Friendship Church

Friendship Church is a small, one room, frame church located southwest of Hallsville, MO in Boone County. 

Friendship Church was a church that was part of the Christian Church/Disciples of Christ denomination. As people migrated westward with the expansion and exploration of the United States in the 19th century, many who settled in Missouri were members of the Christian Church. At first they would worship together in houses, fields, groves, or sometimes in the local school houses, but in time, the first Christian Church buildings sprung up. 

On October 5, 1822, the Red Top Church became the first Christian Church organized in Boone County, MO. It was also the 3rd Christian Church to be established west of the Mississippi River, and is still in use to this day. As Red Top grew and more people settled in Boone County, more Christian Churches were established. This is how Friendship Church began. 

Friendship Church was originally organized in 1837 and had nine member. The original building stood one mile southwest of the current building. The church saw some growth, but was disorganized in 1876 with members moving to other churches and organizations. 

Just two short years later, in 1878, Friendship Church was reorganized and the current building was built. It cost $950 and was a frame building, typical of most small, country churches at that time. The first sermon at the new building was preached by Joel Heddington in October of 1878. By 1882, church membership had grown to 83 members. James A. Stevenson, John W. Ridgway, and Josiah Jones were elders in 1882, and Willis Robinson and Cyrus Turner serving as deacons. 

Due to the ecclesiastical structure of the Christian Church denomination, each church is autonomous. But as more churches were planted and the membership grew, the Christian Churches in Boone County and the surrounding area started meeting together in cooperation with one another. The first annual meeting of Christian Churches in Boone County was held in 1837 at Bear Creek Church. This was the forerunner to the Missouri State Convention. A highlight of Friendship Church's history is that Friendship Church hosted the first ever convention of the churches from September 7th-9th in 1908. At these conventions were held activities such as: devotional services, addresses to church members, luncheons and meals, formation of committees, election of convention officers, reports, and planning for future convention and church activities. The Convention of Christian Churches remained officially active until the 1960's. 

Pastors who served at Friendship Church included: an Elder Mason, Joel Heddington, Mr. Cave, Mr. Burton, Mr. Roselle, Mr. Burnam, and Elijah Chrisman. 

Today the church sits abandoned, but in pretty good condition. I am not sure when the church officially closed its doors, but it is clearly not being used for worship services or even occasional, special services either.  The church was active through at least the mid-1900's, as the building clearly had electricity running to it.  At one point in its history it appears to have had gender segregated seating, based on the fact that the building has two front doors.  Men would enter through one door, the women through the other, and while married families could sit together in the middle pews, the single men and single women had to sit on their respective sides of the church in the pews along the walls. The graveyard in in really good condition and appears to be being kept up. 

Indian Grove Christian Church

The Indian Grove Christian Church, more commonly known as Powell Church, was organized Dec. 25, 1873 by Elder O.H.P. Wheeler with nine members. The Church is still active (1966) and is located in Chariton County, Missouri, about 19 miles northeast of Brunswick. The land for the church and cemetery was donated by Milton Powell and his wife, Margaret. The deed which they executed on Aug. 11, 1877, and for the Indian Grove Christian Church "one acre of land in the southeast corner of the south half of the northeast quarter of Sec. 3, Township 54, Range 19". After the congregation was organized and before the church building was erected, services were held in the homes of the members. Chief among the homes so used was that of the Powell's. The first pastor of the church was O.H.P. Wheeler. Carter DeWeese, the first charter member, serves as pastor from June 30, 1877 until Aug. 11, 1922. During that time he preached 2,285 sermons, 144 funerals, baptized 284, and married 99 couples. (Source: POWELL FAMILY RECORDS, by Mrs. Merna Potts of Albany, Oregon (1966)
https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2139451/powell-cemetery

Rev. Carter DeWeese was a much loved and much respected person and one of the best known ministers in central Missouri.  Records vary as to how many sermons he preached and funerals and baptisms performed, but regardless, he was mightily used by God. 

"Carter DeWeese was born in Boone County, Indiana on Dec. 26, 1840 and died Aug. 5, 1925, aged 84 years. He was united in marriage to Nancy E. Powell, daughter of Charles E. and Lydia Powell on Jan. 3, 1861. To this union five children were born, three daughters and two sons. One daughter, Edith, died at age three. He united with the Christian Church at Brown's Wonder, Boone County, Indiana on Jan. 6, 1862 and was baptized Feb. 23, 1862. He began his ministry in 1877. He has preached 1,926 sermons, 142 funerals and baptized 248.

He leaves to mourn their loss, one half-brother, two sons, two daughters, 24 grandchildren and 28 great-grandchildren, besides a host of other relatives and friends. Funeral services were conducted at the Indian Grove Christian Church on Aug. 7 and the body laid to rest in the family lot there. Services were conducted by Rev. T.B. Sweet of Kansas City, an old friend and co-worker."

THE BRUNSWICKER, Brunswick, Missouri, Friday, Aug. 14, 1925 REV. CARTER DEWEESE DIED LAST WEDNESDAY  

"Carter DeWeese was born in Boone County, Indiana, Dec. 26, 1840, and at his death had reached the ripe old age of 84 years, 7 months and 10 days. He was married Jan. 3, 1861 to Nancy E. Powell, daughter of Charles E. and Lydia Powell, who preceded him in death eleven years ago. Five children were born of this union, three daughters and two sons. One of the daughters, Edith, died at the age of three years. The four surviving children are Mrs. Isaac Allen of Sumner, Mrs. John T. May and Warren W. DeWeese of Mendon, and C.M. DeWeese of near Indian Grove. Besides the four children, Rev. DeWeese leaves one half-brother, Frank Pierce of Huntington, Indiana; 24 grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren; together with other relatives and a host of friends.

Rev. DeWeese was united with the Christian Church at Brown's Wonder, Boone County, Indiana, on Jan. 26, 1862, and baptized Feb. 23 that year. He came to Missouri a short time later and entered the ministry of the Christian Church in 1877. For almost half a century he lived in the vicinity of Indian Grove preaching in Chariton County and nearby counties, and became one of the best known ministers in this part of the state. Always devout and earnest in his work, ever faithful to his calling, he walked uprightly before God living. Everyone who knew him was his friend, and many will miss his wise counsel and kindly companionship.

Funeral services were conducted Friday at the Christian Church at Indian Grove, by Rev. T.B. Sweet of Kansas City, an old friend and co-worker of Rev. DeWeese. Burial was in the family lot at Indian Grove."

THE MARCELINE JOURNAL-MIRROR, Marceline, Missouri, Friday, Aug. 14, 1925 DEATH REMOVED AGED MINISTER
(https://www.geni.com/people/Reverend-Carter-DeWeese/6000000080867503863)

Berea Christian Church

 Located at a busy T-junction of two dirt county roads (I mean, three vehicles drove by within two minutes of us stopping on this seemingly out-of-the-way road), the small, one-room, wooden Berea Christian Church is slowly succumbing to nature.  

There is very little information to be found concerning this church online.  It is a simple, one-room, wood frame, gable end church.  This church was a daughter church of Leonard Christian Church (as was Cherry Box Christian Church) and was one of 17 organized Christian churches in Shelby County, Missouri.  According to The General History of Shelby County, Missouri (by Bingham, William H., [from old catalog] comp; Taylor, Henry, & company, Chicago, pub. [from old catalog].  Publication date: 1911), Berea Christian Church had a splendid record for good in the community it served.  At one point it had a congregation of of about 80 members.  

I am not sure when the church closed its doors (nor when it was founded) and subsequently became abandoned, but it appears to have been active well into the later part of the 20th century.  An obituary article for a Mr. Larry Dean Thrasher states that he was united in marriage to Jo Anne Gaines on August 20, 1971 at Berea Christian Church.  The church currently stands, but barely.  It is surrounded by trees that are slowly starting to knock it over.  I fear we will soon see this small but important part of Missouri's church history being lost to the elements.  While the building is easily accessible, a peak inside makes it obvious that someone is using the vacant building as a place to store their junk.  I did not see any graveyard or cemetery associated with this church.  

The name "Berea" for a church is a very common name.  This harkens back to the Bereans in the Bible mentioned in the book of Acts.  "As soon as it was night, the brothers and sisters sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. Upon arrival, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. The people here were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, since they received the word with eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so." Acts 17:10-11 CSB.  As the Bereans were considered noble and were praised for searching the Scriptures daily to see if what they were being taught was biblically sound, many churches and Christians today strive to "Be a Berean" and follow in their footsteps.  There was also The Berean Methodist Episcopal Church which was located in Shelby County as well.  

The Christian Church denomination might sound almost oxymoronic, as most denominations and church are Christian, but the Christian Church its own denomination.  The Christian Church denomination is also known as the Disciples of Christ.  This denomination (though members of the Christian Church/Disciples of Christ dislike the feeling of "being put in a box" that being called a denomination can entail) finds its roots in the Restoration Movement of the early 19th century.  This movement, begun by Alexander Campbell and Barton Stone, would go on to birth the Christian Church/Disciples of Christ in 1906 as well as the Churches of Christ (which are non-instrumental in musical worship) and the Independent Christian Church, as well as was instrumental in the formation of both the Latter Day Saints (Mormon's) and Jehovah's Witnesses.  For a more detailed look at the Christian Church and what they believe, head over to: https://www.gotquestions.org/Disciples-of-Christ.html

As always, if anyone has any information on Berea Christian Church or has stories from the church, please comment or reach out to me.