Ministers
of
Harristown
Christian Church
(Disciples
of Christ)
Harristown, IL
62537
For the
period 1861 - 1997
Names of Ministers |
Years of Service |
Comments About Pastorate or the Church's History* |
| Various "circuit riders" | 1861-1867 | Two congregations merge; present church organized March 1861. |
| William A. Mallory | 1861 | Officiating evangelist; served about a year. Left for Civil War duty. |
| B. B Tyler | 1862 | Conducted first revival meeting at Harristown - 75 new members. |
| A. J. Kane | 1862-1865? | Ladies Aid Society active. |
| N. S Bastain | 1865? | Lincoln’s body passes through town en route to Springfield. |
| John Sweeney? | 1865? | New church building built - cost $4,000 |
| W. T Maupin | 1868-1872 | First resident minister. New parsonage bought 1872. |
| J. G. Waggoner | 1872-1878 | Christian Women’s Board of Missions auxiliary formed. |
| G. M Goode | 1878-1884 | Membership over 160; some leave over purchase of an organ . |
| J. H. Gilliland | 1885-1891 | |
| J. P. Ogle | 1888-1891 | |
| M. R. Elder | ? | Sometimes listed as M. E. Elder |
| J. F. Weaver | ? | |
| J. P. McKnight | 1892-1896 | Women’s Auxiliary resumes monthly meetings. |
| L. T. Faulters | 1896-1899 | |
| C. Whitt | 1900-1901 | |
| J. W. Robbins | 1901-1903 | |
| W. H. Harding | 1903-1905 | |
| Bro. Cloe | 1905 | Alternate Sundays |
| A. T. Cobb | 1906-1907 | Non-resident. |
| J. H. Bristor | 1907-1909 | 95 new members added in 1906-08. |
| A. A. Burr | 1909-1910 | |
| J. H. Wright | 1911-1912 | Sometimes listed as H. H. Wright. |
| W. H. Kern | 1913-1915 | Electricity used to light the church for the first time - March 1913. |
| Roby Orahood | 1915-1920 | Current church building erected. Dedicated December 23, 1917. |
| Charles Adams | 1920-1924 | Road paving begins. |
| J. H. Thomas | 1924-1927 | |
| No regular Minister | 1928 | |
| Harry Joachim | 1929 | |
| Roy Miller | 1930-1933 | Depression. Paid only from offerings. Parsonage burns in 1932. |
| No regular Minister | 1934-1935 | |
| Joe Reed | 1936 | |
| Howard Johnson | 1937-1941 | Became military Chaplain. |
| Arthur A. Azlein | 1941-1943 | Became military Chaplain. Sometimes listed as Arthur Azlain. |
| Fred Wilson | 1943-1945 | |
| Robert A. Ferguson | 1946-1947 | Baptistery scene painted by Rev. Ferguson. |
| Leroy Cronkhite II | 1947-1951 | Church redecorated and tuck-pointed 1949. |
| Stephen S. Carnock | 1951-1961 | New organ dedicated to Sgt. James D. Ash; died in Korean War. |
| Harvey O. Wilfred | 1962? | |
| Galen Clark | 1965? | |
| James W. Lowery | 1968-1975 | |
| Dr. Kerns | 1975 | |
| Dale Berck | 1976-1983 | also served Niantic Christian Church. |
| James Van Lear | ? | Interim minister. |
| Ina Woodward | ? | Interim minister. |
| John and Dawn Stemple | 1984-1991 | Each alternated months with Niantic Christian Church. |
| Catherine Barton | 1992-1995 | |
| James L. Fyke | 1995-present | Tornado damages church, April 1996. |
*Notes: The congregation was called a "Congregation of the Church of Christ meeting at Harristown" for many years. The current congregation was formed as the result of the consolidation of two groups meeting in separate structures near the Harristown. The Miller’s Schoolhouse congregation built a new church building west of the M. C. Glasgow residence after meeting jointly with some other religious groups as a union church congregation. The site was near old US 36 and Union School. They later merged with the Berea Group (housed about two miles north of Harristown) to form what is now Harristown Christian Church. Additional people from Long Point congregation south of Niantic also joined the new church.
The building used by the Miller’s School group was physically moved to the Francis Hostettler family property in Harristown and became the home of the new combined congregation in 1867.
George Hamilton entered the ministry from Harristown Christian Church in the early years of the 20th Century and Christopher Garriott also entered ministry from our congregation sometime between 1911 and 1961. Six members married ministers: Mrs. C. S. Medbury, Mr. I. M. McCash, Mrs. R. A. Gilchrist, Mrs. Faith Leonard Pitman, Mrs. Nancy Ash Keck, and Mrs. Georgeanne Dingman Warren.
The village of Harristown was called Summit in its early days.
If you have additional information concerning any of our previous ministers, we would be grateful if you would share it with us.
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