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The photo below is the Old Church
The Sunday School conducted by Richard Arey Sr., in the old brick school house East of Rock Falls, on the Dixon road, was the earliest religious institution in the community. It changed its location to the new school building on the corner opposite the Congregational Church, where it continued as a Union Sabbath school from 1868 to 1871, with James A. Patterson as superintendent, at which time it was merged into the Methodist Episcopal Sabbath school.
Lawrence Woodford was elected the first superintendent of the reorganized school.
During the winter of 1868-69 a revival service was conducted by Revs. Alling & Denning, of the Fourth Street and Broadway churches, assisted by Dr. J.H. Moore, President Elder. Such an interest was awakened that a class was at once formed and the little society began its independent existence.
The need of a church building was very urgent and during the spring of 1869 a petition was circulated to raise money for the erection of a modest edifice to accommodate the little band of faithful workers. In an almost incredible short time $1,825 was subscribed for a building and on July 10, 1869 the first money was paid to the treasurer, Joseph A. Bickford. Ground was at once broken on a lot purchased from Abner L. Merrill for $300. Before the fall of 1869 the building was enclosed, building paper put on the rafters above, stoves were put in and it was used during the spring of 1870 with only temporary conveniences. Rev. W.H. Smith, the new pastor of Fourth Street, Sterling, greatly enthused the congregation and the church increased in its interest and numbers, and labor was resumed upon the building.
With funds raised from an oyster supper and festiveal a Burdette organ was purchased from C.S. Mills, music dealer, Sterling at a cost of $140. At the conference of 1870, held in Elgin, the sum of $100 was appropriated by the committee on missions for the support of the work in Rock Falls, and on October 11, 1870, John A Stayt was appointed as the first pastor of this charge. With a steeled pastor to guide the society in its efforts the church was finished. Brother Stayt worked with the carpenters and expended much hard labor in bringing to completion the plans of the class. The dedication of the church, costing $4,189.07 took place in April, 1871 under the charge of Dr. J.H. Moore, presiding elder, who was retired and living in Polo, by April 18, 1871, the first bell was hung in the tower, but was found to be cracked and was taken down and returned to the foundry and on March 22, 1872, the present bell was hung in the place where every Sabbath it rang out its call to the worshippers.
In the early part of the pastorate of Rev. John A. Stayt preaching points were established at Hume Center and Baynes' corners each contributing liberally to the support of the work on the charge. At a meeting of the church held October 11, 1871, plans were discussed and formulated for the procuring of a lot and building a parsonage. A committee consisting of Rev. J.A. Stayt, J.A. Bickford, and A.F. R. Emmons were appointed for that purpose and on November 1, 1871 a lot was purchased for $300 and work was begun ona home for the pastor. The work of building the house was under the direction W.H. Swingley. It was complted at a cost of $1,104.77 and turned over to the committee Oct. 15, 1872.
Those appearing on the subscription list as giving $100 or more towards the building are M.L. Coe, J.A. Paterson, J.L. Morrill, C.K. Brown, Almon W. Wheeler, C.H. Payson, Andrew, Bickford & Co., R.H. Jenkins, J.R. Russell,L.C. Jenkins, Thoams Yeoward, J.Smith. Among other subscriptions was a $100 buggy given to the church by C.K. Brown. The first trustees of the society approved at the first quarterly conference of the church held November 19, 1870 were R.H. Jenkins, Joseph A. Bickford, C.K. Brown, J.L. Morrell and Marcus I.Coe.
An interesting relic of the Chicago fire was discovered in the church data. A note amounting to $288 was given to George A. Misch & Bro. Mrgrs, Chicago for the purchase of stained glass windows for the church. During the interim of its possession by Misch ^& Bros., the great Chicago fire occurred, October 9, 1871. This firm lost their entire plant, worth $40,000, including plans, accounts, etc. Upon opening their safe, which was so damaged that it could hardly be wedged apart, the notes, accounts, etc were found to be so charred and blackened that they were hardly recognizable. Among them was the note given by the Trustees of the M.E. Church of Rock Falls. The firm, 3 days after the fire, wrote the treasurer informing the church of their loss and begged the trustees to advance the payment of the note not due until March 1, 1872, and upon its payment it was returned to the treasurer. It was so charged and blackened that it hardly held together, but the glistening printer's ink still showed on the charred sheet and made the figures plainly discernible.
At the close of 1872, the charge of Rev. John A. Stayt had grown from an almost chaotic nothingness to a membership of 87, having three Sunday Schools, one at Rock Falls, one at Hume and one at Banes' with a total attendance of 388. At the conference the pastor reported a church building worth $5,000 a parsonage worth $1,100 as having received $700 salary and $160 in donations the first year and $900 and parsonage as his salary for the second year. Those contributing to the early success of the charge, whose names appear on the records as officers are: A.F. R. Emmons, James Robb, George Robb, Marcus L. Coe, Alpheus Fox, Dr. J.L. Morrill, John Montague, W.H. Swingley, J.A. Bickford, J.L Backus, Thomas Cogswell, D.D. Stone, C.K. Brown, O.A. Oliver, J.A. Paterson, C.H. Payson, R.J. Jenkins, J.P. Russell, C.L. Jenkins, Thomas Yeoward, Martin Detrick, J.Smith, G.M. Titus, H.P. Price, N.G. VanSant, F. Palmer and J.A. Kline.
There have gone out from this charge into the ministry of other religious labors, Rev. W.H. Tuttle, Rev. W.O. Shepard, Rev. Fred D. Stone, Rev. George A. Wells, Rev. Albert E. Cose, Prof. Oscar Triggs of Chicago University and O.A. Oliver ex-treasurer of the Western Methodist Book Concern, and many others not shown on the records.
Here are names of the early members prior to 1875. Mrs. Mary A. Payson, Mrs. Isabell Stone, Martin Detrick, Mr. and Mrs. N.G. Van Sant, R.L. Leitch, Mrs. Rachael Coe, Cora B. Coe, Elizabeth N. Coe, Mrs. Mary E. Davison, Mrs. Mary A. Morrison, Mrs. Nancy Emmons, Mr. and Mrs. W.B. Emmons.
An interesting note is that of the first communion set, which was of solid silver, was presented by Almon W. Wheeler and wife and is still in perfect preservation and was used regularly up to December 10, 1905. (This communion set is on display in the preesnt church office). An individual communion service, presented by Brother and SIster W.B. Emmons, was used for the first time on December 10, 1905.
The first organist was Clara Hapgood (Mrs. Charles Glassburn). The first chorister was Alpheus Fox. The first principal of the the public school was Madison Reynolds Harris. The first superintendent of the Methodist Sabbath school was Lawrence Woodford. The first house in the city was the residence of Richard Arey, Sr. The first subscription was made in April, 1869 by M.L. Coe of $300. The first payment on building was made July 15, 1869. The first stove used in warming the then incomplete church was one rented of A.Edgerton for $5.00
The church kept abreast of the needs of the times. Extensive improvements were made on the parsonage in Sept. 1881, when an addition was built, the house thoroughly renovated and put in excellent repair.
On May 9, 1904 plans were formulated for the repairing, renovating and painting of the church and for the construction of a new parsonage, the parsonage complete cost was $3,521.00, church repairs, etc. cost $1,585.54.
Under the powerful preaching of Evangelist "Billy" Sunday the twin cities of Sterling & Rock Falls were moved mightily and 1,673 souls were converted from sin and error.
The Pastoral Register reads;
In January 1921 on a bitter cold Sunday morn the church burned to the ground. The ashes had not cooled before plans were made for a new and better building.
Under the leadership of A.E. Simester, then the pastor and F.H. Knight, who came later, over $35,000.00 was subscribed in five days, assuring the building of the present church. To this structure & during the pastorate of Rev. Obenshain, a new educational wing has been added to the church property, along with a Memorial Chapel, which was furnished in memory of loved ones by members of the congregation.
The greatness of our church lies in its spiritual service to the community and in the quality of men and women who have gone and shall continue to go forth from its altar.
The Daily Gazette July 25, 1967
The current Rock Falls church community is a tribute and a marked characteristic of the earlier settlers whose many efforts succeeded in their zeal and determiniation to provide the church edifices for continued religious worship services.
The United Methodist Church (then the Methodist Episcopal Church) of Rock Falls was to be a pioneer of the current churches in the city and it enjoys the distinction of being the oldest religious society in the city. The Rock Falls United Methodist congregation celebrated its "one hundred years of service to Christ, and community" in 1969. The congregation started as a class effort during the winer of 1868-69. It was the latter part of January of 1869, the Rev. A.J. Alling, pastor of the Fourth Street Methodist Church in Sterling, came to Rock Falls andheld a series of meetings in an unfinished store building owned by Dr. J.S. Morrill. During this time the class was organized and J.M. Bakus was selected leader.
In March of 1869, a board of trustees were elected and they included M.L. Coe, J.S. Morrill, C.R. Brown and j.A. Bickford. The hopes of the new congregation were enlarged with the construction of the first church home in 1869 at a cost of $4,000. The largest contribution to the new worship center was $300.
The church was dedicated on April 9, 1871 and the text of the dedication address was entitled, "The Kingdom of God Cometh Not By Observation." The first services in the new church were conducted by Rev. W.H. Smith of the Sterling Fourth Street Methodist Church. The Rev. John A. Stayt was named the first regular pastor of the church in the year of 1871.
At the end of the first conference year, the new pastor reported a total membership of 83 and three on probation. The Sunday school was composed of 18 teachers and 120 students. At that time, the pastor's salary was $850 and the total church budget was set at $1,125.62.
The first parsonage was approved during a meeting Oct. 11, 1871 and was completed a year later at a cost of approximately $1,104. In the year 1882 the congregation built an addition. Between 1888 and 1891 the church was completely remodeled and in 1904 a new pasronage wsa built. As a matter of comparison, by 1905 over 1,164 persons had joined this church as a result of "direct revival effort."
The church's Epworth League was organized in 1889 with a membership of 60 persons. Two years later in 1883, the Women's Foreign Missionary Society was organized officially on Nov. 2, 1883.
An interesting note in the society's history occurred on Jan. 4, 1884 when 10 members were present for the meeting. The reason? The theromometer recorded 24 degrees below zero that particular meeting day.
The Womens Home Missionary Society was organized in 1886 and the Women's Social Auxiliary in 1903. In the year 1940, all the women's societies were united under the name "Women's Society of Christian Service."
The Rev. Thomas Chipperfield succeeded pastor Stayt, first leader of the congregation. Other pastors following included Lewis Curtis, Cornelius Ford, Amos Miller, M.H. Triggs, W.A. Cross, J.C. Stoughten, C.A. Bunker, T.W. Nazarene, J.F. Clancey, James Potter and Lewis B. Lott. Others were Alfred Simester, J.J. Hitchens, S.W. Wirsching, J.B. Crawford, A.W. Mohns, F.H. Knight, R.W. Furnish, J.H. Uhlinger and Wayne Leighty.
The Rock Falls Methodist Church congregation was to face its greatest crisis when flames from a fire believed started from an overheated furnace completely destroyed the church building.
The Rock Falls Fir Alarm sounded around 9:20 a.m. on Jan. 22, 1922 and despite all efforts, the fire consumed and destroyed the total building.
An interesting note is the fact that firemen's efforts were apparently hampered due to inadequate water pressure. At this same time Rock Falls firemen were fighting the church fire, Sterling firemen had been called to teh Presbyterian Church to fight a fire there. The drain on the water supply and facilities available caused a low pressure system.. when it was most needed. At this time, Rock Falls received its water supply from Sterling, through a large tube under the Rock river.
Quick to act, within five days after the loss of the church by fire, the members subscribed some $35,000 for the construction of a new building in which to worship.
The new church awas built and dedicated Sept. 2, 1923 and it was estimated during the first two years operational, over 10,000 made use of the facility.
The church's enrollment in 1925 was over 500 persons. The various supterintendents included Jacob Cantlin, general Superintendent; Henry Olds, adult; Mrs. L.A. Wheelock, senior; John McNeil, intermediate; Mrs. John McNeil, junior; Mrs. Frank Rumley, primary and MRs. J. Cantlin, cradle roll.
The church hosted a joint celebration Sept. 3 to 10, 1944 commemorating the church's 75th anniversary, a homecoming and a burning of the mortgage.
The mortgage burning ceremony was held during the evening worship service Sept. 10, 1944, marking the conclusion of the celebration. The ceremony marked the retirement of the church's debts. The completed church and facilities was estimated over $80,000.
One of the most important improvements made by the congregation was in the early 1960's with the decision to construct an 18 room educational wing to the church. The wing, valued at $82,993 was dedicated Oc. 8, 1961 under the poastrate of Rev. Ivan J. Obenshain.
Clark Hoot was chairman of the educational wing building committee and the earlier survey was made by Dale Payne, Sunday school superintendent and Marcella Ingold, chairman of the board of education.
An additional highlight in the church history was in 1968 with the merger of the Methodist and United Brethren churches.
As in any building project, the earlier stages of construction seem to take the longest and have no pattern or definite shape. It is not until the project is actually completed the full beauty is visible.
During the more than 100 years of community service, the Rock Falls Methodist Church represents a landmark of substantial walls laid upon a firm foundation to take on magnificent proportions in its crowning touches of providing that reverent and solemn sanctuary in which to worship.
The Sterling Gazette July 1, 1975
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The Rock Falls Methodist church was organized as a class during the winter of 1868-69 by the Rev. J.H. Alling, who was pastor of what was then called Second Church of Sterling. During the summer of 1837 the town was platted and the streets marked out by plow furrows. At this time only one building had been constructed on the south side of the river and that stood on the corner where Frank's block is now standing. It being the home of Richard Arey, Sr.
