History

In the early fall of 1849, at a Methodist camp meeting across the state line in Ohio, a young man of 19 years gave his heart to God. From this humble act came forth chain of events bringing us to the present time.
This young man was Enos Church. During the following year, 1850, he fought a long, hard battle with himself, trying to decide whether to become a United Brethren or a Methodist minister. Here, an interesting sidelight to our church history develops. Enos P. Church, early that year, had married Elizabeth Thomas, daughter of a famous United Brethren minister, Jonathon Thomas. Ohio history books state that Rev. Thomas was called "Father Thomas" there and had a circuit extending from Maumee, Ohio, on Lake Erie, across Indiana to St. Joseph, Michigan, and that he brought into the church over 5000 people. Rev. Thomas came from the Black Swamp of Ohio, with the rush of pioneer settlers, to Richland Township in 1836, bringing with him his wife and 10 talented children and located on land now part of the Raymond Wilson farm in the south end of the township. About 10 years later they came to Alvarado to live. A book written by his son, Rev. Fletcher Thomas, states that his father, Rev. Thomas, gave the land to Enos P. Church upon which to build a church. John Douglas made the first land entry from the government in the township on October 11, 1835 . . . an 80 acre tract from the northwest corner of what was the Douglas farm . . . and was deeded from John Douglas to Enos P. Church, April 6, 1851. Rev. Thomas' residence was directly in back of the church, and then, later, another son-in-law, John Holt, had land from both properties for the store on the corner. Therefore, the supposition is that the land was all purchased at the same time and separate deeds were made.
Though Rev. Thomas was a United Brethren, he was much an admirer of John Wesley, who founded the Methodist Church, and he named one of his sons John Wesley Thomas. Rev. Thomas died at 86 years at his son's home in Hamilton and is buried in the Alvarado cemetery.
Enos P. Church, after winning his battle and becoming a Methodist minister, went quickly to work. He was a carpenter by trade, so he led the construction work on the church, and it was soon completed. It looked very much as it does today, having no steeple at that time. The steeple and belfry were added just after 1900 when remodeling was done, adding new windows, pews and seats at the same time. Alfred Bender, who operated the store, was the carpenter employed at that time. On September 8, 1853, the church and land were deeded to the Methodist Conference by Enos P. Church and his wife, Elizabeth. The church trustees were Calvin Morley, John Douglas, Samuel Baker and William Carey. In 1857, when land was sold off for store property, the trustees were the same, except Albert Morley had replaced his father Calvin, and Jacob Sams' name had been added.
As the years passed, the church grew and was very active, having at one time over 200 members. Earlier, there was a tiny log church on the corner across the road from our present church, built by whom it is not known. Rev. John Stealy, a Baptist from Angola, was supposed to have been the first preacher there. The Baptists were the first religious service in the township in 1836 in the Jackman settlement, on what is now the Emery Buell farm. Later, Rev. Boyd, first Methodist circuit rider in this area, used this building also. It had probably passed into Methodist hands when the Baptist joined with a group at Pleasant Lake. The tiny log church was torn down when our present church was completed.
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