The Church of Christ:

          This order stands among the pioneers of religious training in the county, and has made rapid advances.  In point of numbers it leads any other religious order in the county.  There is a slight difference of opinion as to the first society established.  The precedence has heretofore been given to Little Flat Rock, but this is not allowed to remain undisputed.  There is strong evidence, and with a fair show of exactness, that the year prior to the organization at Little Flat Rock, a church was organized in the private residence of  John Morris, about a mile south and west of Fayetteville.  The now venerable Professor Ryland T. Brown, of Indianapolis, presided at this meeting, and “Aunt Neppy Summers, now of Greensburg, a most reliable pioneer and devoted Christian, together with I.B. Long, are the witnesses in behalf of the MORRIS organization.  It was not long after the organization until they carried the society to Fayetteville, and it became the nucleus of the present organization at that place.  As a general thing church records are so poorly kept that it is out of the question to get the exact facts of any organization.  We have, for the most part, to depend upon the memory of the “oldest inhabitant” which, to say the least, is a bad tablet from which to read important records.  Whether the organization in the household of the pioneer, Morris, or the one at Little Flat Rock, can claim the honor of first existence, is not so vital an element in a history like this, since it is not the fact of beginning so much as the fact of development that is important.  The Flat Rock has precedence so far as continuity of place is concerned.  It began in 1827, under the inspiration of Elder John P. Thompson, who, having formed the Flat Rock Association of the Baptist Church, when he was brought into the light of the teaching of the Scriptures, as urged by Alexander Campbell, Walter Scott, B.W. Stone, and others, himself turned to that faith of the Church of Christ, and carried his recently constituted Flat Rock Association with him and organized them anew upon the Bible and the Bible alone as the all-sufficient rule of faith and practice.  This motto became the battle cry, and indeed is the “shibboleth” of this religious order to day.  Their ritual, their discipline, their faith, and their order of worship must be read first from the teaching and practice of the apostles before they will be adopted as authoritative in church government.  The work so well begun by Elder Thompson was greatly aided by that wonderfully fearless and aggressive pioneer, John O. Kane, who came to the county in 1832.  He labored several years in building up the work and his success was marked at every point of contact.  From its small beginning it now stands first in point of numbers and wealth and wields an influence that must be felt by all who come under the light of its teaching.  As a church, it is strongly missionary, both home and foreign, being inspired by the great commission “Go into the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.”  By a united effort of the churches of the county it formed cooperation with the congregations of the Church of Christ of Fayette County, and employed an Evangelist who spent his entire time among the weaker places.  This effort alone resulted in an increase of the membership of the county, of more than 150, besides this, the regular church work increased equally by as many more.  There are now fourteen local organizations situated as follows:  Raleigh, Center, Carthage (colored), Hannegan, Plum Creek, Fairview, Ben Davis, Rushville, Arlington, Manilla and Homer, Big Flat Rock (Littles), Milroy, and Little Flat Rock.  These local organizations support preaching, each one-fourth, one-half, three-fourths or all the time, and in the absence of the minister the local talent is always sufficient to instruct and entertain the body.  Nearly every congregation has its Sunday school and all the legitimate means for the edification of the body are resorted to and exercised with an intelligent and a commendable zeal.  This church in its various organization enjoyed the faithful labors in the early days of its history in the county, of such men as William McPherson,  Arthur Miller,  John Walker,  James Smith,  A. Banks,  G.C. McDuffer,  Ruben Garret,  James Conner (still living and at work), Jacob Daubenspeck (now near ninety years old and yet able to teach), and others.  The living representatives of the pulpit in the county are  J.W. Conner,  E. Scofield,  W.S. Campbell,  J.E. Taylor,  J. Daubenspeck,  P. Weaver (colored), and the writer.  The church also enjoys the visiting ministry of  E.S. Frazee, William Mullendore, W.S. Tingley, and the county Evangelist, A.W. Conner.  If there have been omissions, it is an oversight, but it is through that this is the past and present pulpit of the Church of Christ of Rush County.

Methodist Episcopal

          The honor of the pioneer work in religious teaching in the county lies between this order of worshipers and the Regular Baptists.  It cannot be definitely ascertained which denomination has the precedence in regard to this matter.  As early as 1821 James Havens preached this faith in the southern part of the county, and at nearly the same period John Linville organized a class in the southeast corner.  They mention among their early laborers in the county, R. Beggs,  James Havens,  Joseph Tarkington,  William Evans,  John Strange,  A. Cummins,  Allen Wyley,  Calvin A. Ruter,  B.F. Griffiths,  G.K. Hester and others who were indefatigable in their labors to establish the cause.  Perhaps the best known at least the name of widest repute in this county, as well as in other portions of the State, is James Havens.  It can be said truthfully that he was a wonderful man, and the name Methodist Episcopal Church is Eastern Indiana is not complete nor fully honored when unaccompanied by that of this remarkable man.  His strong and vigorous constitution, his profound mental organization and unlimited energy, coupled with an almost unparalleled religious zeal, made him an emphatic “planter and waterer” of the young church for which he expended his very best energies.  Under such enthusiastic tutorage this church has grown to gigantic proportions and stands not lower than second in point of numbers in the county; and as to zeal it may be ranked as first, None but those who were in the forefront on the battle in the pioneer days known of the hardships, the trials, the privations and sacrifices that had to be undergone and were made by the sturdy frontiersman.  The planting of the religious germ in the beginning of the settlement of this county was not done by the smooth traveling by rail or the easy transportation in the buggy over nicely graveled roads, nor was the germ imbedded in the hearts of the people from nicely carpeted pulpits out of gold-clasped Bibles, resting upon velvet-upholstered stands.  The temples of nature God’s first temples were the meeting places of these bold, brave, God-loving people; the canopy their covering; the trees their shelter and rude steps of poles and desks of slabs their pulpit, from which came the intonations of voices tuned to the melody of grace divine, out-gushing from hearts touched by the sweet peace of a devoted innocence, giving to God all praise for his mercy and goodness to his creatures.  This church has some thirteen local organizations, with as many houses, situated as follows; Carthage, Walker’s, Sharon, Ball’s Chapel, Arlington, Rushville, Raleigh, Falmouth, Glenwood, Milroy, Manilla, Goddard’s and Ebenezer; also a point or two where work is done, but as yet no local organization.  Each congregation has semi-monthly preaching, except where there is a settled pastor.  The work of the church manifests itself through its Sunday Schools and other aids, which it has called to its support.  The church is thoroughly missionary in spirit and is usually first to reach a new point and plant its doctrines.  From reports furnished me I infer that the annual increase of membership for the county is from 100 to 200.

Baptist

          In point of numbers the Baptist stands third.  They established themselves here in a very early period of the county’s history, almost if not quite simultaneous with the Methodists.  As early as 1821 there was an organization of this people known as the Flat Rock Church.  John P. Thompson, who figures in the foregoing pages of this chapter, was the founder of that church, and made monthly visits to them.  This church established itself in Rushville in 1822, and has the honor of locating the first religious organization in the beautiful capital of Rush County.  Elder Thompson was a bold, brave defender of his faith, and was strictly conscientious in all his convections.  He was neither dogmatic nor dictatorial, but a learner from the Great Master, hence an humble man.  As fast as he learned he appropriated, and when he was convinced that much of the doctrine he had formerly advocated was unscriptural he with about sixty of his former parishioners, abandoned the faith of their fathers and merged the Flat Rock Association into the Church of Christ.  There were several organizations of this people at this early date, and nearly every organization had a local preacher.  These were greatly aided by  Wilson Thompson,  John Sparks and  George Harlan from Fayette County.  The bravest, most fearless, and at the same time, most aggressive of these was Wilson Thompson.  He was certainly the most zealous, and at once the most deeply wedded to the Baptist faith of any of his co-laborers.  He never lost an opportunity to enter the field of discussion wherein were assailed any of his theological tenets.  Of the several orders of the Baptists there are now in the county five local congregations.  Two in Center, one in Walker, one in Noble, and one in Washington.  The split in the Regular Baptist Church in Rush County took place in August 1845, on the ground where the new church house erected by the Christian Church near Raleigh, now stands.  There was at that time a meetinghouse, known as the “Zion Church,” and belonged to the Whitewater Association, standing on this side.  The controversy, which ended in division, began at the East Fork Church.  Elder Sparks began to advocate conditional salvation and Elder Hatfield, a local preacher for that congregation, opposed with such offensive criticism as to cause Elder Sparks to prefer charges against him which resulted in the withdrawal of fellowship from Hatfield.  Mr. Hatfield appealed to the Whitewater Association for redress and the hearing took place at the Zion Church on the date as above stated.  Wilson Thompson defended Hatfield, and David Drummonds supported the church in its action in excluding Hatfield from its fellowship.  The ground upon which the house stood belonged to Mrs. Nancy Cook, and she was appealed to as to which party should have possession.  She decided in favor of Elder Thompson, whereupon, Elder Sparks called upon his friends to know how many would follow him to a grove about one mile south.  The trial was had on Friday and Saturday, and on Sunday much the larger part went with Elder Sparks to the grove.  The rights of property was finally tested in the civil courts, and by a kind of compromise measure or conciliatory, or whatever it may be called, East Fork was given to the Spark’s party and Zion to the Thompson.  The membership of all the orders of the Baptist in the county is not very large, and their annual increase is small.  They have never been a missionary people, nor do they believe in the Sunday school, and for this reason have not grown rapidly.  Very few of their ministers, if any, are salaried, as the early teaching of the order was adverse to a paid ministry.

Presbyterian

          This order made its first efforts in Rushville, in January 1, 1825, and was then organized there by Dr. J.F. Crowe.  It had at the beginning twenty- eight members.  Its growth was much advanced by the effective labors of  J.H. Stewart,  Mw. Sickles,  J.S. Weaver,  Thomas Barr,  D.M. Stewart,  H.H. Cambern,  Robert Sutton,  John Wiseman, and others.  There are now three separate organizations in the county.  They have never been a very aggressive people, and this fact may account for their not having increased in numbers to a greater extent.  Being among the first to plant their faith in the county, they have become identified with all the county’s interests.  Their discipline is, as a general thing, precise and regular, and for this reason, there are but few communicants who ever abandon the faith when once fully indoctrinated.  There are a few local organizations, which have been abandoned, but their membership adhere to the teaching and the supervision of the Presbytery.  Among the pioneer preachers of this order, one now remains as a tower still, though chiefly in memory.  I refer to the venerable D.M. Stewart.  No Minister is Rush County has done more work than he, nor has had a greater interest in the moral and religious growth of society.  He has been identified with nearly every measure, which looked to the elevation and the protection of society, and for the last fifty years his name has been a household word in the county, and especially in the Presbyterian families.  Chiefly to him is due the growth and perpetuation of his church in the county of his adoption, and his memory alone is a strength that will carry the church along for years to come.
          There is a small band at Homer, and a lively remains of a former organization known as Beech Grove, just east of Arlington.  The remnant of this band is now at work at Arlington, and has the efficient services of  J.D. Thomas, who by a co-operative action of the White Water Presbytery, supplies the weaker points and ministers to destitute places.  Under is effective efforts the Homer church and Arlington band have been greatly strengthened and considerably augmented.  Besides these points, Mr. Thomas labors at various schoolhouses, and is succeeding in calling the attention of a great many to the doctrines and practices of the church.  There is growing a deeper missionary spirit, and with its enlarged views and broader catholicity, it is making itself felt to a far greater extent.  The old Calvinistic ideas that once characterized the initial principles as fundamental facts upon which the superstructure of Presbyterianism was erected, are being either displaced by a broader sentiment of a universal brotherhood, or are gradually being ignored as having belonged especially to a day when light was less diversified throughout the religious horizon.  Certain it is that the church of to day has fewer restrictions and is characterized by a latitudinarianism indicative of a desire for deeper and wider fraternization.

United Presbyterian

          This religious body established itself at Milroy about the year 1830, and has at the present time four assemblies in the county, namely, Milroy, Richland, Shiloh, and Rushville.  There is also a small band at Glenwood.  The most earnest and devoted laborers, and to whom the success of the church is mainly due were:  John N. Presley,  J.F. Hutchison,  S.M. Baily, and  N.C. McDill.  Two of these still minister to the church in the county.  Mr. McDill has labored ardently many years for the church at Richland and has been identified with its working and interests for nearly his entire life.  In fact, his efforts have achieved the success, if they were not instrumental, in establishing the church.    Besides this, he has largely aided the work throughout the county and else ware.  The organization of a congregation of this faith was effective in Rushville in 1879 under the labors of J.F. Hutchison, and numbers now about 55.  The most prominent ministers who served this congregation or assembly are, A.P. Hutchison,  S.R. Frazier, and the present well-beloved pastor, N.L. Heidger.  The order has a house for each assembly in which to worship, and is extremely zealous and devoted to all the principles, which give it distinction from other religious orders.  One of its most striking features is its close adherence to the primitive custom psalm singing.  These is an assiduity in this that amounts to almost dogmatism. Yet this good people would part with their lives sooner than yield up this fundamental factor of their public worship.  They truly are a devoted people, and to this fact as much as to any other, perhaps may be attributed the reason for the fastening of the attention of the people to the claims which they urge as a reason for recognition.  Among their membership are found some of the most intelligent professional men of the county, and men zealous for every public improvement.  In every vicinity where they are established, their leading men are public spirited and usually take the advance steps toward measures considered beneficial to the general public.  They are a missionary and a Sunday school people, yet not characterized by an aggressiveness that would assure rapid growth.

Friends

          In an early day of the organization of the county, there was a settlement of North Carolinians   formed west of Carthage.  This settlement was composed mostly of Friends.  There being a goodly number of them they soon formed themselves into a society and built a comfortable log meeting house, which has long since been displaced by an imposing and substantial brick edifice now known as Walnut Ridge.  This organizing of this society dates back as far as 1821 or 1822, and was composed mostly of two families the Hills from North Carolina, and the Binfords from Virginia.  From these sprang three organizations, two in Rush, and one in Hancock, just west of Walnut Ridge.  In 1840, the monthly meeting of Walnut Ridge, organized the band at Carthage, William Binford, who was their leading pioneer preacher, and his memory is greatly revered by the society today.  He was truly a devoted man and with the piety of the great founder of the Society of Friends, George Fox, he was well calculated not only to plant but to perpetuate the work so royally begun.  They have a beautiful and substantial brick house at Carthage, also a neat and commodious new frame building, two and one half miles northwest of Manilla.  They number between 500 and 600 in the county, and have as spiritual advisers,  David Marshall,  Elwood Scott,  K. Miles, and  R. M. Hare.  They pay no salary to their ministers, but those who give the greater portion of their time to the ministry are comfortably supported by liberal donations.  They are great educators and take the lead usually in public enterprises, which they consider essential to the good of the community.  You never see a poor Friend.  They are all good livers because they help those of their order.  By industry, economy and close attention to business they have succeeded in amassing large wealth and in this particular command, in proportion to numbers, greater wealth than all the other orders of the county combined.  When you strike the hand of a Friend you strike the hand of an honest man, but one, too, that wants its own even to a penny.  The worship of the society has undergone material change in the last few years.  Singing and public prayer were unknown in their devotion until recently.  Their worship was an impressive silence until some member was moved, by an impression of duty, to arise and speak, and the speaking was, as a general thing, very brief.  None but the old societies still adhere to the time honored custom of the days of “Lang Syne”

Catholic

          The first successful effort to establish a Catholic Church in Rush County was in 1853.  Henry Peters, a minister of that church stationed at Connersville, began monthly teachings at private houses in Rushville in that year.  He succeeded in building up an organization and four years later they built their first house for worship.  In 1867, they built a larger and more substantial house, and now have a private school building attached, and the order is enjoying equal prosperity with any of the churches of the communicants live quite remote from the church, yet at nearly all stated meetings or regular sessions they go, it matters not what the surroundings or the state of the weather.  Zeal of this kind bearing on the proper lever would move the world.  The church has had as teachers,  T. J. McMullen, Rev. Mr. Adams,  E. J. Spelman, and the present pastor Rev. Mr. Mackey.  It is in a season of prosperity and enjoys the assistance of some of the best social workers in the county.  The large majority of the members are of Irish descent, yet there are several German Catholics living in the southwestern part of the county.  These, I believe go to Shelbyville to worship.  No order of religionists anywhere has greater veneration for the doctrine that distinguishes it, or the forms of worship, which characterizes it, than do the Catholics.  In this they are worthy of praise.  What we profess to love that we ought to honor and give the deepest devotion.

Wesleyans

          There is a small organization of this branch of Methodism on Little Blue River, three and one half miles southwest of Arlington.  The organization has existed some thirty years and has a comfortable place to worship.  They are served mostly by local talent, but for the last two or three years have had monthly visits from Mr. Spond, of Jay County.  The membership the most part is active and energetic and like the regular Methodists are full

          Of zeal in all their religious devotions.  They are a Sunday school people and believe in missionary work and are laboring to extend their influence as far as their financial ability will admit.  They have not made the progress that the Methodist Episcopal has, presumably because they are less aggressive. It requires great push and persistence, to plant a religious doctrine, especially when that doctrine may be an openly controverter one.

Christian Union

          During the war of the rebellion there arose an antagonism between partisan members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, which resulted in a division upon matters political.  So strong did the antagonism become that there ceased to be fraternization between the opposing elements, and the spirit became permanent.  Notwithstanding this separation the part that pulled off held strictly to the doctrine of the church whence they came further than to discountenance anything like political or partisan reference to governmental policy from the pulpit.  When they went out and reorganized, or rather established a new order upon old tenets, they tool to themselves a new name Christians Union.  In 1868, I.H. Rector came to Rush County and began to present the claim of this new order, near Homer, and succeeded in establishing a church on the farm of Mr. Sells.  They have a neat and comfortable house erected at the point where the organization was effected, and a membership of ninety.  The leading ministers of this church are  F. Price,  S. Watts,  H. Ellis, and  O.H. P. Abbott, who now ministers to them.  They pay $250 for ministerial services for one-fourth time.  They number among their membership the leading citizens of the community the most active members of society, and feel that they have done no wrong in divorcing themselves politically ostracized.  While, as they considered, they could not live without religious influence and devotion to God, they could live without the protection and guidance of that body which constantly ignored them because of their political views. There is but the one organization of this order in the county so far as known to the writer. Doubtless they would have largely increased had it not been that at the close of the war the ministry whose offensiveness had driven so many away from their fellowship, ceased to bar the door against those of opposite political faith, and many who had gone out returned, and others who thought seriously of going out remained.  It is not probable that this order will ever branch out much in this county since its doctrine and practice are so nearly the exact counterpart of the church whence they came out that separate organization are not only useless but wholly indistinctive.

Adventists

          About four years ago Elder A.W. Bartlett, an Adventist minister, came to Rush County and began a series of lectures on the law and the fulfillment of prophecy at Goddard’s two and one half miles east of Homer.  He lectured there about a month and then removed his services to Arlington, where he remained about the same length of time.  Those lectures succeeded in fixing the attention of a few to the claims of this order for the Decalogue and in securing the promise of some fifteen persons to keep the Sabbath as recognized in the law given to the Jews.  About two years afterward, Elders Huffman and Godsmark pitched a tent at Homer, and lectured upon the same subjects for a period of ten weeks.  They succeeded in effecting an organization of some seven souls and in having a house for worship built.  They still hold seventh day meetings there, but have no regular preacher.  They have made slow progress with their new doctrine and have not called out sufficiently strong element to impress the community with the plausibility of their teaching.  It is not probable that they will gain any permanent position among the churches of the county since their doctrine antagonizes and revolutionizes all other religious orders.  Besides what have been mentioned there are some two or three organizations that are apparently independent.  In the southwest corner of Ripley Township is one of these, and it has received the name of “Fast Quakers” because it is composed of Quakers or Friends and Methodists.  In the combination the distinctive plea of each is lost and the amalgamation completely destroys the identity of either.  The usual quietness of the devotion of the Friend is wholly lost in the extreme emotional zeal of the Methodist.  They have erected a very neat house about three and one-half miles southwest of Carthage, and hold occasional meetings there still.  Several organizations of the various churches have been abandoned on account of having been unable to maintain themselves.  Ripley Township had two of this kind, one a Christian and one a Baptist.  The Baptist belonged to the colored people and was situated in what is known as the Beech.  The Christian on the road leading from Carthage to Knightstown, about half way between the two places.  This congregation had a passably good house, which when they disbanded was given to the colored Disciples of Carthage.  They moved the building to Carthage and used it for church purposes until 1875, when they erected a new building, which they now use.  The Baptists have two houses in the county not now much is use, and the prospect is that at no distant day they will be entirely vacated.  One of these lies southwest of Rushville seven miles, and the other is situated in the western part of Noble Township.  Besides these, I have no report of any other organization, either existing or abandoned, except the Moscow Methodist Episcopal Church, in which there is apparently no “lamp” burning at the present.

Colored Churches

          The enjoyment of church privileges by the colored people of this city and county was first effected through the instrumentality of the Methodist Church.  About 1871 or 72 a Rev. Mr. James came from Shelbyville occasionally and preached the word of God to the people of his race, and at length founded a church organization which, however, was not completed until the Rev. Daniel Tucker had replaced Mr. James.  It is known as the Second Methodist Episcopal Church.  For several years’ meetings were held at houses of members, and at such public places as could be conveniently obtained for the purpose.  The membership at first numbering only nine, increased so rapidly that the need of a church building began to be seriously felt.  On August 2, 1877, the benevolent Mr. George C. Clark conveyed to the Trustees of the church, as a gift, a lot in the northeastern part of the city suitable for the erection of a church building.  Many white citizens contributed small amounts and by means of festivals among the colored people a sufficient sum was raised to erect a substantial and commodious frame structure.  Rev. Henry Moreland first preached in the new church and the present pastor is the Rev. Cary Nichols.  The church has continued its growth, until now there are fifty-seven communicants.  The only other church organization among the colored people is that known as the Second Baptist Church, which came into existence about four years since.  Before a church was built Elder John Williams, of Indianapolis, preached in the courthouse and at the houses of church members.  About two years ago means were raised by subscription and a neat frame church was instituted the membership has grown from seven to fourteen.  The Rev. Frank P. Green, of Shelbyville, is at present the pastor in charge.  These churches have planted the moral germ to which more than to any other influence Rush County is indebted for the high state of civilization she has attained.  No county in the State can lay claim truthfully to a more universal church populace, nor deeper veneration of the citizens for religion and religious influences.  In these pages the writer has endeavored to do the strictest justice to all, and has depended largely upon the reports furnished for the facts as set fourth in the foregoing history.  This history, doubtless, would have been more interesting had it individualized the respective congregations, but there was a limit of both time and space, besides the work demanded a general and not a specific history.  It would be a pleasing pastime, and also a most interesting work for the general public to have fully written up step by step, the facts and incidents pertaining to the church work of this county, from its beginning until now.  Should any organization or rather order feel aggrieved or slighted by statements or omissions, I would beg that such be considered accidents and not intentional.  There can be none prouder of the moral influences being exercised for the elevation of our citizenship than myself, and hence, I could not intentionally disparage any of them however strong I might differ from them as to their claims for truth as their basis. I believe that the general history herein contained is as nearly correct as it can be gotten, since the source whence we must draw information has not the reliability of well-kept records.  In concluding, I can but express the hope that the church work may continue on to still greater accomplishments.
Submitted by Lora

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