Methodist church in Gordonville turns 160 years old

Zion United Methodist Church in Gordonville will hold a homecoming June 29 to celebrate its 160 years.

In 1844, some immigrants from Hanover, Germany, came to the United States, landed in New Orleans, sailed up the Mississippi River and settled in southern Missouri, where they began farming. They liked the notion of a community, and wanted their farms to be together, so they bought out some Scots/Irish immigrants who had settled earlier but were more inclined toward hunting and trapping than farming and were happy to sell.

Their community grew, and they began worshipping in private homes before they built a log church of their own.

The immigrants from Hanover who settled in Gordonville heard their first sermon in 1846; it was given by Karl Hoffmann, a German missionary from St. Louis. In 1835 in Ohio, a German Methodist movement was born, and Hoffmann was traveling from St. Louis to preach something different, although similar to the teachings of Martin Luther. In 1847, the first quarterly conference was held June 5, and Zion Methodist Episcopal Church of Gordonville was formed in 1848. That same year they built a school for the members' children and the pastor served also as teacher.

These people might have remained Lutheran, but they had gone through so many changes in their lives when they moved to a new country that they were open to a new method of worship as well, said Gene King, historian at Zion United Methodist Church. When Hoffmann came to them with his message about a movement begun 10 years previously, he found a receptive audience.

"They were so impressed with this man from St. Louis who told them about a new religion, and they went forward with it," he said.

The first German Methodist Episcopal Church south of St. Louis was formed in DeSoto, Mo., King said. The second was Zion.

KIT DOYLE ~ kdoyle@semissourian.com The original Zion United Methodist Church sanctuary was built in 1876 in Gordonville. Some of the original German families still have descendents in the church.

The early congregation worshipped in a log church that was built at Zion's present site, until 1876 when the members built a brick church.

"That was a huge sacrifice for the people at that time," King said. "It was after the Civil War, and the area had not recovered from the effects of the war. A lot sacrificed rebuilding their own homes to build the church."

The bricks for the original church were handmade at the building site. When the Disciple Center, one of several later additions, was added to the church just a few years ago, King said, about 600 of the original bricks were carefully removed to make room for the connection between the old building and the new one.

"We saved the bricks," King said. "We looked at one of the bricks and it had a perfect impression of a cat's paw print on it."

A June 1931 photo of Zion Methodist Episcopal Church members is on display at Zion United Methodist Church in Gordonville.

One of the church members now has that brick as a keepsake, he said.

Members of Zion cherish their history as they look forward to growing as a church. The organ in the sanctuary is the same pipe organ that was installed in 1892, and is still played every Sunday, King said. Built in Chester, Ill., it is one of only two of its kind left in the country. Last year, King said, Zion spent $44,000 to have it restored and repaired.

When the church was first established, there were 32 charter members. On Oct. 1, 1848, the child of Johann Gustav August Obermueller, Christina Obermueller, was the first baby baptized. Three days later, the child of Johann Franklin August Breneke and Wilhelmina Breneke was baptized. Members of the Breneke family are still members of Zion, King said. Many of the current members of Zion are descended from the early members, bearing such names as Bartels, Deneke, Nothdurft and Kuehle.

In 1925, the German Methodist church closed, and by 1939 the church was part of what was known as simply the Methodist church. In 1968 the United Methodist church was formed, King said.

Today, Zion has 260 members and an average of 145 worship there regularly, said the Rev. Ann Mowery, pastor of Zion. Unlike other country churches, Zion has not declined in number because of the dwindling of the family farms. Gordonville is close enough to Jackson and Cape Girardeau that residents can find jobs in either town, but remain on the family farm and keep it going, Mowery said.

At the homecoming service, a short history will be part of the day's activities, but King said the congregation prefers to look ahead, not back.

"To dwell on history would be ignoring the future of the church," King said. "We like to talk about the future; we think we have a good future. We get new members every year. Farm ground in our area is being sold, and new homes are being established. A lot of people will be looking for churches to go to."

lredeffer@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 160

Want to go?

• What: Homecoming to celebrate Zion United Methodist Church's 160th anniversary
• Where: Gordonville
• When: June 29, 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. service; basket dinner at noon in the Disciple Center