Worden Church

(1904-59?)

The Gospel Messenger Dec. 17, 1904 page 814 Vol. 43 No. 51

 FROM WISCONSIN.

Nov. 26 the Maple Grove, Wis., church met in quarterly members' meeting to transact such business as might be for the best interests of the church. Since there are. Two meetinghouses located some miles apart, and really two bodies of members, it was decided to divide the body into two congregations. The members constituting the older body number only twenty-three and are without a minister. The few members with two deacons maintain a good Sunday school and will continue during the winter months. The prospects for this little church appear quite good, though they arc but few in number.

  The members of the proposed new congregation met Nov. 30. Eld. H. C. Baker and myself were present. Bro. Baker presided. They were organized into what shall henceforth be known as the Worden church. In this organization there are fifty-three members, two ministers and two deacons. Bro. Baker did most of the preaching while with them.

  I then went to the Elk River church, where Bro. T. D. Van Buren lives and labors in the ministry. They have no house of worship, but are making preparations to construct one during the next year. Being a heavily wooded country, building is comparatively cheap, but there being only a few members the" burden will no doubt be a heavy one. We met in worship with them twice There are a number of good openings in Wisconsin for mission stations. The work ought to be pushed vigorously in the future. May the Lord send laborers into his harvest. John Heckman. Polo, Ill., Dec. 7.

The Gospel Messenger May 20, 1905 page 315 Vol. 44 No. 20

FROM NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN.

Report from the different mission points, where work is done by the district mission board. The Ashridge, Wis., mission, with Bro. D. A. Rowland at the helm, is moving on quite encouragingly. Bro. Rowland is retained another six months, at which time it is expected that the work will be carried on by Bro. G. L. Fruit, a young and promising minister elected within the past year. However, additional help will be given them by a minister assisting Bro. Fruit once each month. In the past year two new organizations have been effected. May 15, 1904, the members, fifteen in number, of Phillips, Wisconsin, were organized into a separate body from the Barron church, nearly one hundred miles distant, to the northeast. Brethren S. H. Baker (then of Wisconsin, but now in Spokane, Washington)  and C. P. Rowland presided at the organization. An election for deacon resulted in electing Bro. John H. Wallace.

   Bro. T. D. Van Buren, of Hannibal, Wis., was secured as their pastor, whose services are much appreciated. The outlook is encouraging. The members are building a house of worship four miles from Phillips in the country, where the members reside. The name given to the new organization is Elk River.

  Worden church was organized Oct. 29, 1904, presided over by brethren H. C. Baker and John Heckman. The new organization is the east part of Maple Grove church. The Wolf River dividing the counties of Chippewa and Clark, the new body is in Clark county, now known as the Worden church. In this new organization there are fifty-three members, two of them being ministers, brethren John Patten and Joseph Gearhart, with several deacons. The west congregation retains the old name, Maple Grove. About twenty-five members remain in this place, two deacons, no minister. The mission board have secured the services of Bro. James M. Moore, of Elgin, III., as a pastor. Bro. John Heckman has the oversight as elder of each of these churches.