WESLEY CHAPEL METHODIST CHURCH

Pilot Grove, Missouri

The Civil War did not end in Missouri for several years after 1864. Pilot Grove was on the stagecoach route and transient as well as home-groan violence was common. The Southern Methodist Churches and many others were closed. Methodist circuit riders held Bible classes and preached in the area under the Union flag but had little success founding churches.

The Methodist Society, which was to become the present Wesley Chapel, was organized in April, 1866, by Rev. J.B. Stout at Mount Vernon school house, with the following charter members: C.C. Rockwood, Anna Rockwood, Zadocks Phillips, Phebe Phillips, and William Phillips. At this time Henry Schlotzhauer Jr, and Rudolph Schlotzhauer, were received by transfer from the Clear Creek Methodist Church, which had been founded in 1850, when Henry Schlotzhauer, trustee, purchased for two dollars a half acre of land for a place of worship and built a log buildings. The land was sold in 1870 to Saint Paul’s Evangelical Church.

In March, 1873, the Mount Vernon Society, with 48 members bought two and a half acres of land from Henry and Catherine Schlotzhauer for $67.50. Soon a church was erected on this site. As the group outgrew the original building an addition was made under the pastorate of Rev. Wheary. On December18, 1927, the first Sunday worship was held in the improved church, but by that afternoon a fire had destroyed the building. Only the piano was saved thanks to the quick action of John Haley Jr.

Despite the onset of the depression years, a new building, costing $10,000 was dedicated September 23, 1928. Rev. G. Fred Gilbreath officiated and the building committee was composed of Authur Haley, Olan Dwyer, Oscar Stengner, Stanely Schlotzhauer, and Elmer Stegner.

Everything in the Chapel has a known donor except the clock, which was placed on the wall with no one present. The art glass windows are memorials of various members of the Schlotzhauer, Connelly, Stegner, Dwyer, and Wheary families and the Wesley Girls’ Sunday School Class.

In 1883 Frank Johnston, William Hawkins, and Anderson Miller purchased less than one acre adjoining the old burial ground for a negro cemetery for freed slaves.

Five ministers were sent out from this charge: Rev. Homer Babbit, Rev. Chris Oswald, Rev. Herbert Ratje, Rev. William Dillon Jr., and Rev. David Wendleton. The only boys from this church to have lost his life while serving in the armed forces was Cleo Ratje, son of the Rev. and Mrs. William Ratje.

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