

EARLY CHURCHES of RINGGOLD COUNTY

List of Ringgold County churches with links to those pages at bottom of this page.

As soon as the pioneers arrived in Ringgold County, their thoughts turned toward establishing schools and churches. Worship
services were held whenever the circuit riders came through. In some communities Sunday Schools and churches were organized even
though finanical resources were quite limited. Reverend W. C. WILLIAMS of Lorimor preached a sermon in the
timber of Jefferson Township in 1853. In October of 1854, Reverend Mr. BELL, also known as "Iron Jacket Baptist,"
rode up from Fairview (Denver), Missouri to conduct services out of Henry MILLER's home. The following year, Mr. and
Mrs. Luke SHAY returned home to find a Catholic priest waiting for them at the cabin. He later said the first mass
in Ringgold County in the SHAY cabin. Barton DUNNING, who kept the first store in Mount Ayr, started a Sunday school in
1856 and presented the organization with a Sunday School library which he had purchased one of his business trips to St. Louis, Missouri. Mr. SCHROBER, a Methodist preacher, became
the superintendent of this Sunday School and preached the first sermon in the fledgling county seat of Mount Ayr. Few groups, however, could not afford
to erect even humble church buildings. Instead, members of the congregation met in school houses or their homes. The Irish Catholics of Maloy held services in Luke SHAY's parlor until they built a chapel 1/4 of a mile north of town in
1875. Luke SHAY donated half of the construction cost. The citizens of Liberty Township decided to erect a church on a tract of land donated by James A. DRAKE's heirs in 1874.
With little financial resources and building materials scarce, the people garthered large boulders for the foundation and donated timber for the foundation sills. The Widow CALFEE
donated an oak tree that was made into a 40-foot sill. Those who could not donate either materials or money, volunteered to haul logs to the sawmill, lime from a kiln in Decatur
County, or shingles and lumber from Leon. Others helped put up the building. When the church was finally completed, it was done so debt free. Elder TODD dedicated the church,
named High Point Methodist Church. S. L. THOMPSON noted in the April 21, 1914 edition of The Mount Ayr Record-News, "Those of us who were boys when the church was being built
are now men with silver hair. . . High Point Church has now become one of the old landmarks of the early settlement of Ringgold County....standing as a monument to the memory of
the loyal, hardy settlers of the surrounding country."
The Palestine United Brethren Church was erected three miles south of Delphos. With more and more people purchasing automobiles,
the membership dwindled until the church closed its doors in 1918 when the remaining congregation transferred their membership to the Redding church.
Many of the country churches relied upon the services of circuit riders, clergymen who followed prairie trails from one congregation to another. The circuit riders lived on their horses furnished by the members of their
circuit, going from home to home, community to community. Some riders reportedly wore out eight horses a year. Nearly penniless, they were "happy in God" as they attended to members of their
flock scattered over the rolling hills of the prairie.
Camp meetings and tent revivals thrived in the southern part of Ringgold County from the 1870's until around 1910. The excitement and fervor of these revivals were a welcomed break from the daily routine of life on the
farm and drew in large crowds. The strongest evangelist sermons drew the largest crowds. An annual camp meeting was held from 1872 to 1875 on the Isaac MARSHALL farm in Middle Fork Township. Later, these meeting were
held on the Luther DENNIS farm, also in Middle Fork Township. Mrs. Anna DAVIS, an evangelist of the Evangelical Church, conducted tent meeting in August on a 40-tract of land John BUSH purchased specifically for religious
purposes, then grazing the rest of the year. Old-timers declared that they could hear the amassed singing hymns from two miles away. Before most of the outlaying villages and towns existed, five churches had been erected
in Mount Ayr. The first, the Methodist Church was constructed in 1869 and followed by the United Presbyterian Church in 1870. The Baptist Church was erected in 1873; the Presbyterian Church in 1875, and the Christian Church
in 1882.
A log church was erected in Bethel Cemetery, located south of the town of Goshen. This early church was replaced by a
frame church which was constructed in 1881. Two loads of lumber for the construction of the new church arrived by
rail. Later, the church was moved to Diagonal in 1890.
At one time there were four churches in Benton: the United Brethren, Seventh-Day Adventist, United Methodist, and
Christian Churches. There were two churches in Knowlton.
In 1890, there was a new Methodist Church erected in Benton and the Bohemian colony near Diagonal replaced
their church situated on the DOLECHECK farm with a new church building. The Goshen church was moved to Diagonal in 1890. By 1895, there were 25 churches in Ringgold County with some of the smaller rural churches already closed with their membership transferred to other larger congregations. The congregation at Kellerton held
services in a schoolhouse. A Christian Church in Tingley was erected in 1882, the first in a group of towns platted out along sites by the railroad. In 1882, a Baptist Church was erected in Delphos; a Catholic Church in Kellerton;
a United Brethren Church in Beaconsfield; and an Evangelistic Church at Wirt (later Ellston.) By 1895, two or three churches had been established in each of Ringgold County's villages. Reverend William BROWN, pastor of the United
Presbyterian Church of Mount Ayr, established a mission church at Eugene. The evangalistic spirit swept through the county with four young women stepping forward to dedicate their lives to missionary services abroad: Josephine STAHL
went to Darjeeling, India; Helen GALLOWAY went to Chung King, China; Lydia WILKINSON went to Foo Chow, China; and Fannie PERKINS went to Rangoon, Burma.
In 1971, Bishop Maurice DIGMAN established a team ministry of three priests to serve the combined parishes of
St. Patrick's of Grand River. These parishes include St. Brendan's Church, Leons, Iowa, both of Decatur County;
St. Joseph's Church, Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa; St. Bernard's Church, Osceola, Clarke County, Iowa;
Immaculate Conception Church, Maloy, Ringgold County, Iowa; Corydon Catholic Community, Corydon,
Wayne County, Iowa; St. Mary's Church, Woodburn, Iowa; and in 1978, Sacred Heart
Church, Chariton, Lucas County, Iowa, joining the Leon Region of Catholic Community.
SOURCE: Ringgold County History Complied and written by the Iowa Writers' Program of the Work Projects Administration in the State of Iowa, Sponsored
by Ringgold County Superintendent of Schools, Mount Ayr, Iowa. 1942.
Written & Submitted by Sharon R. Becker, 2008

RINGGOLD COUNTY CHURCHES
Past and Present
Ringgold County Churches, 1898
Adventist Church, Benton, 1894
Advent or Evangelical Church, Ringgold City
torn down in 1939 and materials used to build Assembly of God Church, Redding Assembly of God Church (Family Worship Center, 2015), Kellerton
Pastor Calvin GREGG (1983-1994); Pastor Charles HUSTED (2009); Pastor Barton SHIELDS (2010) Assembly of God Church, Mount Ayr Pastor Butch BLACK (2003), Pastor Doug ROHRER Assembly of God Church, Redding
Bank of Christ Outreach and Hope Center, Kellerton The Baptists, Early History in Southern & Southwestern Iowa Early Primitive Baptist Church History in Iowa Baptist Convention Notes, 1881 - 1882 Baptist Church (Historial), Caledonia, Iowa Baptist Church, Delphos, Iowa
originally Goshen Baptist Church, moved to Delphos and renamed in 1884 Baptist Church, Diagonal, Iowa, 1895 Baptist Church, historical, Maloy, Ringgold County, Iowa
torn down in 1921; materials used for
Delphos Baptist Church where Maloy's bell is displayed Baptist Church, Ringgold City, Ringgold County, Iowa
Assembly of God Church, Redding in 1930's Baptist Church, Knowlton, Iowa
Contribution by Delbert SpencerBaptist Church, Maloy Baptist Church, Mount Ayr Baptist Church, Tingley, Iowa, built 1884 Bethel Church at Bethel Cemetery, Grant Township Bethlehem Primitive Baptist Church (Historical), Delphos
Bohemian Church, rural DiagonalCampbellite Baptist Church, Maloy Catholic Church, Kellerton
Catholic Church, Knowlton
Centenary Methodist Church was located northeast of the Centenary (Knowlton) Cemetery
Church building was moved into Knowlton. It was struck by lightning and burned.Christian Church, Benton Christian Church, Delphos, Ringgold County, Iowa
later Seventh Day Adventist Church Christian Church (Disciples of
Christ), Diagonal merged into United Church of Diagonal, January 1, 1981
Christian Church, Ellston Christian Church, Maloy Christian Church, Mount Ayr Christian Church, Ringgold City
Church of Christ Church, Benton
Church of Christ Church, DelphosChurch of Christ Church, Kellerton
see Kellerton 1st Christian Church
Church of Christ Church, Redding Church of Christ, Tingley
Church of the Brethren, Maloy Community Bible Church, Redding
Redding Community Bible Church, circa 1962/3 Community of Christ Church (former Reorganized Church of Latter Day Saints), Mount Ayr
Co-pastors Tony and Sandy CRANDEL; Pastor Randy DRAKE (2015) Cornwall Chapel, Ellston Iowa Diagonal Bible School, 1978 or 1979 Enterprise Methodist Church, Benton, 1870's Eureka Methodist Episcopal Church, Rice Township, 1891 Evangelical Church, Delphos
held services at
1st Baptist Church of Delphos Evangelical Church, Ellston
Advent or Evangelical Church, Ringgold City
torn down in 1939 and materials used to build Assembly of God Church, Redding Faith Presbyterian Parish, Tingley Rev. Peter Brantner, 1991 Fairview Methodist Episcopal Church, Polen, Ringgold County, Iowa
Faith United Parish, Platte Center Pastor Bruce GIESE Family Worship Center (former Assembly of God Church), Kellerton
Pastor Barton SHIELDS, 2015 First Baptist Church, Mount Ayr
First Christian Church, Ellston First Christian Church of Kellerton, Iowa
presently Bank of Christ Outreach and Hope Center First Christian Church Mount Ayr
Pastor John BRILLO
Pastor Karen L. MOORE (2003-2009)
Pastor Chris CONKLIN (2009-2015)
Pastor Darin Dolecheck (2016-2021)
First Christian Church, Tingley
Pastor Al RUSK First Lutheran Church (LCMS) Mount Ayr
Reverend Gregory J. SCHULTZ (1991)
Reverend Don CRAIG (2003) Reverend Gary JAECKLE (2009) Reverend Don CRAIG (2010); Vacancy Pastor Rev. Jonathan WATT (2012) Trinity Lutheran Church, 2014 Free Methodist Church, Mount Ayr
Pastor Charles WEIMAN (2003) Free-Will Baptist Church, Maloy Fry Chapel, Methodist Episcopal Church, south of Mount Ayr Goshen Baptist Church, rural Delphos
moved to Delphos in 1884 and renamed Delphos Baptist ChurchGoshen Methodist Church, moved from Goshen to Diagonal in 1890 Grant Center Church, Methodist Episcopal, Grant Township Grove Chapel Hickory Grove Advent Chrisitan Church, Rural Ringgold County
Reverend Thomas HELMS (2003) Pastor Dean EWING; Sherry WILEY, supply pastor (2009) Final services June 21, 2015 Highland Church, Methodist Episcopal, Maloy
High Point Methodist Espicopal Church, Liberty Township
Reminiscene of the Early Days in Liberty Township
by Stewart L. Thompson, 1914 Immaculate Conception Church, Maloy
Father Thomas DOOLEY (2009)
Father M. J. CULHANE
Reverend Father Henry V. MALONE
Sister Bernadine E. PIEPER
Father John ZEITLER Sisters Nan ROSS and Joanna RETTENMEIER, 2009 Steve SWANK Refurbishes Rectory, 2011 Kingdom Hall of Jehovah Witnesses, Mount Ayr Latter Day Saints Church, Tingley
The Latter Day Saints held Sunday evening church services in the early 1940's in the
building later [1983] known as the "card shack." Upon the construction of a new church in Mount Ayr,
church services were discontinued in Tingley. Lee Chapel, 4 miles east of Ringgold City
dedicated as a United Evangelical Church on December 18, 1898 Lesanville Methodist Episcopal Church, Poe Township The Lighthouse Christian Center, west of Mount Ayr north side of Highway 2
Pastor Doug GREENE, Youth Pastor Darin DOLECHECK Lotts Grove Baptist Church, Worth County, Missouri
across the state line from Ringgold City; organized in 1884
Lutheran Church, Mount Ayr Trinity Lutheran Church, 2014 A History of the Mennonites and Amish in Iowa Methodist Episcopal Church, Benton Methodist Episcopal, Chariton District Appointments, 1912 Methodist Episcopal Church, Caledonia, Iowa
Methodist Episcopal Church (Historical), Ringgold City, Ringgold County, Iowa Methodist Episcopal Church, Diagonal, 1911
present-day United Church of Diagonal Methodist Episcopal Church, Goshen, Iowa, moved to Diagonal Methodist Episcopal Church, Knowlton, Iowa Methodist Church, Ringgold City Middle Fork Methodist Episcopal Church previously Rose Hill Methodist Episcopal Church in 1870's
a.k.a. Middle Fork United Methodist Church Pastor Susan A. THOMAS (2003), Pastor Skip RUSHING
Sunday School Classes
and Organizations, Middle Fork Methodist Church
Bible School, June of 1941
Service Flag Dedication, 1943
Bible School Picnic, 1951
 Mount Ayr Restoration Branch Church Rob ROLFE, presiding Elder; Alan SMITH, assisting Elder (2003) Sherman PHIPPS, presiding Elder;
Alan SMITH, assistant Elder, Presiding Elder (2015) Mortimer Church, services held in Mortimer Schoolhouse Mt. Zion Methodist Episcopal Church, Sect. 16, Jefferson Tp
first Church built in Ringgold County; 1858-1871
Mt. Zion, Riley Township Nazarene Church, Diagonal Nazarene Church, Ellston, Iowa Nazarene Church, Knowlton, Iowa New Life Family Assembly of God Church Oakland Baptist Church located approximately 7 1/2 miles southeast of Mount Ayr
merged with First Baptist Church, Mount Ayr
Oakland Cemetery Palestine Church, Redding
Pentecostal Church, Redding
See Assembly of God Church
Platte Valley United Presbyterian Church, Grant Township
active in 1893 with pastorate of Reverend J. W. JOHNSON Pleasant Hill Church,
Middle Fork Township, Ringgold County
Pastor Skip RUSHING
Pleasant Hill Church Group
Contribution by Phillana SmelserPleasant Ridge United Bretheran Church, Sect. 12, Jefferson Twp.
First church building in Ringgold County.
The church was established 1857; used until 1874.
The church was located at the Pleasant Ridge CemeteryPoe Center Methodist Episcopal Congregation, no church building
Presbyterian Church in Iowa, 1876 Presbyterian Church, Diagonal
Merged into United Church, Diagonal Presbyterian Church, Ellston Presbyterian Church, Mount Ayr, Iowa Redding Sunday School Class, circa 1913 Regular Baptist Church, Mount Ayr Pastor Matthew NOVOTNY (2003), Pastor Charles HAWKINS (2009); Pastor Seth DENNEY (2012) Restoration Branch, Mount Ayr Sherman PHIPPS, presiding Elder; Alan SMITH, assistant Elder; Joel Loving, Presiding Elder (2017) St. John's Catholic Church, Diagonal Saint Mary's Catholic Church, rural Maloy, 1875-1895 Salem Evangelical Church, 1894 - 1975 Shiloh Methodist Church, rural Ringgold County, 1870's, discontinued circa 1880's St. Joseph's Catholic Church of Mount Ayr, Iowa
Father Thomas DOOLEY (2009); Father Glen WILWERDING (2010); Father David POLICH (2013) Seventh Day Adventist Church, Benton Seventh Day Adventist Church
former Delphos Christian Church Seventh-Day Adventist Church Mount Ayr Siloam Church United Brethren, Washington Township Star Center Church, Methodist Episcopal, Washington Township Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Mount Ayr former First Lutheran Church, Rev. Jonathan WATT, Pastor John RUTZ Star Center United Brethren Church Union Vacation Bible School, TingleyUnion Sunday School, Maloy Organized March 8, 1900 United Baptist Presbyterian Church, Highway 169, Mount Ayr Pastor Peter BRANTNER to 2004; Pastor Michael MADDY
UBP builds churches in Nepal United Brethren Church, Beaconsfield United Brethren Church, Benton
See Siloam Church United Brethren Church congregation, Liberty Center, no church United Brethren Church, KnowltonUnited Brethren Church, Maloy, 1890's United Church, Sect. 8, Jefferson Twp.
 United Church of Diagonal 100th Birthday 2011 Pastor John BERAN (2003) Pastor Ed SHIELDS, 2012 United Methodist Church Beaconsfield, Iowa, 1950
Pastor W. T. MILLER (1953) Pastor Rick HAWKINS (2009 - 2012)
Rev. Robin THOMAS, 2012 Rev. Samuel ANSONG Rev. Judy Nolte Davis United Methodist Church, Ellston
Rev. Geo. C. WISE (1953) Pastor Dan FERNANDEZ (2010) Rev. Robin THOMAS (2012); Rev. Bruce GIESE United Methodist Church, Kellerton
Pastor W. T. MILLER (1953); Pastor Rick HAWKINS (2009 - 2012); Rev. Samuel ANSONG Rev. Judy Nolte Davis
United Methodist Church, Mount Ayr Larger Parish Pastor Susan A. THOMAS (2003), Pastor Skip RUSHING United Methodist Church, Redding
Pastor Susan A. THOMAS (2003), Pastor Skip RUSHING
1922 Brochure, Pastor C. C. CALLAHAN
Vacation Bible School, 1952 United Methodist Church, Tingley
Rev. Geo. C. WISE (1953); Reverend Dan FERNANDEZ (2010); Rev. Robin THOMAS (2012); Rev. Bruce Giese United Presbyterian Church, Eugene United Presbyterian Church, Mount Ayr United Presbyterian Church, Redding, Iowa, built 1889
United Presbyterian Church, Tingley
Tent Chapel Church of Christ, approximately 3 miles south of Blockton
 Vacation Bible School Ellston Vacation Bible School, 1987 Tingley Vacation Bible School, 1987 Wesleyan Methodist Church, Diagonal
Willow Grove School, No. 4, Jefferson Tp
served as a church in the 1930's Wishard Chapel, Methodist Episcopal
Rev. Geo. C. WISE (1953) Reverend Dan FERNANDEZ (to 2011) Wishard Chapel Community Church Pastor Thomas RUTAN, 2012 Pastor Bill ARMSTRONG, 2012 Wishard Chapel builds churches in Nepal Ministers, Pastors, & Spiritual Leaders of Ringgold County ~ An on-going project
"Steeple" photograph by Sharon R. Becker, May of 2009

Many Ringgold County families and residents are included in Decatur County IAGenWeb-site'sA History of the Catholic Church: Decatur County, Iowa" by Rev. Edward J. HARKIN, pastor, 1956, and
transcribed in January & February, 2002 by Nancee (McMURTREY) SIEFERT. This work includes genealogical information,
obituaries, and family information.


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