Rowena Methodist Church

Rowena Methodist Church. . In 1874 the first Sunday school was held in the crude dugout home of Madison and Elizabeth Webster. The pupils studied directly from the Bible for several years until additional materials were purchased from a traveling missionary. A Methodist circuit-riding minister preached the first sermon in this area in the winter of 1874-1875. He spoke in the two-room sod shanty home of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel McMackin. While God's word warmed the souls of the worshipers, twisted hay fueled the fire that warmed the home., In the 1880s circuit-riding preachers of various denominations often held services in homes, schools, and even a granary. The founding of Rowena in 1888 quickly followed the opening of nearby quartzite quarries. Four years later Methodist services were held in the new Rowena Town Hall. Music for hymn singing was provided each Sunday morning by a reed organ carried to the hall from a nearby home. Spiritual conversions led to baptisms held in the Big Sioux River and in the Rowena Quarry., In 1901 a meeting around a kitchen table resulted in plans to build a church building. Construction of the new church home began in 1902, and by September the two cornerstones had been placed. The first event held in the church was the funeral of Jennie Wright who , died a few days before her planned marriage. The building was not yet completed so cloth was nailed over the windows to keep out the cold. The Methodist Episcopal Church of Rowena was dedicated February 8, 1903, after building cost totaling $1900 had been pledged in full., Two young girls held ice cream socials to raise $60 for a church bell. Because one church family doubted that the money would be raised, they declined to help. However, when the bell arrived at the depot, the same family then donated money to be used to buy a bell rope. At a Christmas service in 1905, the bell was presented to the church., In the 1920s unsuccessful attempts were made by the Ku Klux Klan to infiltrate the church. On one occasion to draw attention to a burning cross on a nearby hillside, they tolled the community fire signal by using the church bell., In the 1960s due to a decline in membership, services were combined with the Ben Clare United Methodist Church. The Rowena Methodist Church closed in 2002. Through their faithfulness, prayers, and worship, the members of this pioneer church were led by God's Spirit for over 100 years.