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"The Fairfield (Ia.) Daily Ledger"
Thursday, August 26, 1926
Page Five

ANTIOCH CHURH (sic) CELEBRATED ITS FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY SUNDAY

Two Hundred People In Attendance, Three of Them More Than 90 Years of Age, and four of Eighteen Charter Members Were There To Enjoy the Ceremonies.

Antioch Christian church near Perlee celebrated its fiftieth anniversary Sunday with appropriate ceremonies. More than 200 persons were there, among them being three more than 80 years of age, and six of the eighteen charter members.

There was a basket dinner at noon, and that was followed by a program that included the histories of the church, the Sunday school, the Christian Endeavor societies, the reading of letters from former pastors -- S .I. Helfenstine, D. M. Helfenstine, E. N. Milleys, William Faye, Laurence Spaulding and Melvin Pierce, as well as messages from Mrs. Mary Coop who lives in California, and Mrs. Louisa Miller of Fairfield, members since 1875, and 1876 respectively. Six of the eighteen charter merbers (sic) are still living and four of these were present.

The following history was read by Joseph F. Simmons:

Started in 1875
In the summer of 1875 I was staying at Uncle Will Coop's and farming on the shares. At this time I was twenty-one years old, and had never made any profession of religion. I think Uncle Will Coop had belonged to church at one time but was not living a christian life at that time. There were no religious services of any kind in the neighborhood. Sometimes the boys would play ball on Sundays and sometimes they would go to the creek fishing.

My uncle and I talked the matter over and concluded we would organize a Sunday school at No. 10 school house. The Sunday school was organized with Mr. John W. Jones as superintendent, we having secured Mr. Jones for this purpose. Mr. Jones belonged to the Baptist church and was quite a church worker at this time. The Sunday school ran for that summer and late in the fall a minister came and preached for awhile, I think about a week. I have forgotten his name but I think he belonged to the Baptist church. Sometime after this there was a union prayer meeting started and the spirit of God came down in great power to convert sinners. At this meeting I have seen sinners converted that all the infidels in this old world could not convince me but what God had power on earth to forgive sins. He has the same power today if the people would only use it.

The Thomas Meeting
They then sent for a Christian minister by the name of S. K. Thomas who lived in Washington, Iowa. He came down and held a meeting. I do not know how long it lasted but it was a grand and glorious meeting. Sometime after this meeting closed, the church was organized on the twenty-first day of December, 1875, at Uncle Lafe Coop's house by Brother Lewis Fordyce with 18 members. They gave to the church the name of Antioch Christian church at this time. There had been another organization of the same denomination in this locality before. When I was a small boy I can remember of their having conference and I think it was sixty or more years ago. They held their meetings in the Miller school house. Uncle Henry Phillips and Brother Lewis Fordyce were the ministers that preached for them and also a man by the name of Leonard Four.

Some Old Families
These are some of the families that belonged to that church: the Coops, Millers, Dudleys, McKee's and Shaws. So far as I know Sister Lide Miller is the only person living that belonged to that church. The Civil war caused a diversion and the church broke up.

In the spring of 1876 the new organized church wanted a building of its own to worship in so they decided to build the Antioch Christian church. At this time the church members and the community were not rich in this worlds goods but they all worked together both members and those who were not members. Uncle Lafe Coop was worth a little more than the rest of us and he put in $200 besides his work. The rest of us gave what we could in money and our work. We went down on Nobe Frederick's land and quarried the rock for the foundation.

Two Day Trip
My father took his team and went up on Rock Creek and got the lime with which to lay the foundation and make the plaster. It took him two days to make the trip. Uncle Philip Miller, Henderson Martin, Uncle Tom Gilbert took charge of the work of building the church.

All honor to these men who worked so faithfully, never expecting to receiving a cent for their labor.

Rebuilt in 1913
In the year 1913 they rebuilt the church. This time they got a gang of carpenters to do the work. Mr. Welsh, Mr. Lygret, J. J. Kyle, O. S. Weaver and others took a prominent part in rebuilding. I think Mr. Welsh gave a considerable amount of money as did others. Sister Lide Miller and family boarded the hands while they worked on the church. In 1923 the church was repainted, John Gilbert looking after this work.

In remodeling the church they put in some memorial windows. One large one in the front of the church is in memory of Col. W. G. Coop and Nancy A. Coop, his wife, he having given the ground for the graveyard and church purposes. They also put in chairs in place of benches that were in the old church. The church is now a neat and attractive building for a country church.

Uncle Will Coop preached the dedication sermon sometime in the summer of 1876. I do not remember the date. I will try to give the names of the ministers that have preached for the church. I cannot give them in their regular order, but as nearly as possible.

ThePreachers
Revs. S. K. Thomas, Lewis Fordyce, Thomas Henry, S. K. Helfenstein, D. M. Helfenstein, Daniel Jacobs, George Phillips, E. W. Sage, Mahurin, W. B. Golden, George Milne, Charles McDonald, Charles Coop, W. E. Stockley, L. J. Lindsay, D. L. Morrow, E. H. Willey, Robert Boyce, S. H. Burnette, Lonso Thomas, Seymour, M. D. Webber, R. W. Pittman, L. L. Spaulding, Fey Willey, S. Walton Fay, Melvin Pierce.

If the church had any other pastors I do not remember them. The older ministers of this list have already gone to the Great Beyond to enjoy the fruits of their labors, for they labored hard to build up God's kingdom on this earth. They received a small salary for their services in comparison to what the ministers receive for their labor today.

First Conference
The first conference, of the church was held in 1878, the last one in 1925. Since the church was organized it has taken in 306 members. I do not know the present number that belong.

Time and eternity can only tell the good the church had done in the 50 years since it was organized. It has had its lights and darkness, its joys and sorrows but I pray the Lord its light may get brighter instead of dimmer, and that it may yet be the means of leading many poor souls that are in the darkness of sin to a nobler and higher life in God.

There may be several important facts that I have omitted but as I had to rely principally on my memory, these are the things which come to my mind.

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"The Fairfield (Iowa) Daily Ledger"
CENTENNIAL EDITION
Monday, October 2, 1939
Section E, Page Two, Column Five

... Colonel (W.G.) COOP's last public act was to deed to the trustees of Penn township and their successors for a period of ninety-nine years a tract of land for a cemetery. In addition to this he deeded three extra acres for a church ground. This is known as the Antioch Church, and the burial ground to one side is the Antioch Cemetery.