Aboutus - Marshall Federated Church

The Federated Church of Marshall has a long and illustrious history beginning with two separate local churches and the adding of three more groups at later dates – these being Friends, Methodists, Presbyterians, Disciples of Christ and Federated members at large.

The earliest settlers, who were Quakers, arrived in Parke County in 1832 from North Carolina and held their first meeting February 23, 1832 in a log cabin on the John Newlin farm. They, along with the Quakers from Friends Union Chapel moved their church into town in 1889, and became known as the Marshall Meeting for Friends.

The Methodist Church was established in 1880 with meetings held Sunday afternoon in the Friends Church building. The Methodists erected their own building in the southwest corner of Marshall in 1891.

In the early fall of 1926, the Methodists and Friends considered the federation of their churches. On October 31, 1926, the Methodist members came to the Friends building for joint services, and the constitution was adopted on March 7, 1928. Those members signing the articles of agreement on behalf of the Friends were: Ed M. Hobson, D.A. Remley, Sarah Hobson and Rhoda Banta. Methodist signers were Lennie Pyle, Anderson R. Teague and Owen Swaim.

Bethany Presbyterian Church was organized September 1, 1832 in the log cabin of John McCampbell. Their new frame church was erected by the road one half mile east of Bethany cemetery. In 1910 the church was moved into Marshall to the lot where the Federated Church now stands. In the late fall of 1939, the Presbyterian Church approached the Federated Church with the invitation to join with them in a larger federation. This invitation was accepted with Clifford Dooley, Susie Lee Cummings, and O.L. Myers signing the articles of agreement on behalf of the Presbyterian group. On the first Sunday of January 1940, the three groups met together for Sunday School and Church services in the Presbyterian building. It was only after the three denominations came together that the church was able to secure a full-time minister to live in the community, which was felt to benefit the entire community in Christian fellowship.

In 1954, the Christian Church members attending the Federated Church regularly were invited to form their own group within the federation. This was accomplished on May 4, 1954.

In 1975, there were seventeen members of Marshall Federated Church who had not made a denominational designation. It was decided that this group should be represented on the joint governing board as the Federated Church branch. The first members of the Joint Committee from this group were Jane White and Delores Russell. A short time later, it was agreed that members of other denominations could unite with Federated Church by making a Confession of Faith or by bringing a church letter from some other church where they had been a member.

Each constituent church is encouraged to keep an active tie with its denominational church, reporting thereto as a member of the Federated Church. Missionary work is shared equally with whole projects sometimes going to one designated group, sometimes equally divided. Participation in the sacraments of Baptism and Communion is entirely optional with individual members, depending on the constituent group to which they belong. The form of Baptism is left to the individual.

In the fall of 1964, extensive repairs and redecorating was done in the sanctuary. Then to the dismay and heartbreak of everyone, the church was completely destroyed by fire March 24, 1965, including all contents, some dating back 134 years. However, realizing that the real church had not been destroyed, the congregation met on March 26, 1965 and voted to rebuild on the north portion of the property. This would take advantage of the remaining large trees not destroyed by fire. The dedicatory ground breaking service was held during the Sunday morning service on September 19, 1965. The building was completed before another year had passed and dedication services were held on Sunday, June 26, 1966.
Ministers serving the church from its origin as a federation until now have been: R.W. Fish, L.O. Brown, Odus Mitchell, Edward Woodard, Demetrius Tillotson, Paul Shults, William McFaddin, Stacy Wesner, Jack Hart, Stanley Johnson, Milo Hinckle, James Ellis, Buel Horn, William Flanigan, Norman Young, Lester Niles, Fred Stewart, Harold LaMar, John Kessinger, Jim Flater, Don Perry.

The church is governed through quarterly congregational business meetings, one of which is an annual meeting. There is an elected Joint Committee consisting of two members from each of the participating denominations, to oversee the general spiritual, worship, evangelistic and social life of the church. A Board of Trustees, consisting of one member from each of the denominations is responsible for the control, maintenance and repair of properties.

Today, as it was when the present building was dedicated, our prayer is: “We, the Federated Church members in order to better to fulfill our common mission to the community, to conserve the resources of the Kingdom of God, and to promote the unity of His disciples for which Christ prayed, do hereby adopt the articles of agreement and constitute ourselves the Federated Church of Marshall.”

For names of churches and groups we fellowship with please check the above links.