Worth County, Iowa

Churches
Methodist Church

The First Methodist Episcopal Church, of Northwood, was formally organized on November 26, 1870. D. Wright, Walter Stott and William Perkins were elected the first stewards.

The first meeting place was the school house, thereafter the court house, and finally the Presbyterian church was secured for every alternate Sunday.

On November 21, 1874, a committee was named to purchase a site on which to erect a church. Rev. J. O. Hazleton. O. V. Eckert and Walter Stott were named as the members of this committee. They purchased the present site and proceeded with the erection of a church edifice to such good purpose that on the 11th day of August, 1876, Bishop Bowman preached the dedicatory sermon signaling the completion of the present structure at a cost of over six thousand dollars.

The Methodist church has today on its roster 136 names most of which membership is active and earnest. The organization is free from debt and always raises the church benevolence with ease.

A strong Sunday School, Ladies Aid Society, Women's Foreign Missionary Society and Epworth League are auxiliary to the church.

The following well known ministers have served this charge in the order named:

1. Rev. Webster 1870-71
2. Rev. J. W. Gould 1871-72
3. Rev. F. B. Gaut 1872-73
4. Rev. W. W. Robinson 1873-74
5. Rev. J. O. Hazleton 1874-75
6. Rev. T. E. Fleming 1875-77
7. Rev. W. F. Barclay 1877-78
8. Rev. T. M. Nichols l.878-79
9. Rev.. F. J. Norton 1879-80
10. Rev. M. A. Goodell 1880-82
11. Rev. B. A. Wright 1882-83
12. Rev. W. A. Pottle 1883-86
13. Rev. A. Torbet 1886-87
14. Rev. W. Pearce 1887-88
15. Rev. De Witt Clinton 1888-91
16. Rev. Elias Skinner 1891
17. Rev. J. K Shiffer 11891-93
18. Rev. J. B. Smith l893-94
19. Rev. A. D. Stevens l894-95
20. Rev. J. M. Wilkinson l895-97
21. Rev. A. A. Luce 1897-99
22. Rev. Frank Cole 1899-1902
23. Rev. J. B. Jones 1902-03
24. Rev. A. B. Curran 1903-06
25. Rev. W. Minor Lemen 1906