Church's bond to community goes back 90 years

The First Church of God at 500 Emerald St. has historically been closely tied to the community east of the Show Me Center, and the Rev. Robert Hendrix wants to re-establish that identity now that the church has celebrated its 90th anniversary.

Cape Girardeau Mayor Harry Rediger attended that July 19 observance to commend the membership for its "commitment and endurance" as numerous former members returned to increase attendance to 93, Hendrix said.

Adding "Anderson, Indiana," to its name to distinguish it from more than a dozen other Church of God organizations, the local institution has only missed one service since the first one on July 20, 1924, according to church historian Esther Waldrup.

"There was a tornado on Saturday, May 21, 1949, that pulled the roof up and knocked down the walls," said Waldrup, 85. "Two houses across the street were set down in the next block, and a visiting minister, the Rev. Jack Crowe from Middleton, Ohio, was killed.

"The pastor, J.H. Shirrell, my grandfather, was also a building contractor, and they rebuilt on the same spot and dedicated the new building on Oct. 12, 1949. That summer and early fall, they met in his front yard."

Doug Johnson leads the singing of "The Solid Rock" during the 90th anniversary service of First Church of God on Sunday, July 20, 2014 in Cape Girardeau. (Fred Lynch)

Shirrell was pastor from 1924 to 1950, and Waldrup's father, the Rev. Collie Shirrell, served from 1950 to 1987, she said.

Born in 1928, Waldrup has attended since she was 3 weeks old.

Hendrix said the First Church of God had averaged more than 100 people on Sundays before World War II, but some Cape Girardeau factories closed in the late 1940s and numerous members moved away.

"We were down to 27 people a year ago, but we're back up to 45," said Hendrix, a 47-year-old native of Granby in southwest Missouri who's been pastor for 18 months. "We're in a rebuilding process now. My vision is to be the church of the community. Instead of just talking about it on Sunday, we need to show we care Monday through Saturday.

"Jesus is the subject we preach about here," the minister said. "Everything has got to be related to Jesus because He gives us salvation from sin and the hope of eternity."

Hendrix, a former U.S. Marine who described himself as a recovering drug addict and alcoholic, said the church's game nights at 6:30 p.m. on the second Saturday of the month and movie nights on the fourth Saturday should help reconnect to the neighborhood.

He said he has been heartened by the members' "loving and supportive" reception, and he said the Revs. Jeremy Clayton of Cape Community Church and Gary Brothers of Cape First Church have encouraged him.

Hendrix, who has never married, is a 2006 ministerial graduate of Mid-America Christian University in Oklahoma City. He was pastor of the First Church of God in Houston, Missouri, before coming to Cape Girardeau, having had his career interrupted by diagnoses of diabetes, a separated shoulder and sleep apnea, he said. Houston is 120 miles west-northwest of Poplar Bluff in Texas County.

The church has Sunday school at 9:30 a.m. and worship at 10:45 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday and 7 p.m. Wednesday. Its prayer night is on the first Sunday of the month.