CHURCH OF THE OPEN BIBLE.Mt. Pleasant, Henry County, Iowa |
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| This frame structure [706 East Henry Street] was built in 1867 to house the congregation of the Henry Street Methodist Church. In 1883 the building was sold to the Swedish Lutheran congregation and the same building later served as the home of the Church of the Open Bible from 1938 until 1964. [“Mt. Pleasant News”, January 26, 1973] |
The local Open Bible Church was born in the Saturday night prayer meetings held in the Penn home, 408 Broadway [now Crane-Ewart-Young Funeral Home]. Ulina Beals, daughter of Mrs. Ingersol [who was one of the Penn sisters], was the first to bring the Full Gospel message to Mt. Pleasant. In the early 1920s, Mrs. Beals held meetings in an empty store building on the south side of the square for several weeks, then moved the meetings to a store on North Jefferson across from the Harlan Hotel. Prayer meetings continued in the Penn home until two members of the group rented a room above a hardware store at 121 N. Jefferson. This room was known as Gospel Hall. In 1928, the congregation was organized under the name of Foursquare. The next move was to 108 E. Monroe, in a building vacated by Mt. Pleasant News. Under the leadership of the Rev. Klopping, the church came into the Open Bible organization. Soon after the reorganization, the congregation rented the Christian Church [now American Legion Hall - Note: 301 W. Monroe Street]. Then, in 1938, the Swedish Lutheran Church at 706 E. Henry was purchased by the congregation. In 1964, the present church building at 306 N. Cherry was started. Most of the work on the original building and on the addition completed in 1972 was done by volunteers, members of the congregation and friends of the church. The present pastor, the Rev. Chester Potts, served the local church from 1952 until 1955, and was recalled to the church in 1965. [“Mt. Pleasant News”, January 26, 1973] |
| Transcribed and contributed by Pat White, November 24, 2019 |