The Restoration Movement entered Michigan in 1840. In 1856, Isaac Errett led in the formation of the church at Ionia, then another at Muir. In 1858, Elisha Brooks, who had been a follower of the Movement in Indiana, met a young man named Elias Sias near St. Louis. Mr. Sias had made a “start” in a Methodist camp meeting and Mr. Brooks, seeing the young man’s sincerity, gave him a copy of the pamphlet, Christian Experience, or Sincerity Seeking the Way to Heaven. Mr. Sias read the work and was so greatly impressed by it that he urged his neighbors to read it. As a result, eleven others joined with Mr. Sias in a desire to follow the New Testament way. They went to a United Brethren minister asking to be baptized scripturally and were refused. Mr. Brooks then offered Mr. Sias a horse on which he might ride 200 miles to Newville, Indiana to be baptized; just as he was about to go, he learned of the church at Muir, 60 miles away, where Isaac Errett was preaching the very doctrine he now believed. So, Mr. Sias rode horseback to Muir to be baptized. Mr. Errett was away, but one of the elders there, “Uncle Ben” Soule, baptized Mr. Sias and made arrangements to come to St. Louis and baptize the other eleven. He did so in October 1858. This was the founding of the St. Louis Church of Christ.
Nothing is known of the first few months, but it is recorded that Mr. Sias began to preach in May 1859, and that the first time he gave the invitation, four came to confess faith in Christ. He baptized them in the Pine River by moonlight that very night. Donald Monroe, the secretary of the Michigan Christian Missionary Society around 1900, recorded the following concerning Mr. Elias Sias: “Mr. Sias was a pioneer farmer who knew the hardships of the early settlements in Michigan. He was so earnest in seeing sinners turn to the Lord that he would start out early on the Lord’s Day to walk to the different schoolhouses and return home at ten o’clock at night, after preaching four times and walking 43 miles. In the fall of 1859, Mr. Sias walked from St. Louis to Ohio to attend an annual meeting and interest the disciples of Ohio in their work. The convention paid his way back on the train and sent with him L. L Carpenter, who attended the yearly meeting in St. Louis and remained for some time and preached at Salt River, Estey Schoolhouse and Sumner. Fifty-four were added to the Lord during these meetings.”
In just a few years from the beginning, the Church of Christ, or “Disciples” must have grown rapidly in numbers and strength, for by 1866, they had started an Academy and erected a large building which stood until 1952. Elisha Brooks was the president and Mr. and Mrs. Randall Faurot were the first teachers. The church services and Sunday School were held there for over twenty years.
In 1889, the property at the southwest corner of Saginaw and Franklin streets was purchased. According to an entry in the minutes of the board meeting on March 28, 1889: “Chairman McCurdy stated that the Congregational church property could be purchased at a reduced rate. Carried that we as a church purchase said property. Also carried that J.L. McCurdy and H.B. Baldwin act as a committee to purchase the property and to pay not over $500.00 for it.”
This building was dedicated on July 7, 1889. It was damaged by fire on February 17, 1890, but repairs were made so quickly that it was reopened in two months. It seems that considerable remodeling was done at that time. The building had two floors, above ground level and no basement. The upper floor was used for the worship services.
In 1906, a parsonage was built on the west end of the property on Saginaw Street. At a board meeting on February 9, 1906, a building committee was appointed consisting of George Sias, C. Alexander, William Grove, Lewis Acker, Mason Wood, with L.B. Longwell as chairman. On Sunday, February 25, the congregation accepted the plans of the committee and voted to proceed to build the parsonage. Many men of the church helped in the actual work. A crew of men went to the farm of David Acker and cut the timber, sawed the lumber and built the house. The ladies served meals to the builders.
The movement toward a new church building began at a special meeting on April 11, 1929, called by Minister Mark Wall. His predecessor, Ira Kimberling, had proposed the project, stirred interest in it and had set about to raise money for it. It was agreeable to all to go forward in this. Mr. Wall drew the plans and many persons gave generously of the time, labor and money to erect the beautiful and useful edifice that resulted. Mr. Frank Nesen was the chairman of the building committee and Mr. Paul Burnham was the brick mason.
The congregation met in the schoolhouse while the building was going up. The building was finished by October 1929, and was dedicated on November 19.
Estimated value of the completed building was $16,055.00. About half of this amount was owed to the Hall Lumber Co. and the local bank. This debt and attendant interest proved to be a heavy burden during The Great Depression. Not until January 1942, during the ministry of C. Wayne Davis, was the final payment made. The Homecoming Service on September 20, 1942 was the occasion for the burning of the mortgage. Mr. Davis’ ministry was also when the organ was purchased and installed. Early in 1945, a fund was started and by mid-year enough had been raised to buy the $1551.00 organ and the light and choir chairs.
The ministry of Malcolm Olthouse, which began in 1946, was marked by a continued growth of the Bible School and the addition to the church of a number of consecrated Christians, through an effected program of teaching. In 1948, a building fund was started to enlarge the facilities for the growing Bible School. When Clyde Keck began his ministry in 1951, this effort was stepped up. A committee, appointed for the purpose, determined that it would require a gift of over $300.00 from each family in the church to meet the cost of the proposed addition. Response of the congregation to this appeal was immediate and generous. The seven room addition was erected debt-free.
Mr. Keck was succeeded in July 1956 by James W. Greenwood. The two years of this ministry were busy ones. Average attendance had climbed to 220. A weekly, fifteen-minute broadcast of the Bible School lesson over radio station WFYC was carried for over a year. In the Spring of 1958, a financial campaign resulted in total pledges of over $28,000 for erection of an educational building. In September, a new parsonage was purchased to make way for this expansion. Bible School classes were conducted in the former parsonage during the winter. Construction began on the new building in 1959.
In 1967, Henry McAdams came from Rochester, Michigan. He was the Senior Minister when the present facility, west of St. Louis on M-46, was built in 1974.
In 1984, Everett “Bill” Wilson came to ministry here leading through years of growth. In 1990, James A. Luehm became the Senior Minister after having served as an Associate Minister.
In 1993, Keith J. Wise was called to be the Senior Minister and serves presently in this position. In that time the foyer was expanded and a $1.5 million Family Life Center was constructed. Ron Salladay Jr., Larry Parsons, Keith McJilton, Rich Apps, Wayne Kelly, Phil Hoyt, Bob Adams, Sam Snyder, Bruce Daniels and Phil Peasley served on the building committee. Dedicated on November 5, 2000, the Family Life Center expanded classroom space, and added a gymnasium and a second kitchen area.
A congregational celebration is being prepared for Sunday, November 2, 2008 to observe 150 years of ministry by the St. Louis congregation. |
