Church and Family History Research
Assistance
for Cooper County, Missouri
CHURCHES:
CONCORD
Concord Church was organized May 10, 1817, by Elders Edward Turner, William Thorp, and David McLain, with the fourteen charter members, viz., Luke Williams, Polly Williams, William Savage, Mary Savage, Delaney Bolen, Judith Williams, Absalom Huff, Susanna Savage, Joseph Baze, Lydia Turner, Charles Williams, Patsey Bolen, Sally Baze, and Elizabeth Williams.
The church was located in the settlement south of Boonville. In July 1818, it was one of the charter members of the Mt. Pleasant Association. In 1823, it was the host for the organization of the Concord Association.
MT. PISGAH
Mt. Pisgah Church was organized June 19, 1819, at the home of Lewis Shelton, by Elders John B. Longan, William Jennings, and Jacob Chism, with the following twenty-one charter members: John B. Longan, Wm. Jennings, Jacob Chism, Priscilla Chism, David Jones, Tabitha Jones, James Maxey, Villiam Howard, Leven Savage, Polly Savage, Joseph McClure, Elizabeth McClure, John Bivian, Mary Bivian, Rhoda Stephens, Izabelle Ponton, Sarah Woods, John Apperon, Sela Apperson, Jesse Martin, and Mary Martin. Eldr John B. Longan was pastor continuously for a period of 27 years. In 1846 the church agreed to call an assistant pastor due to the advancing age of Longan, but with the understanding that he would be pastor as long as he lived unless he should move to other lands.
MT. PLEASANT
Mt. Pleasant Church was organized on the second Saturday in October 1823, by members dismissed for that purpose primarily from Pisgah Church. The charter members were George Houk, Stephen Howard, Jacob Chism,John Robertson, Lewis Shelton, William Allee, Burford Allee, Hannah Geet, William Birdsong, Priscilla Chism, Clender Litchwirth, James Hill, Thomas Scott, James Birdsong, Elizabeth Howard, Squire Deacons, Temple Allee, William Deacons, Nancy Allee, Windy Birdsong, Katy Houk, Anna Scott, Elisa Deacons, Nicholas Allee. The presbytery was composed of Elders John B. Longdan, William Jennings, and Jacob Chism.
Soon after organization, a church building was built on the farm of Mose Martin. Several years after that, Elder David Allee gave the church land on which they built a double log house, setting aside one corner for their Negro members.
BETHLEHEM, SYRACUSE
In 1830, several families of godly men and women came from Todd County, Kentucky, to Cooper County, Missouri, including Charles Cordry, James Cordry, Elijah Cordry, Andrew Mann and wife, John W. Layne, Ned Ralston, Edward Robertson, and John Murphey. They were joined a few years later by the families of Philip and Joseph Varner, who came from Page County, Virginia. They lived purposeful, dignified and simple lives, were devout, religious and dutiful to God.
They held meetings of exhortation and prayer at a log school house called West Fork of Petite, Saline, and a church by that name was organized in 1842. Except for a few years during the civil war, they continued to meet at West Fork until 1869, at which time they changed their name and place of meeting to Bethlehem, where they (together with the Presbyterians) built a very substantial house. In 1905, the members having become scattered, they built another meeting house near Mt. Zion school house, and the church became known locally as Mt. Zion, but still retained their interest in Bethlehem. After the advent of motor vehicles, the house at Mt. Zion was sold and the church met again at Bethelehem, on St. Highway No. 5, about seven miles north of Syracuse, or eighteen miles south of Boonville.
The church was a member of the Lamine River Association.
Pastors of the church included Elders Martilles Embree (1842), Tyre H. Berry, A. C. Tannyhill, James Fewell, Morris Chambers, A. Loving, Daniel Reavis, Howard Jackson, John W. West, John T. Barnes, John A. Teague, Ira Turner, Walter Sappington, J. C. Jones, Archie Brown and Loyd T. Sapp.
Clerks of the church included James Cordry, William L. Cordry, James Pemberton, F. A. Marye, Pernie Varner, B. F. Craig, D. C. Grove, and E. W. Brubaker.
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