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CHRISTIAN CHURCH
Delphos Ringgold County, Iowa
Photograph courtesy of Sharon R. Becker
From Delphos Centennial Book: 1880-1980:
Christian Church - Seventh Day Adventist Church
This article was written by Stuart HOOVER about the history of the Delphos Christian Church. The church was built in
the late 1880's. Delphos was at its peak in population at this time. The main carpenter was a very fine carpenter by the
name of Mr. WHITELY, who had migrated to the United States from England. He was very particular in his work. The church
was built at a time when the best of lumber, White Pine, could be purchased quite cheaply. I started going to Sunday School there in
about 1896. Sunday School then would average about forty in attendance. There were good singers and a choir. Ad TENNANT
was the leader; my father, Ell HOOVER, Hattie STEDMAN, Ara BAKER, Flora CROPPER, and others were good singers. In many
songs, entire audiences would join in singing. Ministers would come from Drake University in Des Moines on Saturday by
taking a train to Benton. The church members would take turns meeting them at Benton, keeping them over the weekend, and
then taking them back to Benton after Church services Sunday evening. Many of the young ministers were students at Drake
University and went on to head some of the largest churches in the United States. They were fine young men. There were
several different leaders: Dr. PRENTIS, Frank SCONCE, Mrs. Nancy TENNANT, Belle HOOVER, Hattie GEIGER, and others. Both
Christian and Baptist Churches had good, active audiences. They each had a preacher every other Sunday. The one that did
not have Sunday School would go over in very good representative numbers to attend the church services that had preaching.
I even remember very vividly in my mind going over to the Baptist Church one evening when Fannie STEDMAN, later to become
Mrs. SEATON and who was then a beautiful young lady, sang "O Where is My Wandering Boy Tonight." I recall this so often;
it made a strong impression on me. I have been very thankful for that opportunity and for the good influence that it has
had on my life. No doubt, many young people of the Delphos community have had good, lasting influences from their association
with these churches.
-Stuart HOOVER
 The next article was contributed by Fearn JARVIS QUICK:
The first that I remember about the Christian Church begins about 1915, when I went to church there with the other young
people in our neighborhood. Every summer we would all attend the Children's Day Exercises held each year in June. Our high
school Baccalaureate Services were held there also. My own was held in the year 1920. By the 1960's, many of the old
members had passed away, while others had moved and joined nearby churches. Thus, services were discontinued. Drake University
took over and sold the church. Mr. and Mrs. Carl QUICK bought the church in 1963. A company of Seventh Day Adventists
began meeting there in 1958 (they rented it at first) under a minister named Max THOMAS. In 1966 they organized into a
Seventh Day Adventist Church body, and have continued on until the present time. The charter nemembers were Viola OXIER,
Patricia WILLIAMS, Car QUICK, Fern QUICK, Kenneth QUICK, Bertha QUICK, Florence GERMAN, Elva WHITE, Imogene WHITE, and
Raymond WHITE. The church was organized under Pastor Luther MAY and wife Eunice. Other Pastors present were Elder Kinder
JOHNSTON, President of the Iowa Seventh Day Adventists Conference, and his wife; Elder McLEOD, Iowa State S.D.A. Treasurer;
Elder Fred KINSEY, Iowa State S.D.A. Secretary, and his wife. It was a full house and a beautiful service was enjoyed by all
those present. The present (1990) pastor is Elder Peter DIBLE. -Fern JARVIS QUICK
The following is from Florence MOORE
My grandparents, I. M. LONG and wife Ruth, and my mother, Nancy LONG TENNANT and her brother Willie LONG,
were charter members of the Delphos Christian Church. My grandfather, I. M. LONG, gave a large sum of money to help build
the church. The known charter members are the following: Florence TENNANT; Rice MOORE; C. D. SCONCE; Mrs. C. D. SCONCE; Nancy
TENNANT; and Willie LONG. In the 1960's many old members passed away, while others moved away, etc. Services were
discontinued and the Drake University took over and sold the church. -Florence MOORE
The Seventh Day Adventists, also referred to as "Adventists" or "SDAs", is a Christian denomination
distinguished by observing the Sabbath on Saturday. The denomination grew out of the Millerite movement in the
middle of the 1800's of the United States. It was formally established in 1863. Ellen G. WHITE was among the founders
of the Church. Her extensive writings are still held in high esteem by the present-day members of the Church.
Christian Church Class
Back Row, left to right: Cecil SPENCER, Bertie JACKSON, Guy HOOVER, Stanton TENNANT, Roy GLOVER
Middle Row, left to right: Maimie SPENCER, Ola BOWLES, Belle HOOVER, Ruby BAKER
Front Row, left to right: Prada SCONCE, Stuart HOOVER, Lela SPENCER, Helen HULL
Christian Church Class, 1900
Back Row, left to right: W. STEDMAN, N. EVANS, O. KINNEY, L. GARRETT, W. GARRETT, Teacher - Mrs. Sadie JACKSON
Middle Row, left to right: S. LANE, F. HOOVER
Front Row, left to right: F. LANE, C. BAKER, F. TENNANT, L. SPENCER
Christian Church Class, 1901
Back Row, left to right: M. BLUNCK, G. HILL, N. COLEMAN, M. CLARK, D. LANE, F. HOOVER
Middle Row, left to right: M. BLUNCK, C. KEMERY, L. COLEMAN, E. BOWLES - teacher, E. CROPPER, O. GOINS
Front Row, left to right: L. GOINS, M. GOINS, B. CLARK, L. PRENTIS, V. HOOVER, R. PRENTIS
Christian Church Class
Back Row, left to right: R. BAKER, R. MICHAEL, R. LANE, O. BARRETT, C. BARRETT
Middle Row, left to right: _ SHAW, N. TENNANT - teacher, B. CROPPER, O. FISHER, G. FISHER, F. TENNANT
Front Row, left to right: C. SPENCER, C. GRIFFITH, L. MICHAEL, G. MICHAEL
Christian Church Class
P. GLOVER, O. LANE, F. TENNANT, N. AGEE, Mrs. WHITLATCH - teacher, E. RICE, A. FISHER, F. CROPPER
Christian Church Class, 1912
Back Row, left to right: Ila SPENCER, Dean LANE, Mabel BLUNCK, Mayme BLUNCK
Middle: Mrs. John RICE, teacher
Front Row, left to right: unknown, Emma CROPPER, Roxie RICE, Elva HOOVER
Christian Church Class
Back Row, left to right: S. LANE, Howard _, Jessie _, D. LANE
Front Row, left to right: F. JACKSON, O. LANE, Rosa _
Twice-A-Weekly News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, May 18, 1915
Those who will take part in the Rice township Sunday school convention to be held May 23, in the Delphos Christian Church are Rev. Lloyd ELLIS, who will deliver the address; Paul WOODCOCK, William SEFRIT, Mrs. John F. FLYNN, Percy SPENCER, Louisa BLUNK, Mr. and Mrs. G. A. TENNANT, Orr FISHER, Omer VARNER, Marcene DEFENBAUGH, Arlene GEIGER, Geo. SPICER, John A. BLISS, R. C. SMITH, Lynn STEVENS, Alice ELLIOTT, Jesse GARTIN, Mrs. Thomas BALLEW and Cleo BRAMON.
Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, September of 2015
Sources:
Delphos Centennial: 1880-1980 p. 14
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventh-day_Adventist_Church
Photograph by Sharon R. Becker, May 22, 2009
Compiled and Submitted by Sharon R. Becker, May of 2009; updated September of 2015
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