Family History Research Assistance for Guthrie County, Iowa
CHURCH:SHARON
Sharon Church was organized at Panora, Guthrie County, Iowa, on Saturday before the third Sunday in March, 1855, with eight charter members, viz., Benjamin A. Kimbrell, Robinson Hosier, Theophilus Bryan, Abner Shanks, Lucinda Hosier, Katharine Kimbrell, Elizabeth Shanks, and Margaret Whistler. These members, and three others, viz., Elder John Shanks, Mary Ann Shanks, and Mary Haugham (who soon thereafter also joined) had met at the schoolhouse in Panora, on February 17, 1855, and agreed to call a presbytery for that purpose, adopted articles of faith, etc. The presbytery which met was composed of Elder John Shanks (Paint Creek Church, Carroll Co., Ind.), moderator, and Elder Dennison S. Tanneyhill (Middle River Church, Madison Co., Iowa), clerk, and brethren John A. Crawley and Lafayette Baugus from Boonsborough Church, in Boone County, Iowa.
In August 1855 Sharon Church voted to request admittance into the Western Association, and was received. The church was host to the Association for the first time in 1860. Sharon Church entertained the Association about twenty times, the last being in 1934. However, the church continued to represent in the Western Association until 1958, when the church itself closed, gave its remaining members letters of dismission, sold its property, etc.
In 1875, the church reported a membership of 29. By 1881, the membership had declined to 18; and in 1882 the association minutes show that two letters, contesting the representation of Sharon Church, were handed in. Trouble and division had taken place, bringing a cloud of darkness which threatened the life of the church. Somehow, the church survived this trouble; and in 1886, the church represented in the association again, reporting a membership of 18. Then, in March 1887, the church experienced a refreshing season, with 23 new members added during a week's meeting held by Elder Isaac Skelton, and 28 new members in one year's time. In 1889, the church reported 56 members.
Among the ministers who served the church as pastor were Elders John Shanks, E. W. Moore, John Cline, Fred Elmore, M. E. Young, William M. Rose, Robert S. Banks, George J. Jones (for 35 years), W. A. Holmes, Andrew W. Thompson, John W. Vincent, and Thomas M. Pile. Ministers who held membership in Sharon Church included Elders John Shanks, Abner Shanks (ordained in October 1863), Ephraim W. Moore (ordained in October 1863), John Cline (ordained in October 1885), John S. Morlan, Robert S. Banks, J. Milton Arledge, A. H. Nay, William M. Rose, George J. Jones, and Andrew W. Thompson (ordained in July 1925).
Deacons ordained included Abner Shanks, Robinson Hosier, John Cline, F. M. Coleman, David Jordan, John F. Thompson, Jesse E. Mains, George T. Moore, and Ira F. Morlan.
Ministers whose names appear in the records as having preached at meetings of Sharon Church (other than during the Association), include the following: Elders John Shanks, D. S. Tanneyhill, Bonham Kester, George Branson, Ephraim W. Moore, Abner Shanks, John S. Morlan, John Cline, Jobe Garberson, E. G. Terry, William L. Jones, Isaac Skelton, Preston Doty, Edwin A. Norton, Aaron Wood, Fred Elmore, William M. Rose, J. Milton Arledge, J. B. Riddle, H. S. Cloud, William Stillwell, N. N. Morris, William S. Hughes, P. A. Whitcomb, G. W. Payne, W. S. Dickerson, F. M. Jordan, M. E. Young, A. H. Nay, John W. Syester, Burton L. Nay, Isaac Sawin, W. T. Branson, George J. Jones, Benjamin F. Butler, Robert L. Keeton, C. J. Carmichael, Noah J. Wood, Andrew W. Thompson, William M. Jones, John Q. Jones, Baxter Hale, C. P. Beadle, Eldon Hutchison, Edgar Carter, Joseph Ford, J. Bryan Adair, W. A. Holmes, Walter Cash, Clyde O. Johnson, John W. Vincent, C. L. Crouse, Leslie Henry, Wesley Jones, and Thomas M. Pile. This is not a complete list.
For about ten years, the church usually met in the school house in Panora, and sometimes in the courthouse, or in homes of her members. In March 1864, the church agreed to bid $150 on the Panora school, at public auction, but failed to obtain it. Meetings were also held, at times, at the Mt. Pleasant school, at churches (Presbyterian and United Brethren) in Panora, and at the Beaver school house. In February 1873, the minutes state that "Brother F. M. Coleman having bought the old Beaver School house for a meeting house, offers the use of said house to the church." The church continued to meet, at times, in other places, including the Thompson Center School, and the schoolhouse in Monteith. Finally, in July 1891, the church agreed to build a new meeting house at the site of the Beaver School, in the southeast quarter of Sec. 30 of Beaver township, between Glendon and Monteith; and a warranty deed for the land was obtained from F. M. Coleman and wife. The new building was soon completed, and the first meeting was held there in December 1891.
This church building, the only one ever owned by Sharon Church, was constructed according to the plan made by Bro. Harmon T. Reed. It has been described as being about 60' by 20', the long side sitting parallel with the road which went by the church east and west. It had two doors on the south side (the side facing the road) which opened onto a wooden deck or platform, which had three or four steps down to the ground. Inside, the pulpit platform, stand table, chairs, and pulpit were located between these two doors, in the center of the south wall of the church; there were pews filling the remainder of the room, with coal/wood stoves at each end of the room, and a separate chimney for each stove. There was no electricity or running water. In 1902, the church voted to "repair the hitching racks and the platform." The building and contents were sold in 1958 for $430, and the proceeds were distributed to sister churches.
In August 1919 the church purchased two dozen copies of the Daily Hymnal. Before this, the Thomas Hymnal was used.
North Coon River Church near Jefferson, in Green County, was organized from this church, first as an arm, and then by members being dismissed for that purpose, in 1878. In July 1887, the church extended an arm to the Union meeting house in Adair County, six miles south of Fontanelle; but no church was organized, and the arm was withdrawn in March 1889.
Towns in the general vicinity of where the church stood, and in which some of the members lived, included Panora, Monteith, Glendon, Menlo, Coon Rapids, Stuart, Casey, Guthrie Center, and Greenfield.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Arledge, Banks, Barnard, Bell, Betts, Boblett, Branson, Bryan, Cabbage, Clay, Clayton, Cline, Coleman, Crawley, Darland, Dunlap, Frazier, Frederick, Garrett, Greenfield, Guttenfelter, Hankersmith, Harshman, Haugham, Haughtelin, Hill, Hosier, James, Johnson, Jones, Jordan, Keeney, Kemp, Kimbrell, Knapp, Lemmon, Lennon, Long, Lupartis, Mains, Mann, McCaslin, McClellan, Miller, Moore, Moorehead, Morlan, Morrison, Nay, Pruett, Putman, Reed, Reynolds, Roberts, Rose, Sammons, Shanks, Smith, Stockwell, Thompson, Vancleave, Waldo, Whistler, Wilson, Woolery, Zion.
ADDITIONAL REFERENCE SOURCES FROM THE PRIMITIVE BAPTIST LIBRARY:
Records of Sharon Church; Minutes of the Western Association. (We would like to obtain a photo of this church building).
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