Baptists Built First Church This City 1837

The exact date of the first services of the Baptist church in Schuyler county was never chronicled in any issue of The Times, but the ministers of that faith were early in the field and had reached Rushville in the latter 1820's. A division of the church in this early day tended to disorganize the evangelistic work, and the effects of it were felt in Schuyler county.

On October 20, 1832, a Baptist Church of Christ, called Concord, was organized, and there were 23 Schuyler county persons who signed the constitution and articles of faith. Elder John Logan was called as pastor, and he served for four years, when in 1836 he was succeeded by Elder Newell. Services had been held principally in the country up to this time, but in 1837 a place of worship was erected in Rushville.

After a short time this building was sold, and a new church was built on the Macomb road, four and one-half miles north of Rushville. Elder Davis served as pastor of this church from 1840 to 1847, and during these years there was a great revival of interest. This revival culminated in the building of a new church in Rushville in 1851, but for unexplainable reasons the church failed to thrive and the congregation was unable to maintain their organization, and the building was sold to the Rushville Union school district, and for many years served the primary grades.

In later years a Baptist church was re-organized in Rushville, and altho there is no resident pastor, Sunday school and preaching services are regularly held in the church building located on South Jackson Street.

The Rushville Times, October 7, 1948
The Rushville Times used by permission.

Copyright 1999, 2000 Robin L. W. Petersen; all rights reserved. For personal use only. Commercial use of the information contained in these pages is strictly prohibited without prior permission. If copied, this copyright must appear with the information.
 
 

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