BAPTIST

As with many religions in America, this religion dates back to England. The Puritan movement had dissenters in their ranks, called the Separatists. The Separatists traveled to Europe and the New World in order to flee the persecution they faced in England. The Separatists set up many Baptist congregations in the New World during the 17th and 18th centuries, and these congregations flourished over the years.

Ionia County - First Baptist Church

June 24, 1834 was the date of the conference that established the First Baptist Church in Ionia. This conference held after the sermon was attended by Elder E. Loomis agent of the American Baptist Home Mission Society, Elder L. Slater, missionary from the Grand Rapids area, Samuel and Anna Dexter, Alfred and Nancy Cornell and Erastus and Phoebe Yeomans. In August of the same year, Elder Loomis returned and it was voted to ask recognition as a church. At this meeting, Dr. W. B. Lincoln was received as the first candidate for baptism. The following day, a service was held and during intermission the congregation proceeded to the Grand River where Dr. Lincoln was baptized. Dr. Lincoln was then chosen the first church clerk, a position he held for ten years. Mrs. Candace Dexter, mother of Samuel, George and Stephen Dexter was first received as a member in 1837. Mrs. Dexter had emigrated from Little Falls, New York at the age of 75 years. She was the daughter of Rev. Esek Winsor, son of Mercy Williams, daughter of Roger Williams, founder of the original Baptist church in America at Providence, Rhode Island. Mrs. Dexter was also the grandmother of Mrs. Williams Jennings Bryan. Mrs. Dexter later died in Ionia and is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery on Yeomans Street. In 1843, John VanVleck was granted a license to preach to the people. On June 1, 1845, Rev. VanVleck was ordained to the ministry and became the organizer and first pastor of the Palo Baptist Church

The First Baptist Church of Palo
P. O. 296
Palo, Michigan 48870

There is a book out on the "History of the Campbell District of the Old German Baptist Church 1867 - 1990 - Thornapple German Baptist Brethern 1867-1883 Campbell Old German Baptist Brethern "Lake Odessa" 1883-1990

The Church (or Meeting House) still stands and is still in use. it's at the corner of Vedders road and Darby Road. The cemetery connected with it is listed in the list of cemeteries, I believe it is listed as being in Clarksville.

The person responsible for the book is

Carmen Stambaugh
108 W. 9th St.
N. Manchester, IN 46962

Church of Christ

Rev. Isaac Erret organized the Church of Christ in Muir in 1859. Several members of that church were from Ionia and they requested that he start a church in Ionia. This was done in 1859. The church grew rapidly from it's initial membership of 43 to more than 350 in 1891. The church met in halls and other churches until 1873 when their own church was built. Some of the most beloved young members of the church went on to become ministers. Dr. Royal J. Dye and Miss Eva Nichols were ordained in the church Jan. 15, 1899, and were married, also in the church the following day. They departed two days later to do missionary work at Bolenge, Belgian Congo. They returned to Ionia in 1911.

METHODIST

The Methodists are a subset of the Anglican church of England. Until 1784, Methodists were not a "church" but only a group of societies without a major central authority. It was after the Revolutionary War that the Methodists decided to form a separate church with a recognizable authority. As with the Anglican church, the Methodists set up divisions in every colony of the new country and their congregations flourished.

Ionia County - Easton United Methodist Church

Land donated by the Snell Family and located where the Easton Cemetery now is located, was the site of the former Easton Church. The church was white with colored glass windows. It stood near the road on top of the hill. It was heated by two large stoves and lighted by kerosene lamps which were placed in brackets along the walls. The organ and choir were situated at the left of the platform at the front with the pulpit in the center. There were two rows of pews with a center aisle between. The bell was rung for every service, and at the death of any of tie members it told their age by the number of times it was rung. The sheds for the horses were located at the southwest corner of the yard.

The membership was large and covered a six mile square. In August, 1918, the church was struck by lightning and burned. The pulpit, Bible, and a few of toe pews were salvaged from the burning church. As the bell fell from the burning belfry, it gave one final clang.

There was discussion as to where to build the new church, but later land was donated by the Hiram Brown family and the Green's Corner Church was bought and the night before it was to have been moved to the new location, it burned.

The church which burned at the cemetery location was built in the spring of 1868 at a cost of $3,000 and on July 4, 1868, at was dedicated by Rev. Johnson of the Flat River Circuit.

Easton United Methodist Church
490 Potters Road
Ionia, Michigan 48846

Ionia County - First Methodist Church

The first Methodist Episcopal class in Ionia was organized in the home of Oliver Arnold of South Ionia in the fall of 1834. For two years there were only three members of the class, all children of Mr. Arnold, Silas the leader, Anthy Phelena and Anthilda. In 1836, the Jesse Stevenson family became the fourth and fifth members. Services were held on the second floor of the Ed Stevenson store, at the corner of Main and Third Streets and later in the village schoolhouse on West Main Street. In 1844, the Methodists purchased a lot on Washington Street at the north end of Kidd Street, but due to lack of funding delayed completion of the church until 1850. During the time that the church was being built, services were held in the unoccupied Episcopal Church. The early church was dedicated in 1855 and grew in membership until it was necessary to enlarge the church. A description of the interior of the church reads, "The entrance was at the south end and the pulpit and the north end of the church. Down the center was one aisle, the women sitting on the west and the men sitting on the east. The room was heated by a big wood stove in the northeast corner. The was surrounded by seats arranged for the comfort of those who drove from the country. Here they took off and left their extra wraps, then stayed until warmed sufficiently to be comfortable in the pews. "The church burned after a banquet on October 30, 1930. Just 2 years later, to the date, the cornerstone was laid for the new church. The first service in the new church were held March 29, 1933.

First United Methodist Church
105 E. Main Street
Ionia, Michigan 48846

LeValley United Methodist Church

It is interesting to see how the church or the Southeast corner of Kelsey and David Highways has grown out of the past. In the 1870's there were several places about the countryside where people met for worship.. One group met at a meeting house where the Tuttle Cemetery now stands. Another group met at the Benedict School and yet another met at Berlin Center. There were too many groups to serve, so it was suggested that the two groups that met at the Tuttle Cemetery and the Benedict school should build a church together. After much discussion it was decided that a church should be built on a plat of ground offered for the purpose by Ira F. LeValley, with the stipulation, by him, that the church must be called the LeValley Church. This church was built of brick and stone by D. L. Ritenberg in 1876 at a cost of $4,000. On February 19, 1923, the church burned to the ground and was immediately replaced with a new church on the old site. The cost of building the new church was $40,000.

LeValley Methodist Church
1461 E. David Highway
Ionia, Michigan 48846

Zion United Methodist Church

In 1858, a group of German emigrants living in Ionia established the Zion Church of the Evangelical Association. Charter members were: Mr. and Mrs. G. Cutler, Mr. and Mrs. T. Cutler, Mr. and Mrs. G. Lauster, Mr. and Mrs. Morganthaler, Mr. and Mrs. W. Wing and Mr. Charles Kling. The German language was used exclusively until 1905. Various buildings and members homes were used as a meeting place. The home of George Schaufele was used until it burned. Then members met at the home of John Schneider. In 1867, a building was constructed for use as a church. That building is now a dwelling. In 1885, the present structure was built.

Zion United Methodist Church
423 W. Washington Street
Ionia, Michigan 48846

PRESBYTERIAN

Presbyterianism in American started in Maryland. Francis Makemie, a missionary, spurred interest in Presbyterianism, and his work led to the establishment of five Presbyterian churches in the new colonies. Makemie was also responsible for the first Presbytery in America. He united all of the Presbyterian congregations in America under his leadership. The giant mass of Scotch Irish immigrants in the 18th century fueled the American Presbyterian church, because many of them were already Presbyterian. From Maryland, the Presbyterian church spread throughout the colonies and formed churches in all thirteen.

Ionia County - First Presbyterian Church

The First Presbyterian Church of Ionia was formed October 8, 1842. An organizational meeting was held with the following becoming members: William and Julia Babcock, Araminta and Rebecca Dye, Lecretia Webster, Mary S. Abby and Mary Lovell. Later that same month, Dolly B. and George C. Overhiser, Harriet A. Bates, Samuel P. Hodges, Rufus Dinsmore, Reuben W. and Martha Stevens and Olivia Babcock became members. The early congregation met and various halls and churches until 1857, when they moved into their new church. The church was totally destroyed by fire on June 28, 1908. Immediate plans were made to replace it. The new church was dedicated on March 13, 1910.

First Presbyterian Church
125 E. Main Street
Ionia, Michigan 48846

LUTHERAN

It was Louis XIV, King of France, who spurred Lutheran immigration to America. During his reign, Louis imposed harsh economic sanctions on minority religions in France. Meanwhile, in America, William Penn had set up colonies in Pennsylvania that only had minor religious restrictions. The religious freedom of Pennsylvania appealed to many of the immigrants from France, and so they began to immigrate. Germany, Sweden, and Denmark were other major sources of Lutheran immigrants.

Ionia County - St. John's Lutheran Church

St. John's Lutheran Church was one of the first churches built in the new American settlement of Dexter. One of the first things on the agenda of the new settlers was to build a church. Many of the German immigrants came to America to find religious freedom. In 1880 the congregation who had been meeting in the home of Robert Gierman on North Jefferson Street and at the Fireman's hall built their first church. For many years services were given in both English and German.

St. John’s Lutheran Church
617 N. Jefferson Street
Ionia, Michigan 48846

St. John's Episcopal Church

The first services for Episcopalians were conducted by a lay-missionary, David Burger, in 1836. In 1841, William Tryon, Lawson Warner, Hampton Rich, G.W. Southwick, James Kidd and A. S. Wadsworth were elected to the first vestry of the Parish. The original building had the distinction of being the oldest Episcopal Church in the State of Michigan. The building was completed in the spring of 1842 on land donated by Samuel Dexter.

St. John’s Episcopal Church
617 N. Jefferson
Ionia, Michigan 48846

ROMAN CATHOLIC

It was the Eastern European immigrants that came after the Civil War who really popularized the Roman Catholic church in the United States. After the Civil War, immigrants from Germany, Italy, Austria-Hungary, and Poland swelled the ranks of the Roman Catholic Church. The entrance of 100,000 Catholic Mexicans into America by 1900 also helped the growth of the church. The greater portion of Roman Catholic immigrants settled in the Eastern United States, but churches were set up all over the country.

Ionia County - Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church

Saints Peter and Paul Parish was founded in 1858 by Rev. Charles G. Bolte. The parish consisted of four counties with Ionia as the center. Included were churches at Lansing, St. Johns, Belding, Grattan, Maple Valley, Carson City, Hubbardston, Portland, Pewamo and Mount Pleasant. In all, all twelve churches were built by Father Bolte. In 1862, the Mount Olivet Cemetery was built, and the following year the first church and rectory were built. The first burial in Mount Olivet was that of Charles Joseph Rohler, on November 30, 1863. The first baptism in the church was that of Daniel Gerick, October 21, 1863 with Richard Jordan and Mary Hackett as godparents. The first marriage performed in the church was that of James Cotter, age 47 and Bridgett Dwyre, age 40 on May 10, 1864. The witnesses were Patrick and Katherine Daveran.

SSTs. Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church
434 High Street
Ionia, Michigan 48846

• The Library of Michigan located in Lansing, Michigan has the following information regarding the churches of Ionia County.

The First congregational Church, United Church of Christ, 1843-1993 : celebration 150 (Portland).

The Church, 1993. BX 9886.77 P67 1993

A Growing church united to serve. Lakewood United Methodist Church (Lake Odessa, Mich.), 198S. BX 8481 .L3 C73z

Methodism in the Belding area. Central Methodist Church, 1963. BX 8481 .B4 M4 1963

St. Mary's Miriam Church centennial book. 1871-1971, Belding, Michigan. The Church, 1971.BX 4603 .B4 S75 1971

The Church record book of the Methodist Episcopal Church. (Lyons, Mich.). Genealogical Society, 1983. Film F 574.S884 R3 1983, No.4 on Reel

The Church record of the Palo Circuit Methodist-Episcopal Church. Genealogical Society, 1980. Film F 574 .C78 C7 1980

Church register. Holy Trinity Church (Belding, Mich.), 1980. Film F 574 .G748 G7 1980, No.3 on Reel

Minutes of the Methodist Episcopal Church Ladies Aid Society, (Palo, Mich.). Genealogical Society, 1980. Film F 574 .P263 M3 1980

Record of the quarterly conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church (Palo, Mich.), 1880-1891. Genealogical Society, 1980. Film F 574 .P263 M3 1980

Records of Holy Trinity Church, Belding, Michigan, 1907-1917. B. Spooner, 1979. BX 5980 .B44 H64z

Records of the Methodist Episcopal Church (lonia, Mich.), 1871-1926. The Church, 1983. Film F 574 .P67 P6 1983

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