Rev. B. F. Henry came on the work in 1916. He took up the matter of church building and carried the plans out there until a beautiful brick building was erected in 1917 at a cost of $10,000.
In the year 1919 the conference was held in Topeka, Kans. A young man, R. L. Cortner was sent to the Scandia work. In the month of December a revival was held by Evangelist Chas. Roach, of Ohio. This was very successful. There were conversions and a number became members of the church.
The last quarterly meeting of the year 1920, with Rev. M. Roby Supt. presiding. (he died in 1938.) Mr. G. W. Wright was elected delegate to the Annual Conference with P. T. Gile as the alternate. The Conference of 1920, which met at Salina sent Rev. R. C. Conn to this pastorate. A salary and parsonage was voted to him for the year. The work of this past year was very satisfactory and the return of the pastor was requested. There were additions to the churches. There were two revivals--the pastor and his wife conducting the Scandia meeting and the pastor doing his own evangelistic work at Norway with help of Mr. and Mrs. G. E. Vineroff singing evangelists. The meeting closed with a Community gathering at the church on Sunday with Mrs. Vineroff preaching in the morning. A basket dinner and Mr. Vineroff's life story in the afternoon to a packed church. Rev. and Mrs. Conn with the delegate R. J. Mahaffey and Conference Superintendent Rev. M. Roby left the next morning for the Conference. The Conference Station read the report and Rev. Conn returned for another year. This had been a successful year and the church debt had been reduced.
At the 1922 Conference W. S. Baker came to this charge which he filled for one year. Then there was no pastor until 1928 when Rev. Herrick came to Norway. Through his efforts eleven members came into the church.
At the 1929 Conference Rev. V. G. McGill came to take up the work. He brought several of the young people into the church. He came back after the 1930 Conference and then the next year took a charge at Edmond, Kan.
For the next several years Norway was without a Pastor. It was decided to keep up the Sunday School and decrease the church debt as much as possible. With help of the Ladies' Aid the church debt was steadily decreased.
Supt. Jones decided to send Rev. Conn back to the field. Rev. and Mrs. Conn arrived in Scandia Oct. 8, 1935 and remained through 1935 and '36. The parsonage was repaired and cleaned and gas was installed. In May 1936 Mrs. Conn passed away.
On Sept. 26, 1937 the church debt was paid in full and a small amount of money was left in the treasury. Rev. and Mrs. Walker were assigned to Norway in 1940 with the pastor agreeing that the pastor should reside in Norway.
In Sept. the Rundus Brothers conducted a revival. In 1941 a junior Sunday School was organized. In 1943 Rev. and Mrs. Walker went to New Mexico and he became Supt. of an orphanage and School.
From official Church Record, copied by Rev. Ronald Williams, Pastor. Rec'd. -- July 18, 1961. (No later history available.)
This Brief History of the Norway Community Church in 1908 was taken from the "Norway News", a paper printed in Norway from 1910 until 1920 by a Mr. Lewis.
"In the summer of 1908, a number of families of the Norway community felt they needed a place where they could study the Bible and also desired to have their children in Sunday School. Among these families were the families of A. D. Norris, Bert Ainsworth, Figgins, Halls, Crossons, Blossers. The effected a small organization which held its sessions in the school house. The enrollment of the Sunday School then organized was about twenty-five or thirty. Bert Ainsworth was elected superintendent and Mrs. Blosser assistant. They held their sessions for some time in the school house, then moved over the hardware store owned by G. W. Wright. Following Ainsworth, Mr. Norris was elected superintendent. After serving for a time he was followed by Mr. Gile who is superintendent at the present time (1908).
In the spring of 1916, the Sunday School and Church services were moved to the township hall. This Sunday school has grown till at present it has twelve officers and teachers and over a hundred scholars enrolled. In October 1913, this church organization had a membership of about thirty members. It has grown until the membership is eighty-nine. The Ladies Aid was organized in 1914. It has been growing and has done much to make the present building possible. It was they that saved the first money with which to erect a place of worship. Mrs. Blosser has been president from the beginning.
The Christian Endeavor Society took form in 1914 and reached its largest membership in the fall of 1915. In the fall of 1916 an Otterbein Guild was organized and a study of the missions of the church was taken up by the girls and young women of the church. Miss Vivian Blosser was made president."
Sent by Nadine Blosser Whitebread
DEDICATION OF THE NEW COMMUNITY CHURCH
From the "Norway News"
Beckman of Scandia. Bishop Kephart of Kansas City then read a portion of the Scriptures from Paul's Second Letter in the Corinthians, 11th chapter beginning at the 16th verse. This was followed by prayer by Rev. Roby, District Superintendent. after the announcements by Rev. Henry, the choir sang "I am Glad." There followed the sermon by Bishop Kephart from Paul 1:8 which was certainly an inspiration to higher and better things to all who were fortunate enough to hear him. He lingered more on the 16th verse which reads "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth." He ended by reading the 84th Psalm which was very suitable for dedication.
He gave the figures of the cost of the church which was $9,673.51 which included the cost of the lots $600 which were given by Q. Blosser. Of this sum, $5,380.11 is left to be paid.
After dinner in the church basement, the afternoon service was well attended by people from the surrounding community and from other towns. Music and short talks by ministers were a part of the program. Bishop Kephart gave a talk on community work. The program closed with the singing of "America" and benediction.
Sent by Nadine Blosser Whitebread
THE CHARTER MEMBERS OF THE
COMMUNITY E. U. B. CHURCH, NORWAY, KANSAS
COMMUNITY E. U. B. CHURCH, NORWAY, KANSAS
1. Ainsworth, Bert 23. Medlin, Mrs. F. E.
2. Ainsworth, Eva 24. LaHew, Eiha
3. Ainsworth, Dale 25. Hawse, Minni
4. Ainsworth, Lela 26. Hawse, M. H.
5. Gile, Perry T. 27. Figgins, Lulu
6. Gile, Gertrude 28. Figgins, Marie
7. Norris, A. D. 29. Figgins, Francis
8. Norris, Mrs. A. D. 30. Figgins, Mrs. Carrie
9. Norris, Ruby 31. Figgins, Peter
10. Norris, Graydon 32. Zerbe, Florence
11. Blosser, Quincy 33. Decker, W. A.
12. Blosser, Mrs. Betty 34. Decker, Mrs. L. E.
13. Blosser, Vivian 35. Decker, C. M.
14. Blosser, Nadine 36. Decker, Sadie
15. Blosser, Martin 37. Decker, Marina
16. Lewis, W. A. 38. Addams, J. A.
17. Lewis, Mrs. W. A. 39. Addams, Lillie M.
18. Wright, George W. 40. Wilson, William
19. Wright, Mrs. George W. 41. Wilson, Mrs. William
20. Dickerhoof, Mrs. J. F. 42. Bartlett, Ben
21. Hanson, Theodore 43. Bartlett, Mrs. Ben
22. Medlin, B. B.
Official Record copied from Community Church Record as corrected September 3, 1922, by R. C. Conn, Pastor, Norway, Kansas.
Received from Rev. Ronald Williams, July 18, 1961.
PASTORS SERVING COMMUNITY E.U.B. CHURCH, NORWAY, KANSAS
1913-1916 - E. E. Gale 1936-1937 - R. C. Con
1916-1919 - B. F. Henry 1937-1940 - Miss Fogleburg
and Miss Keyes
1919-1920 - R. C. Cortner 1940-1943 - H. L. Walker
1920-1922 - R. C. Conn 1943-1947 -
1922-1923 - W. S. Baker 1947-1951 - D. W. Smith
1923-1928 - No Pastor 1951-1952 - Lowell Herrick
1928-1929 - D. V. Herrick 1952-1956 - Glenn Claycamp
1929-1931 - V. Glenn McGill 1956-1960 - F. E. Wendland
1931-1936 - 1960- - R. J. Williams
From Official Record
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