History of Heritage United Methodist Church
The church now known as Heritage United Methodist Church at North Custer and North Raisinville Road has been known as East Raisinville Frenchtown United Methodist Church, East Raisinville Evangelical Association, Evangelical Church, and Evangelical United Bretheren Church before the merger of the Evangelical United Bretheren Church and the Methodist Episcopal Church, which created the United Methodist Church in 1968.
East Raisinville appears as one of the preaching places on the first Michigan Circuit in 1845. by the end of the conference year of 1845. By the end of the conference year of 1845, the circuit consisted of twelve appointments extending over an area of over 300 miles (round trip). The following places were included: Adrian, East Raisinville, Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor, Freedom, Waterloo, Eckford, Marshall, Park, Flatbush, and Centerville, near Three Rivers. At East Raisinville the services seem to have been held in the homes of Rev. Elias Loose and Charles Loose.
In 1863, it was organized as the East Raisinville Evangelical Society with Rev E. Loose and family, Darius Loose and family, Jacob Brost and family, Lewis Klein and wife, C.H. Kring and wife, Jacob Newcomer and wife, John Netcher and wife, and Jacob Brightbill as charter members. Other members who joined in the next two years included the Charles Loose family, William Stahl and family, John Kemmerling and family and Henry Moses and wife. The ground of the original church belonged to the Brost farm, which Jacob Brost owned. He sold the old church to John Wilson who moved it to his own farm east of the church. In 1873, Mr Brost donated 1 acre for the church. He was a brick mason, so he laid all of the outside brickwork for the new structure and donated his time. Jacob Brost's descendants are still members of the church. The interior was built by a Mr. Lanison. Jacob Brost completed the building's outside walls while Mr Lanison did the inside work. This building built in 1873, is our current church building and believed to be the oldest church building in Monroe County.
During the early years of the society, it was a part of the Monroe circuit which included South Raisinville, Strasburg, LaSalle, Erie and later Ida. East Raisinville appears to have the distinction of being the oldest preaching place of the Evangelical church in Michigan with a consistent history to the present time. Port Creek was organized earlier, but its history has not been continuous. In 1868, East Rasinville was one of a two point charge on the Monroe Circuit and the place of worship was called the "So-called More Church". The other appointment was the South Raisinville Church. In 1855 the names of 55 members appear on the church record.
The first church, apparently a white frame building, was erected about 1863 near the site of the present church. It was used about ten years. In 1873 a new brick church was built. The dedication occurred January 18, 1873. Mr Brost, assisted by a Mr Lanson built the new church. In the original seating, men were seated on one side and the women on the other side. That was the general pattern of Evangelical churches of that time period. In 1887 ninety-four members of the Reed City congregation petitioned Conference for the privilege of being seated by families. The request was granted and from that time seating shifted to the family pew pattern.
Some time, probably about 1883, East Raisinville was honored in having Rev. C.G. Koch, for ten years editor of the Christ-liche Botschafter, a distinguished church leader and scholar, purchase a farm near the church where he resided as a member of the congregation.
The first remodeling of the church occurred in 1923, Rev. William Guinser being the pastor. The church floor was raised and a full basement was dug out by hand. This provided room for social purposes and added room for the church program. It was a community project with men of other faiths joining in to help. Other remodeling and major improvements have been made, chief of which was a remodeling of the church chancel area during 1955-56, and a major improvement in the basement in 1957, both coming during the pastorate of Rev. Paul R. Crabtree.
In 2013 we will be celebrating our 150th Anniversary. We believe that our church building is the oldest active church building in Monroe County.
Parts of this story were taken from...
History of the Michigan Conference of the Evangelical United Bretheren Church - Vol II, William H. Watson and A. Lavern Spafford, Sr., pgs 322-325
East Raisinville appears as one of the preaching places on the first Michigan Circuit in 1845. by the end of the conference year of 1845. By the end of the conference year of 1845, the circuit consisted of twelve appointments extending over an area of over 300 miles (round trip). The following places were included: Adrian, East Raisinville, Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor, Freedom, Waterloo, Eckford, Marshall, Park, Flatbush, and Centerville, near Three Rivers. At East Raisinville the services seem to have been held in the homes of Rev. Elias Loose and Charles Loose.
In 1863, it was organized as the East Raisinville Evangelical Society with Rev E. Loose and family, Darius Loose and family, Jacob Brost and family, Lewis Klein and wife, C.H. Kring and wife, Jacob Newcomer and wife, John Netcher and wife, and Jacob Brightbill as charter members. Other members who joined in the next two years included the Charles Loose family, William Stahl and family, John Kemmerling and family and Henry Moses and wife. The ground of the original church belonged to the Brost farm, which Jacob Brost owned. He sold the old church to John Wilson who moved it to his own farm east of the church. In 1873, Mr Brost donated 1 acre for the church. He was a brick mason, so he laid all of the outside brickwork for the new structure and donated his time. Jacob Brost's descendants are still members of the church. The interior was built by a Mr. Lanison. Jacob Brost completed the building's outside walls while Mr Lanison did the inside work. This building built in 1873, is our current church building and believed to be the oldest church building in Monroe County.
During the early years of the society, it was a part of the Monroe circuit which included South Raisinville, Strasburg, LaSalle, Erie and later Ida. East Raisinville appears to have the distinction of being the oldest preaching place of the Evangelical church in Michigan with a consistent history to the present time. Port Creek was organized earlier, but its history has not been continuous. In 1868, East Rasinville was one of a two point charge on the Monroe Circuit and the place of worship was called the "So-called More Church". The other appointment was the South Raisinville Church. In 1855 the names of 55 members appear on the church record.
The first church, apparently a white frame building, was erected about 1863 near the site of the present church. It was used about ten years. In 1873 a new brick church was built. The dedication occurred January 18, 1873. Mr Brost, assisted by a Mr Lanson built the new church. In the original seating, men were seated on one side and the women on the other side. That was the general pattern of Evangelical churches of that time period. In 1887 ninety-four members of the Reed City congregation petitioned Conference for the privilege of being seated by families. The request was granted and from that time seating shifted to the family pew pattern.
Some time, probably about 1883, East Raisinville was honored in having Rev. C.G. Koch, for ten years editor of the Christ-liche Botschafter, a distinguished church leader and scholar, purchase a farm near the church where he resided as a member of the congregation.
The first remodeling of the church occurred in 1923, Rev. William Guinser being the pastor. The church floor was raised and a full basement was dug out by hand. This provided room for social purposes and added room for the church program. It was a community project with men of other faiths joining in to help. Other remodeling and major improvements have been made, chief of which was a remodeling of the church chancel area during 1955-56, and a major improvement in the basement in 1957, both coming during the pastorate of Rev. Paul R. Crabtree.
In 2013 we will be celebrating our 150th Anniversary. We believe that our church building is the oldest active church building in Monroe County.
Parts of this story were taken from...
History of the Michigan Conference of the Evangelical United Bretheren Church - Vol II, William H. Watson and A. Lavern Spafford, Sr., pgs 322-325
