Brief Church History

 

Late in the 1800s, Mr. and Mrs. Martin Mayberry and their family moved from Osage City, Missouri, where they were members of the Christian Church to Jefferson City. A Christian church had not been established here, Bro. Mayberry with the help of the members from the other communities decided they wanted a place to worship. With the help of the White Convention (state) began a building which was completed in 1903.

 

Bro. Mayberry gave the ground from his property just below this site on Elm St. Membership was composed of Bro. Henry Showers, Bro. Frank Enloe, the Henderson’s, the Reed and Wilson families, Riley Moore, and Dennis Mason.

 

After the building was completed and dedicated in 1903, other members of the Osage City congregation, comprising of the John Morris, Daniel, Charles Mayberry, Miller, and the Gibbs families joined the Jefferson City church. Bro. Abbott, the state president of the White Convention, and others were present at the dedication as well.

 

Years later other members from the Osage church joined hands; these were Mrs. Quincy Green and the Charles Lampkins families. The first was Elder J.B. Parsons, who was the president of the Negro Convention. He was followed by Elder J.W. Damel, J.R. Gibbs, G.A Terry, J.P Washington, and William Martin.

 

Prior to the years that Bros. Washington and Martin served, the building had deteriorated to the point that it was condemned by the city. The congregation was furnished quarters for the church services in the Community Center, built by the leading citizens of the Jefferson City community.

 

With the help of the county court, it served as a worship place for our congregation for over twenty years. The pulpit was supplied by the First Christian Church, visiting ministries, the M.A.C.C.

The Revs. Claude Wess and Walter York served after a lapse of years.