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The History of the Church in Lee's Summit
The first Christian influences in the Lee's Summit area were Catholic
missionaries to the Indians and Methodist circuit riders. The Catholic
missionaries concentrated on reaching the Indian tribes in Missouri and Kansas,
while the circuit rider's job was designed so he could minister to the many
widely dispersed settlers in the prairie. Men like the Rev. Jesse Walker, the
"Apostle of the Wilderness," preached to settlers in the western territories.
Walker is credited with establishing Methodism in St. Louis.1
Because very few church buildings existed at the time, these circuit riders
would travel from community to community, preaching in homes and occasionally
at camp meetings. At a camp meeting, settlers would travel for miles to a
meeting place and live out of their wagons for days or weeks at a time while
hearing preachers, worshipping, and enjoying the fellowship of other believers.
The circuit riders lived a tough existence; they were exposed to all of the
elements as they traveled on horseback and often had to sleep alone at night in
the wilderness. In his autobiography, Peter Cartwright described the many
challenges of a circuit rider: "…he went through storms of wind, hail, snow,
and rain; climbed hills and mountains, traversed valleys, plunged through
swamps, swollen streams, lay out all night, wet, weary, and hungry, held his
horse by the bridle all night, or tied him to a limb, slept with his saddle
blanket for a bed, his saddle-bags for a pillow."2
The sacrifices of a circuit rider were many, including a meager salary and a
shortened life expectancy; not many saw age 30. As Theodore Roosevelt once
said, "The whole west owes an immense debt to the hard-working pioneer
preachers who were so glad to give their lives to their labors, and who
struggled with such fiery zeal for the moral well-being of the communities
which they penetrated."3
The circuit riders certainly left the legacy of willingness to give up one's
life for the gospel. In 1847, a regular preaching appointment, called Big Cedar
(near the intersection of present-day Chipman and Douglas Roads), was made with
circuit riding pastors holding services in private homes.
Before the Civil War, the only church building near Lee's Summit was the High
Grove Church (see below). To meet the needs of the young church bodies that
were forming, an outdoor arbor was constructed and named the "Community
Church." It was constructed of forked posts covered with maple boughs and
located on the northwest corner of Fourth and Market Streets. It was used as a
place of worship by all of the Christian denominations present in the Lee's
Summit area. During the Civil War, no church services were held in Lee's
Summit, as there were no official representatives of any denomination living in
the town (circa 1862-1867). Due to the hazardous living conditions created by
Order Number 11, pastors were most likely discouraged from ministering in the
Lee's Summit area.
According to The History Of Jackson County, Missouri, published in 1881 by the
Kansas City, Missouri, Union Historical Company, "The first house of worship in
the town of Lee's Summit was built by the Methodists, and the Baptists built
the second house. The M.E. Church South followed, then the Cumberland
Presbyterians and Christians [i.e., Disciples of Christ]. The Episcopalians
hold services in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and the Old School
Presbyterians hold services in the M.E. Church, South. Since 1870 the church
going people have increased in numbers, and at present there is a good feeling
between the different denominations, and a healthy religious influence. There
are five Sunday-schools in active operation, and meet in their respective
places each Sabbath. A remarkably charitable and liberal Christian spirit
exists among the members of the different churches, union meetings are held,
and each one works with untiring zeal wherever greatest good may be
accomplished." As mentioned before, William B. Howard donated the land for
these first churches. The oldest church building in Lee's Summit that is still
standing today is St. Paul's Episcopal Church, built in 1884, at the
intersection of Fifth and Green.
The Presbyterian Church in Lee's Summit has kept careful records of its
history. In 1857, the First Presbyterian Church, originally named the High
Grove Church, was organized. In 1860, the First Ebenezer church building was
dedicated on land which would later become part of Longview Farm. In 1861, the
log church was burned to the ground by Union Troops as part of the infamous
Order Number 11. The Bible was taken off the pulpit and placed on a tree stump
unharmed. A member buried the Communion set and baptismal font in his garden.
While digging the sack up, the shovel hit the baptismal font and broke off its
base. Today, the church still possesses the spared Bible and crudely repaired
baptismal font. In 1863, as people resettled the area, First Presbyterian
Church of Lee's Summit was organized. During the early years, they met in
homes. After meeting in the Methodist Episcopal Church South for a number of
years, they rented the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in 1886. In 1889, a white
frame church, the Second Ebenezer Church, was built on the corner of Third and
Jefferson Streets. In 1922, the frame building was torn down to make way for a
larger brick building. This building was also followed by the Fourth and Fifth
Ebenezer church buildings.
A bit of history is known about another church in Lee's Summit. Longview
Chapel, built on Longview farm, is a Disciples of Christ Church. It has been
the site of retreats and speakers and was missionary-minded from its
beginnings. After 1934, a series of student ministers led the congregation and
later became well-known ministers in the Kansas City area-Dr. Herbert Duncan,
Dr. Robert Myers, Rev. Wilbur Zook, and Rev. Joe Myers.4
Lee's Summit has witnessed at least one major revival; it occurred in the early
1800s as part of the Second Great Awakening in the United States. The Second
Great Awakening came partly as a reaction to the deism (the belief that God
created the universe and then abandoned it) associated with the French
Revolution. The movement gained strength in 1826 when evangelist Charles G.
Finney led a revival in Utica, New York. Finney put an emphasis on the urgency
of salvation now, as the time for repentance was running short. The Second
Great Awakening spawned numerous social reforms, such as sabbatarianism (strict
observation of Sunday as a day of rest), temperance (abstinence from alcohol),
and the abolition of slavery.
As this revival spread across the young frontier, pastors struggled to shepherd
their newly converted flocks. The Presbyterian Church in particular found that
they did not have enough pastors to handle the volume of people and churches
impacted by the revival. Leaders within the denomination began to disagree on
how to train pastors for this great need. The traditional length of pastoral
training was seven years, but some wanted it shortened in order to address the
sudden influx of parishioners. In 1810, three men who advocated the shorter
training period were asked to leave the Presbyterian Church. Together, they
established the Cumberland Presbyterian denomination, which spread rapidly
throughout the frontier, allowing shorter pastoral training and self-education.
These men became circuit riders in the Lee's Summit area; one, Samuel King, is
buried in Johnson County, and Finis Uehing is buried in Lexington, Missouri. In
1881, the Lee's Summit Cumberland church had a congregation of 27. "It was
known for successful revivals which were credited with filling many of the
churches in the area with new members."5
There is an indication that another revival may have occurred within the
Presbyterian Church in Lee's Summit: "On May 8, 1888 the session met at the
close of an evangelical revival service."6
In August 1913, a revival was recorded as occurring at the Christian Church. A
famous citizen of Lee's Summit, Cole Younger, was profoundly affected. Younger,
who had been one of Quantrill's raiders and a member of Jesse James' gang,
"attended a revival meeting and a week later was baptized at the Christian
Church of Lee's Summit. At the time, some speculated on his motives for such a
public conversion and a few newspaper editorials questioned his sincerity.
However, that apparently didn't bother Cole, who continued to attend church
regularly for the rest of his life."7
Younger became an itinerant speaker in the Lee's Summit area, sharing his
testimony of transformation at numerous churches. His conversion had a profound
impact on the people of Lee's Summit; none could overlook the dramatic change
that had occurred in this former raider and bank robber.
The fact that revivals occurred in Lee's Summit during the 1800s and early
1900s is pivotal. Lee's Summit was a resting place for travelers along the
Rocky Mountain Fur Trade Route, the Santa Fe Trail, and other routes of
westward expansion. These travelers were, no doubt, impacted by the revivals in
Lee's Summit and carried this impact with them to their western destinations.
It is possible that revivals that later occurred in California and other
western settlements were sparked by the revivals in Lee's Summit and other
Midwestern resting spots.
During the Great Depression, the churches in Lee's Summit suffered financial
hardships, and some went without a regular pastor for several years. Most
congregations were not growing during this period. Certainly, the churches that
survived the Depression were sustained by the prayers and faithfulness of their
members.
On V-E Day-May 8, 1945, the day that German forces in Europe surrendered to the
Allies-churches opened their doors all day so that people could come in for
meditation and for prayers of thanksgiving.
In March of 1962, the churches of Lee's Summit observed the World Day of Prayer
in a service organized by the church women of the area. Members of the First
Baptist Church, Presbyterian Church, and the Martin Luther Lutheran Church
participated. Few events in Lee's Summit have seen such unity among the
churches.
The church in Lee's Summit has always been a pillar of the community. Aside
from the obvious silence during the Civil War days and the difficulties of the
Depression days, churches in Lee's Summit have always had thriving and growing
memberships. The churches have maintained an active voice in city government,
sometimes protesting policies they found unwholesome, such as the showing of
movies on Sundays during the 1950s.
Lee's Summit is home to two influential men of God. The first is Robert
Alexander Long, owner of Longview Farm. His contributions to the city are
mentioned on the "General History of Lee's Summit" web page [hyperlink]. He was
known as a man of prayer, a devoted father and husband, and an ethical
businessman. Long was quoted as describing his morning routine: "I am up every
morning at 6 o'clock…. Then, every morning of my life, I go alone into my
library and read a chapter in the Bible, and kneel down and spend a few minutes
with my Lord in prayer."8
He would often walk down his street in Kansas City behind the lamp lighters,
praying for his neighborhood. Because he felt compelled to minister to his
employees, Long hired a pastor and teacher for every project. In 1916, Long
donated one million dollars to launch the "Men and Millions" Movement, a
ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). His donation stipulated
that the Men and Millions Movement raise an addition five million dollars and
obtain one thousand volunteers for foreign and home missions.9
When Long lost all of his assets during the Great Depression, a newspaper
reporter asked him, "Has this blow shaken your faith in God?" He shook his head
and replied, "Nothing could shake my faith in God."10
The other man of God who resided in Lee's Summit is Dr. Kenneth Berg, also
mentioned in the "General History of Lee's Summit"
web page. The membership of the Presbyterian Church under his leadership-1,000
in a town of 4,000-is a remarkable tribute to Berg's pastoral skills and
motivation to reach the city for Christ. Dr. Berg also lived a practical
Christian life; his establishment of John Knox Village is a shining example of
how Christians should care for others, honor their elders, and preserve the
sanctity of life.
The body of Christ in Lee's Summit has maintained a number of characteristics
consistently over the years. First, it is a body that endures. Whether faced
with the hazards of war, the pain of denominational division, the absence of
pastors, or the financial hardship of the Great Depression, the church in Lee's
Summit has chosen to pray, push through, and come out stronger on the other
side of difficulty. The second characteristic of the body of Christ in Lee's
Summit is unity in spite of diversity. From the town's beginnings, a number of
denominations have made their home in Lee's Summit. However, these various
regiments in the Christian army have come together on occasion, from the
sharing of the Community Church to a ministerial alliance to praying together.
Third, the church in Lee's Summit is also a place of refuge. Certainly the
travelers who came through on the Santa Fe Trail found this to be true, as they
sought rest and comfort provided by the hospitable citizens of Lee's Summit.
This characteristic is also manifested in R.A. Long's "Tent City" [hyperlink to
General History page] for inner-city children and mothers and in Dr. Kenneth
Berg's John Knox Village retirement home. Fourth, the church in Lee's Summit is
known for birthing new ideas-ideas that often become model innovations for
other cities and states. For example, R.A. Long's provision for his
workers-financially, spiritually, and otherwise-became a model for other
businessmen to treat their employees with the utmost care. Dr. Berg's burden to
care for the elderly made John Knox Village the model for many other retirement
communities across the nation. Finally, the body of Christ in Lee's Summit is
known for revival. Revival, of course, means to bring back to life. There is a
life in the churches of Lee's Summit-a life of endurance, unity, refuge, and
innovation-that has been passed down to us. May we be faithful to pass this
life on to the next generation.
* * * * *
Prayer for the Churches of Lee's Summit
Father, in your mercy, we ask for You to shower down blessings, protection, and
spiritual health on the churches of Lee's Summit. We thank You for the legacy
of faithfulness that the saints of the past have established here. We also
realize that at times, we have fallen into disunity; for this we ask for
forgiveness. Forgive us, Lord, for any divisions that we have caused or
supported in the past. Forgive us for quenching Your Holy Spirit and, at times,
hindering His work in Lee's Summit. Merciful God, show us the lessons you would
have us learn from the history of the churches in Lee's Summit. And may we grow
in unity as we learn what it means to truly be Your body in Lee's Summit. In
Jesus name we pray, amen.
Lord, teach us to love. (Ephesians 3:17)
1 Spencer, Joel. "Rev. Jesse Walker, the Apostle of the
Wilderness." Missouri Historical Review , July 1908. pp. 261-278.
2 Cartwright, Peter. Autobiography of Peter Cartwright
. Abingdon Press, 1956.
3 Murphy, Lawrence E. "Beginnings of Methodism in Missouri,
1798-1824." Missouri Historical Review , April 1927. p. 380.
4 "'Little Country Church' on Long's Farm Still Going Strong
at 66." Lee's Summit Journal . July 1, 1981.
5 "History of the Presbyterian Church of Lee's Summit."
Published by the Lee's Summit Presbyterian Church, 1987, section D.
6 Ibid.
7 Hatfield, Ken. "The Cole Younger story: baptism by fire." Lee's
Summit Journal: Our History . October 31, 1997.
8 MacDonald, A.B. "R.A. Long, Fighting to Rebuild a Fortune at
82, Talks of Uses of Adversity and Faith in God." Kansas City Star ,
October 23, 1932.
9 Of course, one million or five million dollars were
exceedingly large amounts in 1916, probably equivalent to a donation in the
billions today.
10 MacDonald, A.B. "R.A. Long, Fighting to Rebuild a Fortune
at 82, Talks of Uses of Adversity and Faith in God." Kansas City Star ,
October 23, 1932.
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