Ebenezer Church History

 The Ebenezer class of the Emporia Mission, located four and one half miles West of Olpe, was started in 1880 by Rev. J. M. Dreisbach, while serving Americus Mission.  A group of neighbors had been meeting in the Section, Highland, and Dixon schools for church meetings.  In 1881 Rev. F. Harder, while serving Osage Mission organized the Ebenezer Evangelical Association.  The charter members were:  Rev. and Mrs. Jacob Maurer, Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Horst, Mr. and Mrs. John H. Rice, Mr. and Mrs. Gottlieb Kitzenberger, and Mr. and Mrs. Henry Barrett.  Rev. J. Maurer was elected class leader.  The class leader was in charge of services in the absence of the minister and in charge of prayer meeting.  The same year a Sunday School was organized with Gottlieb Kitzenberger as Superintendent. 

The charter members lived within two and one half miles of Highland School, located seven miles West and one mile North of Olpe.  Church services were held there at Highland School and at Section School, located three miles East of Highland.  Since the families were of German origin, the German language was used in the church services.  We have no membership records prior to 1916, but some families who had moved to this area by 1885 and participated in church activities were the Barthels, Habers, Mockrys, Richards, and Schwindts.  At approximately the same time, Methodist services in English were held in Section School.  Families attending included the Dunns and the Haleys. 

In 1895, a church building was erected in what was by then a more central location during the pastorate of Rev. C. Meeder.  A one half acre tract four and one half miles West of Olpe was purchased for $5 from Adam Bitler.  The building cost $1,300 and was dedicated July 15, 1895 by Rev. M. C. Platt.  It was struck by lightning and destroyed by fire in 1909 during the pastorate of H. M. Schuerman 

It is astonishing how people will work, but oftentimes it is compulsion; that was the case this time, for through lightning our comfortable little church near Olpe, Kansas was wiped out of existence, and to stand and gaze at the ashes and crumbled foundation with folded arms and a tear in the eye, would do only for a little relief and it was not long until the mouth spoke, and the pockets opened, and cheerfulness and hope animated the little society.

There was a day to come that would make glad the hearts of the faithful and persistent, and how we realized it when, on Christmas Eve for the first time we would come into the new sanctuary to celebrate the event of events. And how good was it to dwell in the house of the Lord on Christmas morning, but a better day was still to come, for on the last evening of 1909 we met, and the Word Of Life was proclaimed by our Presiding Elder, C. E. Pratz, as in connection with the dedication we had our last quarterly meeting. The time of dedication was set for Jan. 2, at 2:30 and as it was to be in English language, a general invitation to the community given out not without disappointment, for the roads were by Saturday and Sunday in a deplorable condition.

Nevertheless, the house was filled, and no doubt if the conditions had been favorable we would not have had room enough for the people. May the truth and the uplift of the sermon abide to the glory of God and the good of man.

The Emporia Quartet rendered good service. Of the $200, asked for, Brother C. Brandt, who lives on this charge, gave one-fourth, and the remainder was soon secured.

We now have a beautiful little church and the future of this society is full of promise.

The octagonal style of the building, with its incline floor, center and side aisles, and the diagonal setting of the pews, make the whole more convenient and attractive.

The decorations are in water colors, and are very pleasing to the eye. The main building has ten corners, and the circumference 120 feet. There are flexible doors between the main auditorium and the Sunday school and prayer room. This room thrown open we have seating capacity for 200 people. The building is provided with a hot air furnace and gas light system. The cost of the building including the organ is $3000. – H. M. Schuerman.

The first meeting in the new sanctuary was held on Christmas Eve in 1909. The church was dedicated, debt free, in a service at 2:30 p.m. on January 2, 1910 by Rev. C. E. Platz. In spite of a severe snow storm, the building was filled. At approximately this time, church services were changed to the English language and the Methodist congregation changed to the Evangelical faith. The minister from Emporia continued to serve this church and services were held on Sunday afternoon. Youth meetings were held on Sunday evening and prayer meetings on Wednesday evenings.

From this congregation two young men entered the ministry of the Kansas Conference. John Haber, March 15, 1900 and Albert Rice, March 15, 1909.

A Women’s Missionary Society was organized in 1915 with a membership of thirteen.

Furnishings inside the building were provided by members: window curtains (Jodi Brinkman), cross (Steve and Laura Burnett), bathroom mirror, kitchen serving bar and island trim, and coat rack (Don Burenheide), and a janitorial wash bucket (Deanna Wagaman). A group including Jeremiah Corpening, Calvin Stueve, and Amous Swigert purchased the central “Cowboy Church” painting at the Ebenezer Auction and donated it to the building. Church and community members who provided labor and assistance during the construction process included: John Brinkman, Pastor Laura and Steve Burnett, Don Burenheide, Doug Burenheide, Jeremiah and Michelle Corpening, Rex and Brenda Fisher, Sylvia Heins, Crystal Heins, Tyson Heins, Travis and Stacy Heins, Craig Naylor, Tony and Amber Redeker, Andy Ritchie, Kent Schade, Jake Schwindt, Jim and Shera Lyn Schwindt, Arlen and Brenda Stueve, Calvin and Penny Stueve, Carl Lee Stueve, Linden Stueve, Colton Stueve, Doug and Gloria Stueve, Mark and Lisa Stueve, August Stueve, Jerry Templemeyer, Marc and Deanna Wagaman. Construction was completed in September of 2010 during the pastorate of Rev. Laura Burnett.

Following the Great Plains Annual Conference in 2015, Ebenezer became more concerned about the path of the United Methodist Church, the adherence to and enforcement of Biblical Doctrine and the Book of Discipline. The Administrative Council voted on 8/16/2015 to suspend further payments of apportionments and mission agency support to the Great Plains Conference due to conference’s support of Petition 7. As Ebenezer normally paid 100% of Conference apportionments and mission agency giving, we had already paid them for 2015, so this would not take effect in Ebenezer’s payments and finances until 2016. After the 2016 General Conference where the Council of Bishops formed the Committee on a Way Forward, at Ebenezer’s July 2016 Administrative Council meeting, it was moved to prayerfully consider, for the next 2 years, whether to pay apportionments and then readdress the issue at that time. At the October 2016 Administrative Council, a motion to begin paying the apportionments immediately was defeated. Following the Special Annual Conference in 2019 and the passing of the Traditional Plan, the Ebenezer Administrative Council voted to resume paying annual apportionments and mission agency shares beginning for 2019.

Following the 2022 Great Plains Annual Conference, Ebenezer chose to enter a season of discernment regarding disaffiliation from the United Methodist Church. An informational meeting was held for all the membership and any regular attenders who wanted to learn more on July 17, 2022, at 1:00 p.m. in the Lusk Memorial Fellowship Hall at Ebenezer. At a specially called Administrative Council meeting on July 31, 2022, the Ebenezer Administrative Council and those in attendance at the meeting voted to continue pursuing disaffiliation from the United Methodist Church (28 for; 3 against) by requesting a church conference with our District Superintendent, Reverend Jenny Collins. This church conference was held on August 21, 2022, at 1:30 p.m. in the Lusk Memorial Fellowship Hall at Ebenezer. District Superintendent, Reverend Jenny Collins, presided over the meeting at the disaffiliation vote. Thirty members were present and voting at the meeting and the vote to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church passed (28 for, 2 against). Ebenezer took some time to explore different options for the Church’s future following disaffiliation, with a meeting to discuss different options being held on December 4, 2022. A meeting was held on January 15, 2023, to vote upon the pathway Ebenezer would pursue following disaffiliation and Ebenezer chose to apply to the Global Methodist Church (29 Global Methodist, 2 Wesleyan, 2 Independent). Following that vote, our regularly scheduled Administrative Council meeting was held and a motion was made, seconded, discussed, and approved to join the Global Methodist Church following our disaffiliation. On May 31, 2023, at an online Special Session of the Great Plains Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church delegates voted 655 yes to 29 no to approve disaffiliation of Ebenezer and the other 154 Great Plains churches seeking disaffiliation from the United Methodist Church.  June 30, 2023, was Ebenezer's last day as a United Methodist Church with our disaffiliation becoming effective as of that date.  On July 1, 2023, Ebenezer became a Global Methodist Church.

1879-1880 – Rev. J. Bower

1880-1881 – Rev. J. M. Driesbach

1881-1882 – Rev. H. T. Harder

1882-1883 – Rev. C. Lenge

1883-1884 – Rev. T. R. Nanninga

1884-1885 – Rev. E. J. Troyer

1886-1887 – Rev. A. Brunner

1888-1889 – Rev. L. Wenger and A. Rodewald

1889-1890 – Rev. A. T. Vogelin

1891-1892 – Rev. P. Schumann

1892-1894 - Rev. A. Rodewald

1895-1898 – Rev. C. Meeder

1898-1899 - Rev. H. M. Hartman

1900-1901 – J. S. Miller

1901-1904 – Rev. A. Solt

1905-1909 – Rev. H. M. Schuerman

1910-1911 – Rev. P. G. Nuffer

1912-1915 – Rev. C. Meeder

1916-1917 - Rev. M. J. Steinmetz

1917-1918 – Rev. J. Culp

1918-1919 – Rev. M. J. Steinmetz

1919-1920 – Rev. C. F. Mayer

1920-1925 – Rev. J. R. Nanninga

1926-1927 – Rev. C.B. Willming

1927-1930 – Rev. E. F. Boehringer

1930-1933 – Rev. B. E. Reams

1933-1938 – Rev. R. F. Daeschner

1939-1941 – Rev. F. B. Walter

1942-1945 – Rev. E. A. Pauli

1945-1947 – Rev. H. T. Wright

1947-1954 – Rev. G. Carol Gilbert

1954-1958 – Rev. J. E. Gilbert

1958-1968 – Rev. B. E. Faulkner

1968-1973 – Rev. Paul Iwig

1973-1974 – Rev. Roger Peng

1974-1978 – Rev. P. E. Riley

1978-1979 – Rev. Zona Lautt

1979-1985 – Rev. Paul Iwig

1985-1991 – Rev. William Winter

1991-1996 – Rev. Kathleen Ferris

1996-1997 – Rev. Rollin Dillinger

1997-2003 – Rev. Kristopher Brinlee

2003-2004 – Rev. Kirby Walls

2004-2006 – Rev. Ron Kite

2006-2007 – Rev. Mindy Johnson

2007-2018 – Rev. Laura Burnett

2018-2020 – Rev. Gary Merritt

2020-2023 – Rev. John J. Bright Jr.

2023-Present – Rev. Susan M. Higdon