Buena Vista County, IA
USGenWeb Project




History of the First Christian Church
Alta, Buena Vista County, Iowa
 

The First Christian church in Alta was organized in August, 1898, by Lawrence Wright, State Evangelist for the Christian church in Iowa.  The church society was formed at the close of a series of meetings held by Mr. Wright in a temporary tabernacle erected for that purpose and situated on the lots north of the Presbyterian church.  Forty-one persons composed the charter members of the society, the following were elected the first officers:  Ed Ackert, George McKay, and Mrs. S. J. Bradfield, trustees; Ed Ackert, O. A. Lawrence, and John Hovenburg, elders; Emma Lawrence, treasurer; Mrs. S. J. Bradfield, clerk.

 

The society held services in Hodges Hall for a short time, and in the Mission church after that Rev. Clark Bateman was the first regular minister to hold services for the society, he being at the same time the minister for the Christian church at Storm Lake.  The services of this church have always been conducted by the ministers of the Christian church in Storm Lake, except at times when a minister from some other point has been secured.  The church building, twenty-four by thirty-six, was erected in October, 1900.

 

A Sunday school was organized at the same time as the church society; Mrs. M. A. Hovenburg was superintendent; Miss Mertie Maggs, secretary.  There was an attendance of about forty.

 

The present trustees of the church are O. A. Lawrence, Sam Stangland and Mrs. S. J. Bradfield.  The latter is also the clerk.  The present membership is twelve, many of the members having moved away since the organization of the society.

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Extracted from:  Wegerslev, C. H. and Thomas Walpole.  "Alta." Past and Present of Buena Vista County, Iowa.  Chicago:  S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1909, p. 161.



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