Amelia Bailey United Methodist Church
210 Main Street
Moffit, Burleigh County, North Dakota 58560
210 Main Street
Moffit, Burleigh County, North Dakota 58560
The Hepper Olson Church Plate Collection
Amelia Bailey United Methodist Church
Moffit, North Dakota
1910-1985
1909-1910 C.U. Prior
1910-1911 Rev. Chafin
1911-1913 A.W. Porter
1913-1916 D. Bruce
1916-1919 L.M. Flowers
1919-1920 Albert V. Johnson
1920-1921 Wm. Schoffstall
1921-1922 Guy A. Lewis
1922-1923 Adolph Lidke
1923-1926 Elizabeth Zeller
1926-1927 Harley Zeller
1927-1928 Samuel Brooks
1928-1929 J.N. Snow
1929-1934 O.E. Kinzler
1934-1937 C.F. Curtis
1937-1937 T.C. Torgerson
1937-1940 Susie Herrington
1940-1942 Albert L. Lang
1942-1947 Henry Aude
1947-1949 Ralph E. Roe
1949-1952 Kermit Shafer
1952-1961 Edward B. Parker
1961-1964 Keith C. Carlson
1964-1965 Thomas Shultz
1965-1968 Irvin Hultin
1968-1969 John Jarman
1969-1971 Rudy Rieker
1971-1973 James Petrik
1973-1976 Richard D. Elefson
1976-1983 Wesley Hart
1983- Samuel Graf
Dedication services were held October 19, 1910, at the Amelia Bailey M.E. Church; the 75th Anniversary on June 16, 1985.
Info from - Amelia Bailey United Methodist Church plate
Moffit, North Dakota
1910-1985
1909-1910 C.U. Prior
1910-1911 Rev. Chafin
1911-1913 A.W. Porter
1913-1916 D. Bruce
1916-1919 L.M. Flowers
1919-1920 Albert V. Johnson
1920-1921 Wm. Schoffstall
1921-1922 Guy A. Lewis
1922-1923 Adolph Lidke
1923-1926 Elizabeth Zeller
1926-1927 Harley Zeller
1927-1928 Samuel Brooks
1928-1929 J.N. Snow
1929-1934 O.E. Kinzler
1934-1937 C.F. Curtis
1937-1937 T.C. Torgerson
1937-1940 Susie Herrington
1940-1942 Albert L. Lang
1942-1947 Henry Aude
1947-1949 Ralph E. Roe
1949-1952 Kermit Shafer
1952-1961 Edward B. Parker
1961-1964 Keith C. Carlson
1964-1965 Thomas Shultz
1965-1968 Irvin Hultin
1968-1969 John Jarman
1969-1971 Rudy Rieker
1971-1973 James Petrik
1973-1976 Richard D. Elefson
1976-1983 Wesley Hart
1983- Samuel Graf
Dedication services were held October 19, 1910, at the Amelia Bailey M.E. Church; the 75th Anniversary on June 16, 1985.
Info from - Amelia Bailey United Methodist Church plate
First church services at Moffit were held in the upstairs room of the E.M. Charles residence, which is now the Hinsey house. Services were also held, at various times, in the schoolhouse in Moffit and in the hotel which is now the Lloyd Hofstad residence. The first Sunday School was held in the schoolhouse north of the lake and in the hall at the hotel.
April 1888 Mr. and Mrs. D.J. Bailey were received into membership of the Methodist Church, Dakota Territory, by Rev. Charles Crockwell.
In 1909 Rev. C.A. Prior served as minister and Sunday School services were also held. The next minister was Rev. Chafin, but how long he served is not known at this time.
By now the people were anxious to have a church and Mr. D.J. Bailey, great-grandfather of Erwin Bailey, drove through the community asking people to contribute money with which to buy the necessary material to build the church. His wife, Amelia Bailey, had left a sum of money to be used towards building a house of worship. In January 1909 a church board was formed. The building committee was formed a short time later. Lumber was hauled by team and wagon from Sterling by volunteer labor.
The Ladies Aid Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church was started sometime earlier. The object of the society is to assist in the building of a Methodist Episcopal Church in Moffit and to contribute to its maintenance after its completion.
The organization starts out with a membership of an even dozen ladies and a half dozen men — who are allowed to become members upon the payment of $1 — and all seem to be enthusiastic in the cause.
D.H. Werner and Peter Hofstad were the head carpenters in charge of construction. Anyone who could use a hammer volunteered his services and the Ladies Aid fed the crew of workers. Dedication services were held Oct. 20, 1910, although it was not completely finished. Members at the time of dedication were Mr. D.J. Bailey, Mr. & Mrs. L.D. Bailey, Mr. & Mrs. J.A. Frood, Mrs. Augusta Hoffman, Mrs. Parsons, Mr. & Mrs. B.F. Lane and Mrs. G.W. Lewis.
Sunday School was held in the Sunday School room but as the congregation grew, classes were also held in the main part of the church. It was decided at this time to join the Methodist Conference and to name this building the Amelia Bailey Memorial Church.
There were many denominations represented — Congregational, Baptist, Lutheran, Christian, and the Methodist were among them. Many never did join the church but supported it by their gifts and attendance.
After Rev. Prior left, he was replaced by Rev. Chafin, who was succeeded by Rev. A.W. Porter, who ministered to the congregation from October 1911 until October 1913. By this time a choir had been formed. The Ladies Aid began giving suppers and doing various things to raise money to help with the church and Sunday School work.
Rev. D. Bruce took over the congregation in October 1913. He came from the conference at Lisbon, according to a notation in the old church register. He stayed until October 1916, when Rev. L.M. Flowers came to take charge. By this time more families had arrived, and children were baptized and now and then a marriage service was performed, either in the bride's home or in the parsonage.
By 1918 there was quite a large church attendance, and the Sunday School was growing. An annual Sunday School picnic was held. Memorial programs and Christmas programs were also held at the church. People came from the surrounding country to attend these programs as there were not many churches established in the country.
After Rev. Flowers left, a student minister - Albert Johnson, by name - arrived to take over the serv ices and stayed for several months.
In 1920 and 1921 the country was infested with grasshoppers and, as a result, the crops did not yield very highly, and the church suffered thereby.
The church was located just south of the N.P. railroad tracks on the north side of the town.
In the spring of 1952, with the Rev. Kermit Shafer as minister, it was decided to move the church building onto land donated by Burns Bailey. In May of 1952 it was moved to its new location south of Moffit. It was placed on a basement, a furnace was installed, and it was completely remodeled.
The Amelia Bailey Methodist Church was rededicated on Feb. 22, 1953, by Bishop Edwin E. Voight of Aberdeen, SD. He was assisted by Dist. Supt. J. Ralph McNeil of Bismarck and the pastor, Edward B. Parker of McKenzie. Approximately $7,000 was spent in the moving and remodeling. Mr. F.W. Hinsey was the only charter member of the church present at the rededication.
Through the years a total of 31 ministers have served the church: C.U. Prior... 1909; V.D. Chafin... 1910; A.W. Porter...1911-1913; D. Bruce...1913-1616; L.M. Flowers...1916; Albert V. Johnson...1919; William Schoffstall...l920; Guy A. Lewis...1921; Adolph Lindke...l922; Mrs. Elizabeth Zeller... 1923-1926; Harley Zeller... 1926-1927; Samuel Brooks...1927-1928; J. N. Snow...1928-1929; Otto E. Kinzler...1929-1934; C.F. Curtis... 1935; T.C. Torgerson... 1937; Susie Herington ...1937-1940; Albert Lang...1940-1942; Henry Aude... 1942-1947; Ralph E. Roe... 1947-1949; Kermit Shafer... 1949-1952; Edward B. Parker... 1952-1961; Keith Carl son... 1961-1964; Tom Schulz... 1964-1965; Irvin Hulton ... 1965-1968; John Jarman... 1968-1969; James Petrick... 1969-1970; Rudolph Rieker...1970-1971; James Petrick ... 1971-1972; Richard Elefson ... 1973-1976; Wesley Hart... 1976- . These ministers have serviced this church from its beginning to the present time.
Mrs. Erwin Bailey
Info from – Moffit North Dakota 75 Years 1905- 1980 (pages 24 & 25)
April 1888 Mr. and Mrs. D.J. Bailey were received into membership of the Methodist Church, Dakota Territory, by Rev. Charles Crockwell.
In 1909 Rev. C.A. Prior served as minister and Sunday School services were also held. The next minister was Rev. Chafin, but how long he served is not known at this time.
By now the people were anxious to have a church and Mr. D.J. Bailey, great-grandfather of Erwin Bailey, drove through the community asking people to contribute money with which to buy the necessary material to build the church. His wife, Amelia Bailey, had left a sum of money to be used towards building a house of worship. In January 1909 a church board was formed. The building committee was formed a short time later. Lumber was hauled by team and wagon from Sterling by volunteer labor.
The Ladies Aid Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church was started sometime earlier. The object of the society is to assist in the building of a Methodist Episcopal Church in Moffit and to contribute to its maintenance after its completion.
The organization starts out with a membership of an even dozen ladies and a half dozen men — who are allowed to become members upon the payment of $1 — and all seem to be enthusiastic in the cause.
D.H. Werner and Peter Hofstad were the head carpenters in charge of construction. Anyone who could use a hammer volunteered his services and the Ladies Aid fed the crew of workers. Dedication services were held Oct. 20, 1910, although it was not completely finished. Members at the time of dedication were Mr. D.J. Bailey, Mr. & Mrs. L.D. Bailey, Mr. & Mrs. J.A. Frood, Mrs. Augusta Hoffman, Mrs. Parsons, Mr. & Mrs. B.F. Lane and Mrs. G.W. Lewis.
Sunday School was held in the Sunday School room but as the congregation grew, classes were also held in the main part of the church. It was decided at this time to join the Methodist Conference and to name this building the Amelia Bailey Memorial Church.
There were many denominations represented — Congregational, Baptist, Lutheran, Christian, and the Methodist were among them. Many never did join the church but supported it by their gifts and attendance.
After Rev. Prior left, he was replaced by Rev. Chafin, who was succeeded by Rev. A.W. Porter, who ministered to the congregation from October 1911 until October 1913. By this time a choir had been formed. The Ladies Aid began giving suppers and doing various things to raise money to help with the church and Sunday School work.
Rev. D. Bruce took over the congregation in October 1913. He came from the conference at Lisbon, according to a notation in the old church register. He stayed until October 1916, when Rev. L.M. Flowers came to take charge. By this time more families had arrived, and children were baptized and now and then a marriage service was performed, either in the bride's home or in the parsonage.
By 1918 there was quite a large church attendance, and the Sunday School was growing. An annual Sunday School picnic was held. Memorial programs and Christmas programs were also held at the church. People came from the surrounding country to attend these programs as there were not many churches established in the country.
After Rev. Flowers left, a student minister - Albert Johnson, by name - arrived to take over the serv ices and stayed for several months.
In 1920 and 1921 the country was infested with grasshoppers and, as a result, the crops did not yield very highly, and the church suffered thereby.
The church was located just south of the N.P. railroad tracks on the north side of the town.
In the spring of 1952, with the Rev. Kermit Shafer as minister, it was decided to move the church building onto land donated by Burns Bailey. In May of 1952 it was moved to its new location south of Moffit. It was placed on a basement, a furnace was installed, and it was completely remodeled.
The Amelia Bailey Methodist Church was rededicated on Feb. 22, 1953, by Bishop Edwin E. Voight of Aberdeen, SD. He was assisted by Dist. Supt. J. Ralph McNeil of Bismarck and the pastor, Edward B. Parker of McKenzie. Approximately $7,000 was spent in the moving and remodeling. Mr. F.W. Hinsey was the only charter member of the church present at the rededication.
Through the years a total of 31 ministers have served the church: C.U. Prior... 1909; V.D. Chafin... 1910; A.W. Porter...1911-1913; D. Bruce...1913-1616; L.M. Flowers...1916; Albert V. Johnson...1919; William Schoffstall...l920; Guy A. Lewis...1921; Adolph Lindke...l922; Mrs. Elizabeth Zeller... 1923-1926; Harley Zeller... 1926-1927; Samuel Brooks...1927-1928; J. N. Snow...1928-1929; Otto E. Kinzler...1929-1934; C.F. Curtis... 1935; T.C. Torgerson... 1937; Susie Herington ...1937-1940; Albert Lang...1940-1942; Henry Aude... 1942-1947; Ralph E. Roe... 1947-1949; Kermit Shafer... 1949-1952; Edward B. Parker... 1952-1961; Keith Carl son... 1961-1964; Tom Schulz... 1964-1965; Irvin Hulton ... 1965-1968; John Jarman... 1968-1969; James Petrick... 1969-1970; Rudolph Rieker...1970-1971; James Petrick ... 1971-1972; Richard Elefson ... 1973-1976; Wesley Hart... 1976- . These ministers have serviced this church from its beginning to the present time.
Mrs. Erwin Bailey
Info from – Moffit North Dakota 75 Years 1905- 1980 (pages 24 & 25)