The United Methodist Church (UMC) in Constantine celebrated 180 years on Sunday (October 9) with an emphasis on early Village history, and the history of its classic Gothic Revival building.
Shown is vintage clothing from the Gov. John S. Barry Museum, a Gay 90's dress and bonnet, band uniform from Crossette's band, the 1878 wedding dress of Charlotte Keightley, and a 1910 dress and bonnet. A quilt in the middle was made by ladies of the church.
The Gov. John S. Barry Historical Society loaned numerous items from the late 1800′s for the event, including a horse buggy, vintage clothing, a quilt made by the church women, and fans with advertisements for local merchants printed on them.
The 1878 wedding dress of Charlotte Keightley was on display. Keightley was married to a prominent local judge and founder of the Constantine Woman’s Club. The building housing the club was bought by the church and renamed Wesley Hall in 1982. An early Crossette band uniform and trumpet were also on loan.
Rev. Gerald F. Hagans, a retired pastor from Sitka United Methodist Church in eastern Muskegon, gave a history of Methodism in Constantine. Hagans is one of 90 pastors that have served at the Constantine UMC.
In 1829, Circuit rider Erastus Felton (1798-1837) from the St. Joseph Mission arrived from northern Ohio on horseback to spread Methodism to the area. After traveling to Cass, Berrien and St. Joseph counties, a year later he was sent to Big Prairie Ronde, in the southern part of Kalamazoo County.
Travel worn circuit riders hoped for someone to feed them, a room to stay in and carried everything in their saddlebags. “Felton traveled through a wilderness of unbridged swamps to seek out the heroic pioneers and preach the gospel to them in their log cabins,” Hagans said. “Perfect love and salvation from sin were the gospel spread over several counties by him, with great zeal. He baptized, and carried the sacraments. People only had each other and their faith,” Hagans added.
In 1831, the church was known as the Methodist Episcopal Church, and met in a school and a Presbyterian Sessions House. In 1848, a building of stone and wood was built on the corner of Second and White Pigeon Streets. Services were held there until the present church was built in 1878.
In 1984, the church was listed in the as a Michigan Historic Site.
A catastrophe was averted in 1990, when a structural engineer climbed inside the upper interior and reported the scissor trusses were warped and the roof was in danger of caving in.
The building was immediately evacuated, and every article removed. The stained glass windows were covered with wood, cables were attached to keep the walls intact and the intersection was blocked off. With the roof removed, the interior was subject to damage by rain and snow. The renovation took over a year and cost nearly $400,000.
Rev. Gerald F. Hagans, a retired pastor from Sitka United Methodist Church in eastern Muskegon, gave a history of Methodism in Constantine. Hagans is one of 90 pastors that have served in Constantine.
Rev. Gerald Hagans was minister at the time and mentioned two remarkable events happened then. “We took some old drywall off and found messages the 1878 congregation had written. One said ‘God is Love’ and the other was John 3:16. We took great comfort in it,” he added.
“On Christmas eve, someone came in and reported a painted gold star 30 feet up on the east wall had been uncovered,” Hagans said. “There was snow inside the church, holes in the flooring, but everything just seemed alright somehow.”
“We wondered are we doing the right thing keeping the building? We saw these signs and thought that was our answer.”
“We never could have created another building like this. It is beautiful and it is unique,” Hagans said.
Taking inspiration from this, several of the warped trusses were preserved and made into several large crosses which are in use.
The program also included the following:
State representative Matt Lori presented the church with a certificate signifying special tribute from the state. It was signed by Lori, Lt. Governor Brian Calley, Senator Bruce Caswell and Governor Rick Snyder. It states in part, “Your true heart lies not in the dates recorded in history books or chiseled on cornerstones, but through the faithful work of generations of members that have called this church their own through the decades.”
- Congratulatory letters from Bishop John Hopkins from the East Ohio Conference, and Bishop Bruce R. Ough of the West Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church were also read.
- Special guests attending the event included former ministers, the Reverends Jerry and Susan Hagans, the Reverends Jim and Marilyn Barney and Rev. Mark and Mrs. Annette Erbes.
- Entertainment included several songs by the Chancel choir. Brass ensemble members Trent Bullock, Amber Anderson, Jen Jones, Steve Gagliardo and Director Marge Caid did several selections.
- Refreshments were enjoyed in Wesley Hall. A special commemorative cake was made by Connie Bickel.
Members of the 180th UMC Anniversary committee include Pastor Scott Manning, Terry Krull (chairman), Bette and Paul Lucas, Cheryl Haskins, Alice Salisbury, Marcia Wittenberg, Joelen Zimont and Linda Colley.
Constantine United Methodist Church is located at 285 White Pigeon Street. The minister is Rev. Scott E. Manning. For information call (269) 435-8151.
Source: Story and photos contributed by Angie Birdsall.
That 1848 original church site at 2nd and White Pigeon is where my parents current residence sits and has been there since 1941. When we dug the pool in 78, (I was like 12)we found some very interesting artifacts (to which I have this day…the excavators scavanged some of the more interesting bottles, but I found about a dozen or so later myself). Scared the bejesus out of us when the excavaction uncovered a small perfectly rectangular marble stone like a gravemarker….which we later learned that the village’s marble works was once located also.
I’d be interested in seeing the bottles…! Speaking of bottles, I lived at one time in “Doc Sloat’s” old house (at 540 S. Washington Street) which is the ‘mirror image’ (floorplanwise) of the Barry home/museum. I had it excavated by Don Eiswald and came up with some ‘interesting finds’ bottlewise myself. We’ve always had a couple ‘marble gravemarkers’ in the sideyard by the grapevines, at my mother’s, next to the Methodist Church parsonage. I heard since there was this ‘nifty marble works’ situated on the corner, someone thought to put a ‘funeral parlor’ at one time in my folks’ home. Also, it looks like two homes were literally ‘pushed together.’ The back room section does look like it’s older, probably nearly as old as the Barry home. The Barry home was the first home built north of the Bridge btw, circa 1832. It contains two massive fireplaces, which have been restored. I didn’t write about it, but for the church celebration, I put on one of the museum dresses and ‘gave a speech’ about the fact I’ve the oldest ties to the church. My gt-gt. grandfather George Miller helped erect the church in 1878 (and was a member earlier, at the earlier Methodist church on the other corner.) He bought the house next to the one mentioned above so he could “be closer to his church and his God.” (Methodists were pretty fanatical back then..;) )
Angie,
Yes that make sense….considering your folks place is right next door to my folks place, probably explains why we see similar items (the aforementioned grapevines running adjacent to my folks garage). Also, according to doc (when he was still alive) some of the marble pieces used in walkways throughout our town were often flawed gravestones where they simply put the engraved side down to put them to good use rather than throw them out. I believe there are (or were) examples in the basement of the Barry House. I’m normally on the other side of the state during the week, so I’ll leave the bottles over at my Mom and Dad’s and let them know you will be stopping by to check them out and they can probably show you the marker. Didn’t realize you were a descendent of George Miller….I think that’d make you a distant relative of my wife and her mother.
….Funeral home you say…wow I guess I can see that and the two house merged to one kinda thing. Might explain a few things between the funeral home upstairs and the site itself once being a church…the upstairs bedroom in my folks place….swear to God that that room and the adjacent walk in attic is haunted.
Angie,
Dropped the bottles off with my folks this morning and told my Dad you may be stopping by. Enjoy. Your little brother Tommy and I dug alot of these up when we were kids back in 78 when my folks dug out the area in the yard for the pool. As I recall, your brother kept several bottles as well that still may be somewhere in your Mom & Dad’s old place. All sorts of shapes and sizes…the excavators got some really unique shaped glass items.
Check em out and take pictures if you’d like.
Say Scott… thanks!
I didn’t read these posts earlier. Very interesting. I didn’t know you hung around w/my brother, Tommy.. that’s nice to know. I’d bet there are bottles you guys dug up in my mom’s famous ‘back room’ (which is soo loaded down.) I’ve got a major dispute going with my brother right now… so the only way I’m going to get ‘em is to get a lawyer, dude.
I remember when I lived in Doc Sloat’s house Don Eiswald dug up the ‘privvy’s’ in the back of Doc. Sloat’s place (540 S. Washington) where I lived w/my first husband and as I told him he could take bottles (I’m sure he did.) Imagine what kinda neat bottles were out back of old Doc Sloat’s…
You know, there are several tombstones in the Barry basement. Yep, as George Miller is my great-great grandfather, how is your wife related? I’d ask Hank about all this, but I probably won’t see him out truthfully, until warmer weather.. thx.! angie
er sorry.. I guess I wrote about Doc Sloat before..
I really oughta review what I’m writing on these things.. lol