USA > Indiana > Marshall County > History of Foster Chapel, 1873-1956 > Part 1
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MARSHALL COUNTY GENEALOGY SOCIETY
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HISTORY of Foster Chapel 1873 -1956
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HISTORY OF FOSTER CHAPEL
The Foster Chapel Church is located in Marshall County, four and one-half miles north, and three-fourths mile east of the town of Bourbon, Indiana.
The Foster Chapel Class was organized in the fall of 1873 by Rev. . M. Wayman with the following Charter Members :W. H.Foulke and wife, Jacob Johnson and wife, George Kitch and wife, Henry Hanes and wife, D.M. Klinger and wife, Mrs. Oren Rose, Mrs. Milton Hill and Mrs. Amanda Talmage. . and Mra Brilham Kamer The Class worshipped with the United Brethren Class in the old log. school-house across the road from the present building until 1830, when it was found necessary to build a house of worship. The building ras bagun under the pagtorate of Rev. F. A. Robertson, and finished under the pastorate of Royal . Whowellen,
The following persons were elected as a Board of Trustees for the Methodist Episcopal Church at Sandridge jas tho community was thon known) by the Fourth Quarterly Conferenci atEtna Groon on Jan. 24,1880: W. H.Foulko, Major G. Wolford, Goorgo W. Kitch,. D. M. Klinger, and George W. Tharp .. The first three named served on the board for many yoars. During the building program D. M. Klingor and Goorgo W. Tharp rosigned, and Jacob Johnson and Henry Hanes were elected to fill the vacancy. On March 18,1880, after many changes in plans, it was finally decided that the build- ing should be thirty feet wide and forty-four feet Long. There woro to be two doors on
the north, and four windows on the east side and also on the wost sido. As the south end of tho building was to be a rostrum nino inchos above the rest of the floor. Two chandoliors of oil hanging lamps, and two
singlo oil hanging lamps woro to furnish light. The heating system was to consist of two wood burning stovos.
The contract was given to Daniol Kohlo" of Bourbon on May 3,1880 for the sum of $700, Ho was to furnish the material, do the carpontor work, and to have it completod by December 1,1880, Ho was to be paid one- third when the material was on the ground , one-third whon the building was onclosed, and the balance whon it was completed. Aaron Stivor did the plastoring for 123d por sq.yde, and furnished his own "board and tondor" Ed King paintod the building three coats of paint for $45, with $20 of that , amount boing applied on his subscription to the building fund,
The church when completed cost $939.43. The amount subscribed was $921, which Loft a deficit of $118.43 to be raised on the :
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"Christ's Love for the Church" was the thome of the Dodicatory sormon by Rov.Ford. Tho pooplo showed their love for the church by providing tho noodod money in just thirty minutos .. This was given in $10, $5,$1, and . ovon half dollars and quarter contributions.
The church was dedicated on Nov.14,.
1880, as the Foster Chapel Methodist Episc- opal Churcho The name Foster was in momory of Bishop Foster. It was a great service, and all the people rejoicedi and praised God for their now hous of worship . From 1880 until 1915 Postor Chapel was sorved by the pastor from the Bourbon Mothodist Church, with rreaching services every two weeks on Sunday afternoon. These services were woll astonded by the loyal mombars, and by folks from the noignboring churches. Some walked three of four miles, others came in wagons or buggios over
corduroy roads which at times wore almost impassable.
The servicos bogan at 2:30 P.M., but the hour of closing was very indefinito. After an inspiring sormon of an hour, a praise sorvico was hold and overyono tostif- ied as to what tho Lord had done for thom in the days past. . Truly, "tho ord sont tho old timo powor, and His name was glorified" in those sorvicos.
* Tho Class Loader and the Sunday School Superintendent hold vory responsible offices in those days. It was the duty of tho Class Loader to conduct the mid-week prayer sorvico, the bi-weekly class meeting follow- ing Sabbath School, and to visit the sick and noody, and to roport these to the pastors The full responsibility of the Sunday School foll So the Superintendent and his holpers as the pastor was novor prosent at theso services. There wore usually two classes
in the Sunday School, one for adults and for children, The collection was really a
ponny collection: Old records show that it
rarely amounted to fifty ponnios. -4
The first ropairs and additions woro mado to the church in 1890. At this timo a bolfry was added, with a boll to summon tho folks to worship. A strip of land was pur- chasod from John Earnest for $15, on which shado troes were planted and hitching posts woro orectod to accommodate tho horsos and buggios.
Tho samo yoar, 1890, the Eworth Loague was organized by the pastor's wife, Mrs. Cono. The sorvices wore hold on Sunday € . ovonings and woro of great help in training the young people of tho church.
In 1608, tho congrogation bogan a now project to onlargo the building, to accommo- date the crowds that gathered for special
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programs, rovival services, and funorals. During many funerals fully half of tho crowd could not got insido the building A room twonty-two foot by thirty-six foot was added, also a vestibule and a new belfry. The now basement with coment floor · housod tho furnace. A gasolino' lighting plant was quite an improvement over the old oil lamps of 1880. The sanctuary contained now modern pows, and about half of it was carpotod. Both rooms were beautifully doc- oratod by John Paschall of Bourbon, who was an artist at this work.
With the leadership of the pastor, Rov. D. S. Jonesand the Board of Trustoos: Goorgo Hatfield, W.H.Foulko, Rufus Hanos, Lovi Knopp, and Molvin Molobash, and with the gonorous help of tho commmity , tho work was bogun in May of 1908, and completed by October 1, cf the same year.
Tho dodication service for the romod- olod Fostor Chapol bogan at 10 A.M. on Sunday, October 4,1908. Tho services woro in charge of the District Suporintondont, Dr. Bonnott, assisted by Rov. W.R. Wonos, a formor pastor, and the current pastor, Rov. Jonos. Dr. Parr, cno of the groat othodist proachers of the time gave the Dedicatory Sormon on the Subject, "Love Novor Faileth" and those who wore prosent reported that it was a stirring sormon.
The romodeling cost about $2500, and all but $950 had been cared for previous to the day of dedication. The records say that after the sormon by Dr. Parr, that the "hat" was passed and. a-collection of $125.10 was rocoived. This was said to havo boon tho largest "hat collection" evor to havo boon collected in the history of the churchos hore about. This was followed by a collect- ion by subseription which soon provided tho
noodod amount. Tho pastor, tho mombors, and the people of the community rojoicod togothor and praised God for His holping powor.
Tho ovoning servics were conducted by Dr. Bonnott and Rov. Wonos. A largo crowd was prosont, and all folt it was tho ond of a "Porfoct Day" but the beginning of bottor things yot to come for Fostor Chapole
On July 25,1912 the women of the church organizod a Ladios Aid Socioty which mot duch month. In those mootings thoy discuss- od problems of the church and of the commun- ity, and made plans to moot those noods. Ico-croam socials, dinnors at public salos, and at the Bourbon Fair gavo thom tho necessary financos to carry on their sharo of tho work of tho church. Tho Ladios Aid was not only a financial holp to the church but it aidod spiritually and socially as woll.
Lator a Women's Foreign Missionary Socioty was organized with monthly mootings on Sunday afternoons Since the morgor of these two organizations of the Mothodist Church in 1940, the Women's Society of Christian Sorvico has boon one of Foster Chapel's strongest organizations. Today. it has a momborship of forty, with all the womon mombors of the church onrollod, as woll as othor intorostod ladios of tho community.
In 1915 tho Bourbon Methodist Church boonmo a section, and Fortor Chapol was loft as a flock without a shepherd, For a fow months the master from the Inwood-Bothol dareutt served as nastor. aos the minist- or Ixea Hippocance book over the work. Both of those plans word unsatisfactory to all concerned. The Church Board thon tried anothor plan. Thoy hired a retired minist-
or, Rov. J. S.Cain of Warsaw to serve as a wook-ond pastor. "Daddy "Cain as he was lovingly callod was a grand old man, filled with the Holy Spirit, and he led the wor- shippers to "Higher Ground . "
Tho Congregation felt that wook-ond services wore not sufficient for the church, so on February 18,1916 a petition was pro- sontod to Bishop McDowell asking that a 3 better plan for service bo provided for
Foster Chapol. This petition was signed by: J. S.Cain, pastor, Molvin molobash- Class Loaderand trustoo, Edgar Snell-S.S. Supt., Alfred Laird-Recording Steward, and other trusteos- Rufus Hanos, Lovi Knopp, W.H. Foulko, And Georgo Hatfield.
The Bishop's roply gavo two promises ; (1) If Fostor Chapel would provido a parson- ago in Bourbon, thoy would always bo assured of a pastor; (2) A Bourbon Circuit would bo ,
formed as soon as possible by uniting somo
f the cut-kying Methodist churchos with 'oster Chapol.
-- Early An the yearof 1917, the Board, of Trustees purchased and remodolod a home in Bourbon as a parsonage for Fostor Chapol hurch.
Rov. Will Monaugh, pastor of the Warsaw ircuit, with his family wore Foster Chapol's irst parsonage family. Rov, Monaugh sorvod s pastor of Foster Chapol, Clunette, Pleasant iew, and Monequet- all .country churches. year
In the following the prosent Bourbon ircuit, or Parish as it. is.now called, was ormed by the uniting of. Summit Chapel, Talma, nd Fostor Chapols Rov. A.A, Turnor was the
inst pastor of the new Bourbon Parish.
For
ho past thirty-eight years those throw hurches havo worked together, and have boon orvod by those pastors: A. A. Turnor, Josoph rimos, Thurman Mott, B.E. Hornaday, F.A.
Shiploy, Russell Scudder, A. Ray Noland , Glonbur Sutton, Harlan Waito, Donald Koontz, ArvieM. Christie, Jack Acbersold, and Paul Prumbauro.
During the summer of 2956 the Parish was sorved by a retired ministor, Rov.G. A. Snidor and his wife. In Soptombor of 1956 Rov. Dalo Bardsley was appointed to Bour- bon Parish.
Forty-oight yoars have passed since the addition of 1908. Today, in 1956 tho 1 enrollment of the church school has passed the 100 mark, with an avorago attendance of 75 to 80 persons. So once again the -
church needed more room and more parking space for the automobilos which now bring the folks to church.
The consolidated school has taken the place of the one room school house - giving our youth the best educational advantages of any nation on carth. Tho
church, too, must progress by giving them oqual advantages in rolificus oducation. Sc, undor tho leadership of : thompsator, Rev. Paul Truribauor, the congregation om- barkod upon a now project of expansion. .In the summer of 1955 the trustees- Harvoy Chonowoth, DoWitt Molobash, Loren Hahn, Harold Miller, and Harvoy Hepler Jr. 1 : purchased a strip of land. trum Mrs. Alva Faulkner for the sum of $100, to onlargo the parking lot:
In January of 1956 tho romodeling of the building was hogup. An upstairs was put in the 1908 addition, making throo classrooms on each floor., This has male possible separate class rooms for all children's classes and the young people's CLJOS05. Thoro is also room for separate worship sorvicos for the children's dopart- . ... ment. A nursory is provided for the very young of the congregation.
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A new roof was put on, and the entiro church has been beautifully re-decorated. To dato some ovor $4500 has boon spont on this project, and more plshe aro boing considored.
After this work was completed tho con- grotation took a look at the parsonage and decided that it, too, needed attention. During the carly fall of 1956 dozens of mon and women gathered and completely ro-decora- tev the interior. Now Cabinots woro install- od in the kitchen, now linoloun was laid, and a now chimney built. Ovor $1000 has boon spent on this project.
, The young people of the church aro organized into a growing and live Methodist Youth Followship. Each summor a goodly number of Intermediate and Senior groups attend Camp Adventure and Instituto at the camp grounds at Epworth Forost.
Thus the history of Foster Chapel moves along. New gonorations come, and old generations pass on. God grant that each generation will bring forth good Leaders, and that the light from Foster Chapel will always shine forth, beckoning the people of the community to come, and worship their Lord.
NOTE :
Those historical fact's were taken from records kopt by my father, W. H. Foulke during the years ho served as trustee. Also, somo woro secured from Mrs. Edgar Snell from rocords kept by her father, George Hatfield, who served as trustee for many years .
Mrs. Alfred Laird
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