Mr. and Mrs. Schneider were staunch members of that faith to the end, and their grandchildren are useful members of the church today. The Schneider children, Michael, Christopher, Margaret (later Mrs. Tom Ponting), William, Valentine, Adam and Carrie (Mrs. J. W. Gregory) adopted the English version, Snyder.

A preacher of any denomination, especially circuit riders, found lodging with the Schneider’s and they later gave the site where this church stands, and the city park to the town.

In 1852 the first class was formed by the Rev. Peter Ketchum as a part of the Taylorville Circuit.

The first Methodist church built in 1854 at a cost of $2,000. It was a modest frame building, low and with small windows, which served for 21 years. This was located just west of the old Dawson & Wykoff Funeral Home on Elm Street. The church was organized in Moweaqua with 30 charter members. Mrs. Elizabeth Hudson Hughes several years ago wrote me of that first church with small windows, high benches and an Amen corner where the white haired men responded with a loud "Amen".

When they got an organ Grandma Mittlekauff (mother of the first Mrs. George Kiser) threw up her hands and said, "The Devil is in this place." and walked out never to be reconciled to an organ. B. H. McHenry led the singing, using a tuning fork, and Mrs. Hughes said here she learned to sing, "Happy Day", "I Want To Be an Angel", and "There Is a Land Far Far Away".

Mrs. Louisa Hedges and Markley Brooks remember speaking pieces on the platform. Miss Mattie McHenry was baptized at four years of age and cried lustily when the preacher spilled water on her new blue dress.

Aileen Day’s father brought his bride to a corner home, and her mother told her they lived next door to preachers home here in 1862, not two blocks from the church, but the mud was so deep in winter that friends from the country loaded them into a wagon and took them to church every Sunday.

Day’s father sang in a quartet, all good voices – Mrs. T. J. Catherwood and Mr. and Mrs. Charley Hardy. The three were Presbyterians and Mr. Haslam tells me the Presbyterians worshiped there with us until they built a church, which stood where Mr. and Mrs. Roger McGee live.

The members in those days were the Michael Schneider’s, the Allen Snyder’s, the George Jacobs (Mrs. Frazee’s parents, they gave to the church and community a spiritual force in that daughter), the McHenry’s, Dr. Bacon, the Alvan Ayars, Miss Drusilla Ayars, Mrs. Henry F. Day, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Hudson, Mr. and Mrs. James Elsum, Mr. and Mrs. Zealy Snell, Mr. and Mrs. Sam Miller, Grandma Washington, Mr. and Mrs. Josiah Brooks (Gwen Stewart Adams great grandparents), Mr. and Mrs. Samuel West, Mr. and Mrs. Felix Penn, Mrs. Margaret Tolson, Mrs. Lyons, grandmother of Dr. J. L. Sparling, Mrs. Patterson (mother of Mrs. Chas. Hipes - I can remember Mrs. Patterson shouting in revival meetings.), Mr. and Mrs. E. M. Doyle, Mr. and Mrs. Notbrook, Mr. and Mrs. John Friedley, Mrs. Steidley, Mrs. Arminda Snow, Mr. and Mrs. Tom Smith, Mr. and Mrs. James Hughes, Mr. Hughes, and Mr. Allen Snyder (father of Mrs. Chas. Bendsley and Mrs. Silas Mitchell) were prime movers in getting a church started. Mr. Haslam thinks the larger brick church, our second, was built about 1874. (Mrs. Alva Ayars was S. S. Supt. in the old church). Mr. McHenry was superintendent for many years and Mrs. McHenry made the bread and grape juice for communion for many years. The church presented them with a silver pitcher. Miss Edna Day remembers Mr. McHenry going about on communion Sunday with the pitcher and one cup from which all drank. She thinks that this continued until Rev. Peck came here, for she remembers that he wiped the cup after each communicant and soon there was a new communion set, with individual cups.

When Mrs. McHenry could no longer provide the Sacrament, Miss Mattie carried on for many years and following that Mrs. D. P. Keller. Since 1930 Miss Grace Snyder and Mrs. Essie Stine have done this service for the church.

Miss Belle McHenry was our faithful organist for many years, Mrs. E. V. Young, Mrs. Glenn Snyder, Mrs. W. H. Sparling, followed, later Miss Helen Aydelott, Miss Lucy Snyder (now Mrs. J. E. Thomas, Mrs. Addie Buck Ayars and Miss Kathryn Day.

J. T. Haslam has been an outstanding member since early manhood. He joined the church in 1871 and has served his Master faithfully since, a teacher of the Men’s class for many years and president of the Board of Stewards. Of him, Rev. Armstrong said, "He comes the nearest saying the right things and having the right ideas about the most things of all my acquaintances. Fresh, alive and interesting." Of him another pastor, Rev. Barton said "A word of appreciation for a man who has given years of exceptional service to the church and community, Mr. J. T. Haslam. One of the sweetest spirited men you or I have ever known, ‘deeply spiritual and loyal to the old truths’." Of him, Rev. Peck has just written, "heading the list of names that J. T. Haslam’s stands at the top and tell him that I often think of him when I begin to name the best man I ever knew." These bouquets to our beloved member.

The second Methodist Church, built in 1875, costing $7,500 was a fine brick structure with tower and turret, stained windows and was located on the southwest corner across from the city park during the pastorate of Rev. W. Murphy.

The first choir in the second church, a brick, long room with straight up and down benches had two Amen corners either side of the pulpit. Dr. W. H. Sparling suggested building a platform on the west side of the pulpit and a new large organ (hard to pump) was installed. James L. Sparling pumped it for his mother, a strenuous job as he remembers yet. The choir consisted of Dr. and Mrs. W. H. Sparling, J. T. Haslam, Henry F. Day, Miss Jennie West, Miss Mattie McHenry and later Miss Rebecca Coulter, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Stine, Will Corrington, Newt Corrington, Claire and Harriet Day.

The third church, in which we worship today, was built in 1907 during the pastorate of Rev. and Mrs. A. B. Peck at a cost of $23,500. The building committee was J. T. Haslam, John Greaves, Karl Snyder, Ralph Ayars, and M. H. Miller. The old church was abandoned and the first brick of the new one was laid July 1^st. The cornerstone was laid July 25^th and the Church was dedicated before the old year closed on December 29, 1907.

On that day the final amount of money was raised so that the church might be dedicated. Dr. Thomas C. Iliff preached the dedicatory sermon. Presiding Elder, B. F. Shipp was also present and many visiting pastors. Enthusiasm ran high on that red letter day in the history of Moweaqua.

The organ was built years later in 1913, during Rev. Barton’s pastorate. The funds for the organ were raised by Mrs. Louisa Hedges, another outstanding member having served her Master and the church well . . . "and her S. S. Class. She is another I would like to speak of as the many men and women who have served the church faithfully but the number is too extensive.

It was the custom in the early days of the third church to hold a Chrysanthemum Festival in the fall. Two Snell sisters were in charge of the event which was greatly enjoyed. Prizes were awarded for the finest blooms.

Love and prayer and sacrifice has made the church a power for righteousness in Moweaqua and the multitude who have passed to the Great Beyond, hand us the torch of religious faith and devotion.