The Building of Evangel United Methodist Church The Evangel United Methodist Church is rich with history, and has been in existance for over 150 years in Holton, Kansas. The church has been a foundation of our community since Kansas first became a new home for settlers from the east in the late 1800's. Originally the congregation met at members homes. As the congregation grew the need arose to build. The first small, wooden church was built in 1871 bringing together the members for a common purpose and provided sanctuary, both physically and spiritually. On June 22, 1893 the quarterly conference of the congregation was called to consider building to accomodate the growing attendance at 164 members, and to provide for the further welfare of the society. In January 1895, the second church built by the Evangelical Association was dedicated. On September 6, 1925, the congregation now with nearly 500 members gathered for a special ceremony to lay the corner stone in the third and current site of Evangel. Placed in a box inside the corner stone was a Bible, the church discipline, the history of the congregation, the names of department heads, the officers and the names of the Building Committee, the church membership roll, the Sunday School roll, the names of builders, the program of the 50th anniversary jubilee, a booklet of church plans, the building fund constitution, and a block cut from the altar rail of the old church. Symbols of the church played an important part in the construction of the new building. Architect Brostrom descibed the symbolism in an article in The Holton Recorder. To read about the symbolism (click here.) To learn about the complete history of the Evangel United Methodist Church read "Proceedings of the Evangelical Association-One Hundred Ten Years of Service of the Evangelical United Brethren Church at Holton Jackson County, Kansas 1858 thru 1968" By Paul Hutchins and Pauline Jensen which can be found in the Evangel Library. |