 | Tom Biatek 1988-1993 |
| J. W. Bearse 1927-1930 | Leila Backburn 1993-1994 |
| R. C. Scott 1930-1934 | Michael Elmore 1994-1998 |
| G. H. Goodrick 1934-1936 | Anita Johnson 1998-2001 |
| A. B. Chamberlin 1936-1945 | David Wise 2001-2003 |
| Bernard Kemper 1945-1947 | Karmen Jamison 2003-present |
| Arthur Holtry 1947-1954 | |
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St. John’s United Church of Christ
Early in 1882, Pastor John Schwarz of Zion Evangelical Church of Lowden, Iowa, came to Clarence to minister to the needs of the German settlers in the community. He held his first service here on May of that year. He came occasionally after that and at his invitation the German people gathered for services. The attendance at these services was so encouraging that Pastor Schwarz proposed the organization of a congregation. At a meeting held November 5, 1882 those present formed a congregation and selected its name – St. John’s Evangelical Church (Deutsche Evangelische Johannis Kirche). A constitution was submitted for consideration and after due deliberation it was unanimously adopted and signed by eighteen members. The Church Council members were Henry Pruess, Carl Kintzel and Henry Goldsmith.
Up to 1890, services were held in the Lutheran Church. It was agreed that for services held once a month Pastor Schwarz would receive $75 a year. The new congregation was only able to rent the building. The time came when the members wanted to have a church of their own. The sanctuary was dedicated early in 1890. During that summer it was voted to have services twice a month and to pay the minister $150 a year.
In 1892, the congregation felt they could support a resident minister and Rev. John Hermann was called to be the first full-time pastor. A parsonage was also built. The first Sunday school was started July 30, 1892. On August 3, 1892 a bell was raised in the steeple.
Three acres of land were purchased one mile east of Clarence to be used as a cemetery. The cost was $450. It was dedicated October 27, 1899.
Rev. Schulmeistrat was the next pastor serving from 1903-1907. During this time the congregation grew but no history of his ministry was recorded.
Rev. Emil Hansen accepted a call to the pastorate in 1909. A new church was erected in 1912, the old church being added to the structure on the north annex. It was dedicated on December 12, 1912. The present parsonage was built in 1915. Rev. Hansen remained until 1917 when Rev. Carl Fauth began his twenty-two year ministry.
The language transition from German to English was made during the pastorates of Rev. Fauth and Rev. Mittler. At the annual meeting of January 3, 1921, it was voted to have English services the first Sunday of each month and Holy Communion was to be given in English when requested. In March of 1925, it was voted have English services twice a month. The minutes of this meeting were the first written in English. The arrangement continued until Rev. F. J. Mittler became pastor of the congregation in 1940, when German services were held every fourth Sunday of the month. At the annual meeting in 1949, it was voted to discontinue German services.
In 1940 work was begun on a new parish house. The first building was torn down and a basement was dug to accommodate a 40x70 addition on the north side of the church. The dedication was held on February 16, 1941.
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The church belfry was struck by lightning on April 28, 1951. It was fear for a time that the whole church would be lost, but the damage was confined and the building repaired.
Rev. A. J. Bowers began his ministry on September 6, 1951. The 75th anniversary of the church was observed in November of 1957. The church was remodeled and redecorated. On June 25, 1957 the national merger changed the name to St. John’s United Church of Christ.
From 1961 to 1966, Dr. William Ebbert energetically and well served the congregation.
Rev. Calvin Schumacher became the pastor in 1966. The first baby born to a minister’s family while in the present parsonage was Matthew Schumacher. The new church was constructed during his ministry and dedicated on October 8, 1972. Reverend Schumacher caringly served the congregation until 1989.
Rev. Don H. Eskew, and Rev. Edward D. Biegert served as interim ministers until 1990 when Glenn W. Wernecke assumed the pulpit. Rev. Schumacher was honoured as Pastor Emeritus in 1991. The pulpit was shared by Rev. Wernecke and Pastor Emeritus Schumacher for the candlelight service that year.
Rev. Josephine Green became our first female minister and interim in 1993. She remained until Rev. Rodt Slessor came to serve the church from 1995 until 1998. The next interim was Rev. Don Blanchette who served until Rev. David R. Mears joined St. John’s in April of 1999.
For St. John’s ministry to grow the church decided additional pastoral staff was needed. Lynn M. Butterbrodt completed the Iowa Conference Center Learn Program and joined Rev. Mears as Associate Pastor in May of 2000 with a focus on youth and family ministry. The two work to provide for all ages. Love and caring for the congregation are always in evidence in their daily activities.
Our mission statement – The mission of St. John’s United Church of Christ is to invite all people to experience God’s word, and provide for the spiritual well being of the church family. Empowered by the Holy Spirit we will accomplish this through sharing God’s love, witnessing to the good news of Jesus Christ and working for justice and peace in all of creation.
Over the course of 127 years, St. John’s has changed in a myriad of ways. From all the old methods of communication to the computer and onto the internet, the tools have changed. Our ancestors might be surprised to hear the modern sound system and see church on local cable each week, but the message has remained the same. The story of God, God’s people, and God’s salvation plan is still being told from the corner of Ninth Avenue and Smith Street in Clarence, Iowa.
