HISTORICAL RECORD OF M. E. CHURCH OF PELLA, IOWA

The articles of incorporation of Methodist Episcopal church of Pella,
Iowa, are dated May 21, 1855. They are gotten up in the form prescribed
by the church discipline, and are signed by the following named church
trustees" Green T. Clark, N. L. Baston, J. F. Woodside, R. G. Hamilton,
John B. Hamilton, Horace Strickland and J. Greenwood, and countersigned
by Joseph Brooks, presiding elder of Ottumwa district. They bear the
following indorsement: [sic] "Filed for record June 4, 1855, at 3
o'clock P. M. and recorded June 7, 1855, Book 'F,' page No. 489. D.
Stanfleld, recorder of Marion county, Iowa." Also as follows: "Received
in church and recorded on page No. 16. R. G. Hamilton, recording
steward."

The church at this early date was designated as "Pella Circuit," with as
many as seven places for preaching, as follows" Six Mile, Ramey, Pella,
Hamilton, Centre, Rochester, Prairie College.

The second quarterly conference was held at Pella, Iowa, January 7,
1865, for "Pella Circuit" at which meeting Jack Ramey was appointed
secretary, with the following official members in attendance- E.R.
Frost, preacher in charge of circuit; Henry Richardson, C. S.; George
Bennett, C. S.; Jack Ramey, C. S.; B. F. Van Leuven, L. P.

At this meeting the preacher in charge makes the following report- "I
have visited eighty-five families the past quarter, conversed with them
on the subject of religion, instructed the children, and offered prayer
in every family, except two or three. I have also received twelve
probationers and have received by letter" Jacob Reynolds, Miss S. C.
Reynolds, Daniel Satchel, Maria Satchell, Rev. B. F. Van Leuven and
Julia A. Van Leuven; also Nancy Riggen. Dismissed by letterJ. L.
Correll, Joanna Correll, R. Dawson and M. A. Dawson."

Of course these are not all of the minutes of the second quarterly
conference, and there are many more names that could be given that would
at once be recognized and recollected by the older people of our
community. When or where the first quarterly meeting of the conference
year 1865 was held, the records do not show, or they have been lost or
misplaced, but it is quite evident that between 1855, the date of the
articles of incorporation, and the year 1865 there were different
presiding elders, as well as many changes of preachers in charge, but as
near as we can ascertain with any degree of certainty, a meeting or
conference was held at Oskaloosa, January 1, 1853, at which time the
appointments already named, were located, embracing all the territory
lying between the Des Moines river and Skunk river, from Monroe to
Oskaloosa, Monroe being formerly called 9 Tools Point' and known as such
in the early years of the Methodist Church. At this meeting of January
1, 1853, the presiding elder was Rev. John Hayden, and the preacher in
charge was D. T. Sweem. In the conference year of 1854 and 1855, the
preacher in charge was Rev. G. H. Clark, and the presiding elder was
Rev. Wm. Simpson. At the quarterly conference held in Pella, March 15,
1856, authority was given the trustees to erect a suitable church
building in Pella, as it was considered that the membership of this
particular appointment was amply sufficient to justify such proceeding,
the presiding elder, the Rev. Wm. Simpson, giving his endorsement to
such movement, so that a building committee, consisting of John
Greenwood, R. G. Hamilton and Luke Stallard was appointed and ordered to
at once proceed to plan and carry to completion such enterprise. The
Rev. T. T. Henderson was the preacher in charge, having been appointed
by the district conference in 1856 to succeed G. H. Clark. In the inter
ning time the building committee had secured a suitable lot on which to
build, and a subscription of some considerable amount of money, and
built the church to co