One Township's Yesterdays Chapter LI  

The Church of God

The Church of God was early established in this part of the country. Soon after the first religious, meetings were held in Union and neighboring townships, "Pisgah" church was built, just outside Union Township, and the Church of God became an important factor in the religious life of the settlements.

Prior to that, practically at the beginning, the "New Light" or old Christian Church was prominent in this section, and the followers of Campbell were active very early. The Church of God had a large following by the middle of the past century.

At Burr Oak today there is located a house of worship of the Church of God (Abrahamic Faith). Rev. A. E. HOSKINS is pastor.

Looking backward over a span of thirty years, one finds interest in the activities of the Burr Oak congregation of that time. A new bell was placed in the tower of the church, in August, 1905. After thirty days trial, the bell proved unsatisfactory, and the people of the church decided not to keep it but to buy a larger bell. This bell was placed and was all that was desired of it. Various outside preachers preached at the Church of God at Burr Oak in those days. One hears of a memorable event, the union picnic of the summer of '05, held in OVERMEYER's woods. In the afternoon, there was a Bible reading, which lasted one hour.

Pastors at Burr Oak

Some day it may be possible to gather together a complete history of the churches at Burr Oak and then also we may have an interrupted record of the pastors who have served there in both churches. The writer is giving the few fragments now among his notes:

Rev. D. F. VAN VACTOR was at Burr Oak in 1905.
Reverend KLINE preached in Burr Oak in August, 1904.
Reverend HESTER of the W. M. Church preached his farewell sermon for     the year at Burr Oak, on Sunday, August 14, 1904.

The Church That Is No More The original church erected in the north end of Union Township was built on the FLORY farm, which later became the GEORGE OSBORN farm, where the farmhouse was burned. Church was first started there, west of Burr Oak, at the crossroads, in the old Flory school house. GEORGE FLORY was the proprietor of the land.

The church-school house has been gone for a goodly number of years. Many, in passing by today where the building used to stand, have no idea that such ever existed. Old residents remember it. Few recall what became of it. And where, in fact, did it disappear to, what really did become of it?

Well, like many other buildings of the township, including several old school houses and the Albright church down in the lower section, it was moved. We are told that the building was taken over to Burr Oak, taken to town, as it were. And what became of it there? It lost its identity; it became the old "Red Star" store. CURRENS started his first store there. Then the buildings burned, closing the chapter of the church that is no more.