Agee Methodists worship surrounded by farm gear

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- With lawn chairs and Bibles in hand, 51 Butler County residents proved Sunday morning that a church is much more than just a building by holding their worship service in a barn.

Having been locked out of their own church by the Missouri Area of the United Methodist Church, the congregation of the Agee United Methodist Church transformed a dusty barn filled with farming equipment into God's house.

The minister delivered his sermon from a handmade pulpit built of plywood. Nickey Orton played the piano from the bed of the trailer on which it was delivered. Members brought lawn chairs for seating.

The congregation worshipped for a little over an hour surrounded by a tractor and other farm implements. Cecil Darnell, on whose property the congregation gathered, rang a wrought iron bell suspended from a pole in his yard to start the service. Afterward, those attending stayed around for fellowship and refreshments. A congregation spokesman said the site of next Sunday's service hasn't yet been determined.

Assets seized

The Agee church building and the church's assets were seized May 22 because the small congregation had expressed a desire to break away from the United Methodist denomination.

While church members chose not to comment on the situation individually, they did offer as a congregation a letter to the editor to the Daily American Republic.

"We ask the community to pray for our congregation that our faith will only be strengthened by these actions and that we will be able to continue to follow the path the Lord wants us to take," the letter said.

Church members have cited several reasons for wanting to withdraw from the United Methodist denomination, including a growing financial burden and dwindling membership.

With only 22 regular attendees, church members say they can no longer afford to pay $6,000 a year in apportionments, a minister's salary and provide for maintenance on the building.