Church and Family History Research Assistance for Johnson County, Missouri
CHURCHES:
CHARITY
SARDIS-BETHLEHEM
Sardis-Bethlehem Church, in Leeton, was organized at meetings held on the first Saturday in April 1839, and again on May 4, 1839, with seven charter members, viz., Elder Henry Avery, John W. Williams, John Brummet, Benjamin G. Parker, Valentine Bell, Mary Brummet, Susan Henderson, and Nancy Williams. The presbytery included Elder Daniel Briggs, moderator, and John W. Williams, clerk. Immediately after the church was organized, Elders James Fewel and Daniel Biggs joined by letter. The place of the constitution appears to be an old log school house on Tebo creek, which was the place of worship at first. On the day following the constitution, the church received Nancy Burnett, Richard Burnett, Elizabeth Hendrix, Sarah Wall, Sidney Fewel, G. G. Hudson, and William Wall as members.
In May 1866, the Sardis Church and a church called Bethlehem, of which little information is now known, were consolidated.
Elder Henry Avery first united with the Big Fork Church in Tennessee, in 1826. He served as the first pastor. In May 1866 Elder Joseph Warder was chosen pastor. He was followed by Elders J. E. Goodson, Sr. (1877), R. M. Ogle (1889), H. W. Newton (1889), and Walter Cash (1912).
In 1856 William M. Wall deeded one acre of land to the church, and a house was built on the same, which was divided with a partition and one side was used for a public school. Later a substantial house took the place of this first building, and more land was purchased, part of which was set off for a cemetery. In 1915 it was decided to build a new house, and a committee decided that it should be built in the town of Leeton. Lots were obtained and the house was completed at a cost of about $3,235, which was paid in full by the time the church occupied it. A cemetery association was established to care for the cemetery at the old site.
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