Church and Family History Research Assistance
for Warren County, Illinois
CHURCHES:
NEW HOPE (GREENBUSH)(1836)
New Hope Church was organized in the home of Caleb Hedges, on Saturday, July 16, 1836, according to previous arrangement. The presbytery assembled for that purpose included Elders Charles Vandeveer and Robert Mays. The charter members were Joseph Ratekin, Joseph Rogers, James Kelsey, Polly Hedges and Polly Vandeveer. Immediately after the constitution, three were received by letter, and during the next four years over seventy-five new members were received by baptism or by letter.
In August 1836 the Church bore a request for membership in the Spoon River Association, which was granted.
New Hope Church held meetings in Greenbush as early as March 1848, but services were held in numerous other places, including various schools. In 1853 an Academy was erected in Greenbush for a high school, which was soon disbanded due to lack of students. For many years, it was used by several denominations, until New Hope Church eventually purchased the building. In 1897 New Hope Church erected a new meeting house, in the village of Greenbush, with dimensions of 36 by 56 feet, at a total cost of $1,658.85. The building was fully paid for by the time it was ready to use. The land was donated by Peter Snider.
Pastors or moderators were: Elders Charles Vandeveer, Robert Mays, George Tracy, Benjamin Bradbury, R. M. Simmons, Isaac N. Vanmeter, Samuel L. Dark, Smith Ketchum, J. B. Dobbs, B. F. Butler, W. I. Carnell, D. W. Owens, Baxter Hale, and Orvel B. Prior.
SURNAMES OF MEMBERS:
Alldridge, Alsbury, Armstrong, Bare, Benton, Blue, Bond, Bowen, Boydstun, Bradbury, Brashears, Brown, Buck, Butler, Clayton, Clore, Combs, Conlee, Connor, Cox, Craig, Crary, Dark, Darland, Ditch, Doty, Downey, Ellis, Epperson, Farlee, Gilchrist, Gillum, Giplan, Gunter, Haggard, Hamach, Hannon, Hanon, Harvey, Haunts, Heartley, Hedges, Herrington, Hill, Holeman, Hylton, Jackson, Johnson, Jones, Jordan, Karnes, Keeney, Kelsey, Kidder, King, Kritzer, Lambert, Lawrence, Lee, Lenard, Lewis, Lieurance, Lloyd, Mabry, Marshall, Martin, Matthews, Mays, McGrew, McKee, Miles, Miller, Mills, Milman, Moore, Morphew, Morris, Motten, Murphy, Patterson, Plymate, Prior, Pritchard, Puris, Randolph, Ratekin, Ray, Reed, Riggs, Roberts, Rogers, Ross, Runkle, Runolds, Sample, Schole, Sheets, Shelby, Shields, Simmons, Smith, Spangler, Spencer, Stice, Stockton, Terry, Thompkins, Tipton, Tucker, Vandeveer, Vanmeter, Vanvelzer, Veach, Walker, Webb, Willison, Woods, Wright, Wyatt, Yates, Zander.
SOUTH HENDERSON (BERWICK)(1841)
South Henderson Church was organized on Saturday before the first Sunday in December 1841, at the home of Brother Benjamin Tompkins. The names of those who composed the presbytery are not known. Six members were dismissed from New Hope Church for the purpose of constituting this new church, viz., Benjamin Tompkins, Nancy Tompkins, John Riggs, Martha Riggs, John King, and Mary King. The church evidently dissolved in about May 1847, and part of the members returned again to New Hope Church.
ADDITIONAL REFERENCE SOURCES IN THE PRIMITIVE BAPTIST LIBRARY:
Records of the church; minutes of the Spoon River Association; obituaries and writings of members in church periodicals; a special collection of writings by Elder Isaac N. Vanmeter.
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