In the late 1870's a group of German immigrants came to this area to make it their home. In 1879 a missionary from Junction City met with the people in their homes. The first services were held in the homes of Fritz and Bertha Dierking, and Adam and Mary Meinhardt. As a result the Emmanuel Church was organized in 1880 and affiliated with the Northwest German Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The first

During the 1880's other German families were settling in the community and attendance grew too large for meeting in the homes, so services were conducted in the South Pole School house. The church was referred to as Beman because settlers received their mail at the Beman Post Office. By 1889 the attendance was such that a house of worship was needed. The parish met on November 16, 1889 and chartered and elected Trustees. A tract of land was deeded to the Emmanuel Church by George and Mary Reitz of Saint Louis, Missouri in May of 1890 for a sum of $1.25. The congregation was helped to raise funds for a building by donations from sister churches in Junction City, Wichita, Norwich, Lyons, Greenwich, Alta Vista, Council Grove and Alma, all Kansas communities. The Church was figured to cost $800. After completion of the church, a four room parsonage was erected at a cost of $400 and Rev. Humsfeld and family were the first to live there. Later additions were made to both buildings. In 1916 a kitchen, bedroom, enclosed porch and garage were added to the parsonage. In 1917 the South room was added to the church building.

Early in the life of the congregation, men sat on one side and women of the other side of the isle. In the early years women had no voice or vote in the business of the congregation except as organist. A big change came in 1916 when services were changed from German to English speaking.

Soon after, an English speaking Methodist congregation that had been meeting at the Beman School house disbanded and many of that group joined our membership. By 1926 when the German Methodist Conference united with the English Methodist Conference; there were then 118 members.

In 1963 Emmanuel yoked with Simpson and have shared the same pastor to this date.

In the 1880's as Alta Vista was developing, a number of denominations sprang up in the area. Among those was Methodist Episcopal Church South. Services were originally held in school houses. Mrs. Hooper Sr. started the first Sunday school in this area before 1881, with help from relatives in Massachusetts who sent material to be used. In the fall of 1881 Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Spencer traveled to Council Grove to see

what could be done to start a Methodist service in their community. They secured the services of Reverend J. Foresman, who was a circuit riding preacher to Council Grove, who held services every two weeks from 1881 through 1884 in the Pleasant Mound schoo1house, otherwise known as First White schoolhouse.

The Rock Island Railroad made plans to have a station in Alta Vista in the 1880's so the newly chartered Methodist Congregation elected to secure a location in town for a building site. With 40 members on the roll the church began services at the Johnson Hall, just over the furniture store. When that facility became a district 81 school room, the Methodists began meeting at Gantz Hall over the Gantz storeroom. Once a school house was erected, services were held there until a church building was completed in 1889. Christian Langvardt Sr. gave the lots where our church now stands. The original building called for 28x25 foot structure with a class room of 14x24 feet. The cornerstone was laid on November 2, 1889 and was completed by volunteer labor and free of debt that year. The new church was dedicated the Simpson Methodist Episcopal Church honoring the first Presiding Elder, Rev. J. A. Simpson.

In 1916 the Moss Springs congregation joined with Simpson and their building was moved to town and added to the Simpson building n 1956.

In 1963 the Simpson and Emmanuel Churches became a charge.