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In the year of
1825, the Christian Denomination erected a log cabin on Section
33, Township 54 and Range 12, approximately two miles northeast of
Middle Grove. According to description, it was possibly near the
Daniel Dennis farm.
This building
was used until 1840 when the congregation decided to build a
church in Middle Grove to be near the center of the settlement.
The church was built on the banks of Milligan Creek, calling it
"The Reformed or Christian Church, where the 1/2 mile of
Section 9, Township 53, Range 12 where said branch running north
containing 1 1/2 acres", for the purpose of a meeting house
for the use of the denomination known as the Appellation Christian
Church. The church was believed to have been organized by Thomas
W. McBride with the aid of Marens P. Willis, Richard Cain, Samuel
Rodgers and others.
In 1849, when
Elder Henry Thomas preached in Middle Grove, people drove from as
far as Antioch to attend the meeting. By 1874, the church had
grown to 100 members. When G.A. Hoffman, minister from Bloomfield,
MO spoke on August 15, 1878, it was in the old building that was
torn down and a new building was built in the same place. In 1888,
the church had grown to 241 members. By 1892, it had 329 members
and was valued at $1600.
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