The Early Methodist Churches
The majority of Protestant Germans, including all the families featured in this book, were raised under the Lutheran faith in their Mother Country. There seems to be no reason for many of them converting to Methodism after their emigration to America, except that this was one of the earliest churches to send trained workers into the western states and territories to assist in the organization of mission churches.
Our immigrant forefathers who affiliated themselves with the Methodist Episcopal Church after settling in America joined a Protestant denomination that traced its beginnings back to John Wesley, a Church of England clergyman in the 1700's. Wesley began sending ministers to the United States in the 1760's, and about sixty ministers organized the Methodist Episcopal Church in Baltimore in 1784. The denomination grew quickly, as traveling preachers carried the Methodist religion to the frontier. In 1829, a group insisting on more lay representation in church affairs separated and formed the Methodist Protestant Church. In 1844, a division of the Methodist Episcopal Church occurred over the issues of slavery and constitutional powers within the denomination, and a group left to form the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. These three groups reunited in 1939 as The Methodist Church.
German Methodism in Missouri had its beginning in August of 1841, when Rev. L. S. Jacoby was sent to St. Louis as a missionary, and organized the first congregation in St. Louis. The following year, several additional ministers came to Missouri and Illinois to organize other congregations. Among them were Rev. W. Schreck, who came from Cincinnati as assistant to Rev. Jacoby, and laid the foundation of the Hermann Mission, at Hermann, Missouri, and Rev. John Swahlen, who came from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and founded the Pinckney Mission, in southern Warren County. These early ministers, and those who followed after them, were known as "circuit riders". Their most commonly-used mode of travel was by horseback or by horse and buggy. In all kinds of weather, they traveled to perform their ministerial duties, often conducting religious services during the week in order to reach all of their followers.
By 1849, there were five German Districts of the church: the St. Louis, Missouri, Quincy, Wisconsin, and Iowa Districts. The church continued to grow, and in 1864, the Southwest German Conference was formed from the St. Louis, Belleville, Quincy, Burlington, St. Joseph, and Kansas Districts. The Conference was organized with eighty-seven preachers and 5,308 members. By about 1880, the Southwest German Conference had grown to 151 preachers and 11,365 members, and was separated into the St. Louis German Conference and the West German Conference.
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:hp3.Hermann Circuit of the Methodist Episcopal Church:ehp3.
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:hp2.Early History:ehp2.
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The first Methodist Episcopal churches in Franklin County were those of the Hermann Circuit, in northwest Franklin County. The churches of the Hermann Circuit shared the services of one minister, and are discussed here as a group, rather than separately.
In 1842, Rev. Wm. Schreck, who came from Cincinnati as assistant to Rev. L. S. Jacoby, laid the foundation of the Hermann Mission. The first Quarterly Conference of early Methodism in the area was held in an old rock house three miles southeast of Hermann, Missouri, under the direction of Rev. Schreck.
In 1844, the first Quarterly Conference for organization was held in Franklin County under the presiding of the District Superintendent, Georg Schmidt.
The Immanuel Methodist Church was organized in 1844 as "Meyer's Church" under the leadership of Rev. Schreck. It was located one and one-quarter mile northwest of the present location of the Senate Grove Methodist Church.
One source also indicates that the original Hermann circuit included the St. John's Church at Beaufort, and a congregation at Hermann. A reference has also been found to an Enon or Middle Fork Creek Methodist Episcopal Church located west of Beaufort by 1846 (see :hdref refid=thie.).
In 1845, the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church of the USA purchased approximately one and one-half acres of land "to be laid out for the purpose of erecting a dwelling house for the Methodist Episcopal preacher for the Hermann Mission". The land, located approximately two miles south of Berger, was purchased in March of 1845 from the author's great-great grandparents, August and Franziska Broemmelsieck, for $1.50 (see :hdref refid=brom.). The deed included the priviledge of obtaining water from the spring on the tract from which the land was taken. Meetings of the Berger Station congregation were held at this Hermann Mission parsonage until their first church was erected.
In August of 1850, F. Spreckelmeyer, G. Wanken, C. Schnmacher, H. Kemper, and A. Pehle, as Trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church of the USA, purchased forty acres west of the Hermann Mission parsonage. The land was purchased from August and Franziska Broemmelsieck for $50.00. In 1851, the Berger Station congregation built their first frame church. This church, the Zion Methodist Church, was constructed on the land purchased the prior year.
In 1853, the Meyer's Church congregation constructed a frame church on the site of their original log structure. A description of the site is provided in :hdref refid=anna..
In 1859, during Rev. Schreck's second pastorate, the Berger Station congregation is said to have built another log church about two miles west of their original location. No further information has been located regarding a building at this location.
In 1860, a congregation was organized, and preaching began, in the Berger bottom, northeast of Berger.
In 1864, the log church said to have been built by the Berger Station congregation in 1859 is reported to have been replaced by a new frame church which was used until the current Senate Grove Church was built by the Immanuel congregation.
In 1868, the Berger Bottom congregation erected a church, under the administration of Rev. William Wilkening. The church was named the Ebenezer Methodist Church, and was added to the Hermann Circuit.
In 1878, the Meyer's Church congregation constructed a new church at the present site, under the ministry of Rev. Karl Steinmeyer. The same year, a new congregation was organized at Big Spring, Missouri, and was affiliated with the Hermann Circuit. In 1879, a church building erected by the congregation at Big Spring was consecrated.
In 1882, the Berger Bottom congregation and the Big Spring congregation both became independent, and separated from the Hermann circuit.
In 1885, the Hermann congregation separated from the Hermann circuit.
In 1888, the Senate Grove congregation (originally the Meyer's Church) became independent, separating from the Hermann Circuit. That same year, the Berger Bottom congregation rejoined the Hermann Circuit, and united with the Berger Station congregation.
In 1892, the Berger Bottom and Berger Station congregations, under the administration of Rev. H. F. Miller, built the current Ebenezer Methodist Church and parsonage in Berger. The only thing that remains at the site of the Berger Bottom church is the old cemetery. It is a plot of ground approximately 30 feet by 200 feet, right on the Berger bottom road about 1 1/4 mile from Berger. Nearly all of the stones are toppled and some are covered with silt from Missouri river flooding. The church was torn down prior to the construction of the current Ebenezer Methodist Church in Berger, and the lumber was used in the present church. Mr. E. E. Schmidt writes that the church at Berger was dedicated in the fall of 1892. He informs us that his mother sang in the choir for that event.
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:hp2.Ministers:ehp2.
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:ol compact
:li.Wm. Schreck, 1842-44
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:li.Karl Koeneke, 1844-46
:li.John Keck, 1846-48
:li.Peter Helweg, 1849-51
:li.Joseph Zimmerman, 1851-52
:li.Karl Koeneke, 1852-54
:li.Wm. Kleinschmidt, 1854-56
:li.J. C. Hoech, 1856-58
:li.Wm. Schreck, 1858-59
:li.G. Timken, 1859-61
:li.J. H. Grannemann, 1861-62
:li.Wm. Kleinschmidt, 1862-65
:li.F. W. Meyer, 1865-66
:li.Wm. Wilkening, 1866-69
:li.Peter Hehner, 1869-72
:li.Wm. Schreck, 1872-74
:li.John Meyer, 1874-77
:li.Karl Steinmeyer, 1877-80
:li.J. J. Sandmeyer, 1880-82
:li.M. Nueuzmann, 1882-84
:eol.
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:hp3.Immanuel Methodist Episcopal Church, Senate Grove:ehp3.
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:hp2.Early History:ehp2.
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This congregation was originally a branch of the Hermann Circuit. In 1888, the congregation separated from the Hermann Circuit, and has remained independent since then.
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:hp2.Ministers:ehp2.
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:ol compact.
:li.J. Wanner, 1888-92
:li.C. C. Stahmann, 1891-92
:li.J. B. Schwietert, 1892-95
:li.J. P. Petersen, 1895-97
:li.Friedrich Koenig, 1897-1902
:eol.
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:hp3.Zion Methodist Episcopal Church, Leslie:ehp3.
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:hp2.Early History:ehp2.
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The Zion Congregation was organized in 1850. The first church building was a log church on the Sam Toelke farm. The Christopher Thiekoetter family was among the first members of the congregation. For further information about the Zion congregation, see :hdref refid=thie..
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:hp2.Ministers:ehp2.
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:ol compact.
:li.C. F. Langer, 1850-52
:li.David Huene, 1852-53
:li.Georg Schatz, 1853-55
:li.C. Bott, 1855-57
:li.John Ritter, 1857-59
:li.G. Zollmann, 1859-61
:li.Wilhelm Meyer, 1861-63
:li.John A. Reitz, 1863-65
:li.John Koelle, 1865-68
:li.John Meyer, 1868-71
:li.Heinrich Brinkmeier, 1871-73
:li.John Wanner, 1873-76
:li.John Asling, 1876-78
:li.John P. Faust, 1878-80
:li.Heinrich Diener, 1880-83
:li.Heinrich Flottmann, 1883-86
:li.Hy. Schlueter, 1886-91
:li.John Wanner, 1891-94
:li.Heinrich Flottmann, 1894-96
:li.Emil Goetz, 1896-1901
:li.August Koewing, 1901-
:eol.
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:hp3.Salem Methodist Episcopal Church, Casco:ehp3.
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:hp2.Early History:ehp2.
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The Salem congregation was organized in 1871 by Rev. John Meyer, the minister of the Zion Methodist Episcopal Church at Leslie. A stone church building was erected by the congregation in the same year. It was dedicated by the minister who organized the church, Rev. John Meyer.
The circumstances of the church's origin were unusual. Rev. Benjamin Link, a Presbyterian and a school teacher, while engaged in his profession as teacher, was, on several occasions, invited to the homes of his patrons to hold prayer-meetings in the evening. On such occasions the neighbors would come in to spend the evening. Among them were members of St. John's Evangelical Church at Casco. The minister at St. John's was displeased, and complained bitterly. When one of his church members, P. Schmidtkamp, died, the remains were refused admittance into the church. Upon this refusal, Rev. John Meyer mounted the wagon on which the corpse lay, and paid the last tribute of respect for the dead. Outraged by the pastor of the Evangelical Church, those who had attended the prayer meetings of Rev. Benjamin Link came together and organized the Salem Methodist Episcopal Church.
The Zion Congregation at Leslie was the Mother of the Salem Congregation at Casco, and both churches were in the same Methodist circuit. As members of the same circuit, the two congregations shared the services of one minister. The circuit was originally called the Union Circuit, then the Beaufort Circuit, and the name was changed to the Leslie Circuit about 1900.
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:hp3.Friedens Gemeinde Methodist Episcopal Church, Champion
City:ehp3.
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:hp2.Early History:ehp2.
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The Methodist Episcopal Church at Champion City was dedicated in April of 1894. It was a part of the Owensville Circuit until 1907, when it was transferred to the Leslie Circuit. For more information about the organization of this congregation, see :hdref refid=anna., and :hdref refid=philip..
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:hp2.Ministers:ehp2.
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:ol compact.
:li.G. L. Zocher, 1894-95
:li.David Froeschle, 1895-99
:li.C. E. Baumgarten, 1899-1902
:li.Henry W. Koewing, 1902-05
:li.Louis H. H. Winter, 1905-08
:li.August Koewing, 1908-09
:li.Charles Lotz, 1909-12
:eol.
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:hp3.Smith Creek Methodist Church, Pinkney:ehp3.
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:hp2.Early History:ehp2.
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The Smith Creek Methodist Church is located in southern Warren County, across the Missouri River from the Berger-New Haven area in Franklin County. The history of this church is included here because it was so important to the Henry Landwehr family.
Pinkney originally belonged to the St. Charles Mission, which was founded in the years 1841-43 by John Swahlen as missionary, and L. S. Jacoby as District Superintendent. In 1844, Wm. Schreck traveled to this charge, but concentrated his efforts on the organization of the Hermann Circuit in Franklin County, and the work in Pinkney was forgotten. The work in the Pinckney area resumed under the pastorate of Franz Horstmann in 1845, and three churches were built.
On February 4, 1846, through the leadership of H. Koeneke, the District Superintendent, the first Quarterly Conferenece of the St. Charles Mission was held. At this meeting, two Sunday Schools, with thirty-eight scholars, were reported. At the next Quarterly Conference, four Sunday Schools with ten teachers and fifty-eight scholars were reported. In 1847, this mission separated from the St. Charles Mission, and was named the Warren Charge.
In the following summer the first camp meeting was held, and the number of Sunday Schools had increased to six, with fifteen teachers and eighty-one scholars. At the same time the purchase of a parsonage in Marthasville, Missouri, was made, where the supervising minister made his home in the following years. The field of work at this time encompassed four places of preaching with four churches, and in 1852 received the name Warren and Marthasville Charge. However, in the following year these places were separated from one another.
During the ministry of W. Kleinschmidt in 1853 the delapidated church in Pinckney, Missouri was replaced with a new one, and in 1863 the minister's home was transferred from Marthasville to Hopewell, Missouri, and the charge was named Hopewell. An especially uplifting revival was experienced by this field of work in 1870 throught the work of John Wanner, in which fifty-two persons joined the church. In 1888, during the ministry of J. G. Hildenstein, the third church was built. Later, in 1891, during the ministry of J. B. Schwietert, the minister's home was transferred from Hopewell to Pinkney, Missouri, and renamed the Pinkney Charge.
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:hp2.Ministers:ehp2.
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:ol compact.
:li.Franz Horstmann, 1845-47
:li.Louis Kunz, assistant, 1846-47
:li.Karl Koeneke, 1847-49
:li.Jakob Haas, 1849-50
:li.Nikolaus Reitz, 1850-52
:li.Wm. Kleinschmidt, 1852-54
:li.Wilhelm Rotert, 1854-55
:li.Karl H. Schmidt, 1855-57
:li.John H. Grannemann, 1857-59
:li.Wilhelm Meyer, 1859-61
:li.Gerhard Timken, 1861-63
:li.Gustav Hollmann, 1863-64
:li.Georg Enzeroth, 1864-65
:li.C. F. Schlinger, 1865-68
:li.John Wanner, 1868-71
:li.John Meyer, 1871-74
:li.H. Vosholl, 1874-76
:li.John Wanner, 1876-79
:li.Chas. Wehrmann, 1879-80
:li.J. P. Faust, 1880-81
:li.C. Mardorf, 1881-84
:li.H. Brinkmeier, 1884-87
:li.J. G. Hildenstein, 1887-90
:li.J. B. Schwietert, 1890-92
:li.John M. Rohde, 1892-97
:li.August Koewing, 1897-1901
:li.W. K. M. Schmidt, 1901-
Our immigrant forefathers who affiliated themselves with the Methodist Episcopal Church after settling in America joined a Protestant denomination that traced its beginnings back to John Wesley, a Church of England clergyman in the 1700's. Wesley began sending ministers to the United States in the 1760's, and about sixty ministers organized the Methodist Episcopal Church in Baltimore in 1784. The denomination grew quickly, as traveling preachers carried the Methodist religion to the frontier. In 1829, a group insisting on more lay representation in church affairs separated and formed the Methodist Protestant Church. In 1844, a division of the Methodist Episcopal Church occurred over the issues of slavery and constitutional powers within the denomination, and a group left to form the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. These three groups reunited in 1939 as The Methodist Church.
German Methodism in Missouri had its beginning in August of 1841, when Rev. L. S. Jacoby was sent to St. Louis as a missionary, and organized the first congregation in St. Louis. The following year, several additional ministers came to Missouri and Illinois to organize other congregations. Among them were Rev. W. Schreck, who came from Cincinnati as assistant to Rev. Jacoby, and laid the foundation of the Hermann Mission, at Hermann, Missouri, and Rev. John Swahlen, who came from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and founded the Pinckney Mission, in southern Warren County. These early ministers, and those who followed after them, were known as "circuit riders". Their most commonly-used mode of travel was by horseback or by horse and buggy. In all kinds of weather, they traveled to perform their ministerial duties, often conducting religious services during the week in order to reach all of their followers.
By 1849, there were five German Districts of the church: the St. Louis, Missouri, Quincy, Wisconsin, and Iowa Districts. The church continued to grow, and in 1864, the Southwest German Conference was formed from the St. Louis, Belleville, Quincy, Burlington, St. Joseph, and Kansas Districts. The Conference was organized with eighty-seven preachers and 5,308 members. By about 1880, the Southwest German Conference had grown to 151 preachers and 11,365 members, and was separated into the St. Louis German Conference and the West German Conference.
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:hp3.Hermann Circuit of the Methodist Episcopal Church:ehp3.
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:hp2.Early History:ehp2.
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The first Methodist Episcopal churches in Franklin County were those of the Hermann Circuit, in northwest Franklin County. The churches of the Hermann Circuit shared the services of one minister, and are discussed here as a group, rather than separately.
In 1842, Rev. Wm. Schreck, who came from Cincinnati as assistant to Rev. L. S. Jacoby, laid the foundation of the Hermann Mission. The first Quarterly Conference of early Methodism in the area was held in an old rock house three miles southeast of Hermann, Missouri, under the direction of Rev. Schreck.
In 1844, the first Quarterly Conference for organization was held in Franklin County under the presiding of the District Superintendent, Georg Schmidt.
The Immanuel Methodist Church was organized in 1844 as "Meyer's Church" under the leadership of Rev. Schreck. It was located one and one-quarter mile northwest of the present location of the Senate Grove Methodist Church.
One source also indicates that the original Hermann circuit included the St. John's Church at Beaufort, and a congregation at Hermann. A reference has also been found to an Enon or Middle Fork Creek Methodist Episcopal Church located west of Beaufort by 1846 (see :hdref refid=thie.).
In 1845, the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church of the USA purchased approximately one and one-half acres of land "to be laid out for the purpose of erecting a dwelling house for the Methodist Episcopal preacher for the Hermann Mission". The land, located approximately two miles south of Berger, was purchased in March of 1845 from the author's great-great grandparents, August and Franziska Broemmelsieck, for $1.50 (see :hdref refid=brom.). The deed included the priviledge of obtaining water from the spring on the tract from which the land was taken. Meetings of the Berger Station congregation were held at this Hermann Mission parsonage until their first church was erected.
In August of 1850, F. Spreckelmeyer, G. Wanken, C. Schnmacher, H. Kemper, and A. Pehle, as Trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church of the USA, purchased forty acres west of the Hermann Mission parsonage. The land was purchased from August and Franziska Broemmelsieck for $50.00. In 1851, the Berger Station congregation built their first frame church. This church, the Zion Methodist Church, was constructed on the land purchased the prior year.
In 1853, the Meyer's Church congregation constructed a frame church on the site of their original log structure. A description of the site is provided in :hdref refid=anna..
In 1859, during Rev. Schreck's second pastorate, the Berger Station congregation is said to have built another log church about two miles west of their original location. No further information has been located regarding a building at this location.
In 1860, a congregation was organized, and preaching began, in the Berger bottom, northeast of Berger.
In 1864, the log church said to have been built by the Berger Station congregation in 1859 is reported to have been replaced by a new frame church which was used until the current Senate Grove Church was built by the Immanuel congregation.
In 1868, the Berger Bottom congregation erected a church, under the administration of Rev. William Wilkening. The church was named the Ebenezer Methodist Church, and was added to the Hermann Circuit.
In 1878, the Meyer's Church congregation constructed a new church at the present site, under the ministry of Rev. Karl Steinmeyer. The same year, a new congregation was organized at Big Spring, Missouri, and was affiliated with the Hermann Circuit. In 1879, a church building erected by the congregation at Big Spring was consecrated.
In 1882, the Berger Bottom congregation and the Big Spring congregation both became independent, and separated from the Hermann circuit.
In 1885, the Hermann congregation separated from the Hermann circuit.
In 1888, the Senate Grove congregation (originally the Meyer's Church) became independent, separating from the Hermann Circuit. That same year, the Berger Bottom congregation rejoined the Hermann Circuit, and united with the Berger Station congregation.
In 1892, the Berger Bottom and Berger Station congregations, under the administration of Rev. H. F. Miller, built the current Ebenezer Methodist Church and parsonage in Berger. The only thing that remains at the site of the Berger Bottom church is the old cemetery. It is a plot of ground approximately 30 feet by 200 feet, right on the Berger bottom road about 1 1/4 mile from Berger. Nearly all of the stones are toppled and some are covered with silt from Missouri river flooding. The church was torn down prior to the construction of the current Ebenezer Methodist Church in Berger, and the lumber was used in the present church. Mr. E. E. Schmidt writes that the church at Berger was dedicated in the fall of 1892. He informs us that his mother sang in the choir for that event.
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:hp2.Ministers:ehp2.
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:ol compact
:li.Wm. Schreck, 1842-44
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:li.Karl Koeneke, 1844-46
:li.John Keck, 1846-48
:li.Peter Helweg, 1849-51
:li.Joseph Zimmerman, 1851-52
:li.Karl Koeneke, 1852-54
:li.Wm. Kleinschmidt, 1854-56
:li.J. C. Hoech, 1856-58
:li.Wm. Schreck, 1858-59
:li.G. Timken, 1859-61
:li.J. H. Grannemann, 1861-62
:li.Wm. Kleinschmidt, 1862-65
:li.F. W. Meyer, 1865-66
:li.Wm. Wilkening, 1866-69
:li.Peter Hehner, 1869-72
:li.Wm. Schreck, 1872-74
:li.John Meyer, 1874-77
:li.Karl Steinmeyer, 1877-80
:li.J. J. Sandmeyer, 1880-82
:li.M. Nueuzmann, 1882-84
:eol.
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:hp3.Immanuel Methodist Episcopal Church, Senate Grove:ehp3.
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:hp2.Early History:ehp2.
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This congregation was originally a branch of the Hermann Circuit. In 1888, the congregation separated from the Hermann Circuit, and has remained independent since then.
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:hp2.Ministers:ehp2.
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:ol compact.
:li.J. Wanner, 1888-92
:li.C. C. Stahmann, 1891-92
:li.J. B. Schwietert, 1892-95
:li.J. P. Petersen, 1895-97
:li.Friedrich Koenig, 1897-1902
:eol.
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:hp3.Zion Methodist Episcopal Church, Leslie:ehp3.
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:hp2.Early History:ehp2.
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The Zion Congregation was organized in 1850. The first church building was a log church on the Sam Toelke farm. The Christopher Thiekoetter family was among the first members of the congregation. For further information about the Zion congregation, see :hdref refid=thie..
.sk 2
:hp2.Ministers:ehp2.
.br
.sk 1
:ol compact.
:li.C. F. Langer, 1850-52
:li.David Huene, 1852-53
:li.Georg Schatz, 1853-55
:li.C. Bott, 1855-57
:li.John Ritter, 1857-59
:li.G. Zollmann, 1859-61
:li.Wilhelm Meyer, 1861-63
:li.John A. Reitz, 1863-65
:li.John Koelle, 1865-68
:li.John Meyer, 1868-71
:li.Heinrich Brinkmeier, 1871-73
:li.John Wanner, 1873-76
:li.John Asling, 1876-78
:li.John P. Faust, 1878-80
:li.Heinrich Diener, 1880-83
:li.Heinrich Flottmann, 1883-86
:li.Hy. Schlueter, 1886-91
:li.John Wanner, 1891-94
:li.Heinrich Flottmann, 1894-96
:li.Emil Goetz, 1896-1901
:li.August Koewing, 1901-
:eol.
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:hp3.Salem Methodist Episcopal Church, Casco:ehp3.
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:hp2.Early History:ehp2.
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The Salem congregation was organized in 1871 by Rev. John Meyer, the minister of the Zion Methodist Episcopal Church at Leslie. A stone church building was erected by the congregation in the same year. It was dedicated by the minister who organized the church, Rev. John Meyer.
The circumstances of the church's origin were unusual. Rev. Benjamin Link, a Presbyterian and a school teacher, while engaged in his profession as teacher, was, on several occasions, invited to the homes of his patrons to hold prayer-meetings in the evening. On such occasions the neighbors would come in to spend the evening. Among them were members of St. John's Evangelical Church at Casco. The minister at St. John's was displeased, and complained bitterly. When one of his church members, P. Schmidtkamp, died, the remains were refused admittance into the church. Upon this refusal, Rev. John Meyer mounted the wagon on which the corpse lay, and paid the last tribute of respect for the dead. Outraged by the pastor of the Evangelical Church, those who had attended the prayer meetings of Rev. Benjamin Link came together and organized the Salem Methodist Episcopal Church.
The Zion Congregation at Leslie was the Mother of the Salem Congregation at Casco, and both churches were in the same Methodist circuit. As members of the same circuit, the two congregations shared the services of one minister. The circuit was originally called the Union Circuit, then the Beaufort Circuit, and the name was changed to the Leslie Circuit about 1900.
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:hp3.Friedens Gemeinde Methodist Episcopal Church, Champion
City:ehp3.
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.sk 2
:hp2.Early History:ehp2.
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.kp off
The Methodist Episcopal Church at Champion City was dedicated in April of 1894. It was a part of the Owensville Circuit until 1907, when it was transferred to the Leslie Circuit. For more information about the organization of this congregation, see :hdref refid=anna., and :hdref refid=philip..
.sk 2
:hp2.Ministers:ehp2.
.br
.sk 1
:ol compact.
:li.G. L. Zocher, 1894-95
:li.David Froeschle, 1895-99
:li.C. E. Baumgarten, 1899-1902
:li.Henry W. Koewing, 1902-05
:li.Louis H. H. Winter, 1905-08
:li.August Koewing, 1908-09
:li.Charles Lotz, 1909-12
:eol.
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:hp3.Smith Creek Methodist Church, Pinkney:ehp3.
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:hp2.Early History:ehp2.
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.sk 1
The Smith Creek Methodist Church is located in southern Warren County, across the Missouri River from the Berger-New Haven area in Franklin County. The history of this church is included here because it was so important to the Henry Landwehr family.
Pinkney originally belonged to the St. Charles Mission, which was founded in the years 1841-43 by John Swahlen as missionary, and L. S. Jacoby as District Superintendent. In 1844, Wm. Schreck traveled to this charge, but concentrated his efforts on the organization of the Hermann Circuit in Franklin County, and the work in Pinkney was forgotten. The work in the Pinckney area resumed under the pastorate of Franz Horstmann in 1845, and three churches were built.
On February 4, 1846, through the leadership of H. Koeneke, the District Superintendent, the first Quarterly Conferenece of the St. Charles Mission was held. At this meeting, two Sunday Schools, with thirty-eight scholars, were reported. At the next Quarterly Conference, four Sunday Schools with ten teachers and fifty-eight scholars were reported. In 1847, this mission separated from the St. Charles Mission, and was named the Warren Charge.
In the following summer the first camp meeting was held, and the number of Sunday Schools had increased to six, with fifteen teachers and eighty-one scholars. At the same time the purchase of a parsonage in Marthasville, Missouri, was made, where the supervising minister made his home in the following years. The field of work at this time encompassed four places of preaching with four churches, and in 1852 received the name Warren and Marthasville Charge. However, in the following year these places were separated from one another.
During the ministry of W. Kleinschmidt in 1853 the delapidated church in Pinckney, Missouri was replaced with a new one, and in 1863 the minister's home was transferred from Marthasville to Hopewell, Missouri, and the charge was named Hopewell. An especially uplifting revival was experienced by this field of work in 1870 throught the work of John Wanner, in which fifty-two persons joined the church. In 1888, during the ministry of J. G. Hildenstein, the third church was built. Later, in 1891, during the ministry of J. B. Schwietert, the minister's home was transferred from Hopewell to Pinkney, Missouri, and renamed the Pinkney Charge.
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:li.Franz Horstmann, 1845-47
:li.Louis Kunz, assistant, 1846-47
:li.Karl Koeneke, 1847-49
:li.Jakob Haas, 1849-50
:li.Nikolaus Reitz, 1850-52
:li.Wm. Kleinschmidt, 1852-54
:li.Wilhelm Rotert, 1854-55
:li.Karl H. Schmidt, 1855-57
:li.John H. Grannemann, 1857-59
:li.Wilhelm Meyer, 1859-61
:li.Gerhard Timken, 1861-63
:li.Gustav Hollmann, 1863-64
:li.Georg Enzeroth, 1864-65
:li.C. F. Schlinger, 1865-68
:li.John Wanner, 1868-71
:li.John Meyer, 1871-74
:li.H. Vosholl, 1874-76
:li.John Wanner, 1876-79
:li.Chas. Wehrmann, 1879-80
:li.J. P. Faust, 1880-81
:li.C. Mardorf, 1881-84
:li.H. Brinkmeier, 1884-87
:li.J. G. Hildenstein, 1887-90
:li.J. B. Schwietert, 1890-92
:li.John M. Rohde, 1892-97
:li.August Koewing, 1897-1901
:li.W. K. M. Schmidt, 1901-
