The History of the Church
Our church has a long, rich history in the hills of Posey Township in Franklin County, Indiana. The original church building was built in 1855 in the village of Andersonville, approximately 3 miles cross-country from the current location on Chapel Road.
In 1867, the members of Wesley Chapel decided to move the church building to its present site. The new location's land was deeded to the Rushville District of Indiana Methodist Episcopal Church, its trustees and their successors on November 21, 1867 by John Sutton and his wife, Kezie. The land that is now the cemetery was deeded on April 1, 1876.
Disassembling of the church began in autumn of 1867 by Dan and John Barber, two local carpenters hired by the church. The pulpit, seats, and other furnishings were removed first. Next the roof was divided into two pieces and removed, the walls were separated and taken down, and finally the floor was lifted from its foundation.
Once this was completed, the building components and the furnishings were loaded onto large ox drawn log wagons to make the journey to the new location. These wagons had a procession of men on horseback and on foot. The procession moved very slowly eastward to a place where it was necessary to make a turn to the south. They made their way cross-country, moving fences to let the wagons through, crossing fields and traveling through heavily wooded areas to the church's new home.
The church was reassembled on the new site and a dedication was held in June of 1868. The church was christened "Wesley Chapel" in honor of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. Dr. John Morgan Walden, who later would become the beloved Bishop Walden had charge of the services. Of the nine charter members, we only have the names of six; Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Lefter, Mr. and Mrs. Newton Gant, and Mr. and Mrs. Henry Crowell. The church's first board of trustees consisted of John H. Cupp, Henry Crowell, and Jacob Lefter.
Becoming a Baptist Church
In 1939, the Baptists started having services in the church. On May 19, 1943, the Baptist organization purchased the church and cemetery for $400. The name was changed to Chapel Baptist Church. Regular services were held every two weeks. A description of the old church from church records states:
At present, its two separate doors in front bid welcome as one enters the little chapel and within it would seem that time had turned back its pages almost a century.
The floor is clean and bare, as of yore. Across the center of the room are long wooden pews flanked on each side by an aisle of shorter pews. All of the pews were arranged facing the pulpit. On each side of the room stands an old-fashioned wood-burning stove set to face the wall. Each stove pipe leads to one chimney in the center of the room. In front of each stove is a short wooden pew and on each side of the stoves is another wooden pew.
On the floor in front of the pulpit stands a mourner's bench that is 21 feet long with 22 spool-like legs. Extending from floor to the ceiling are two pillars made of wood.
The original old bell that was placed in the belfry is still in use and its mellow tones can be heard for miles across the countryside, bidding people to come worship the Lord.
The most remarkable thing about this chapel is its friendliness. A person may enter the little church a stranger, but they never leave a stranger. And even though in time the building should disappear from the scene, the friendliness and hospitality of its members will never be forgotten.
In 1946 the church was wired for electricity. At this time, the church also began to be remodeled. In 1952, the two front doors of the church were boarded over and a door in the center of the wall was installed. More improvements were made over the years. The two wood-burning stoves at some point had been replaced by one larger stove, and in the late 1950s, it was replaced by an oil stove. The single front door was changed to a double door and a vestibule was added.
Reorganization and More Changes
In 1957, under Rev. Kenneth Bates, the church was split and a portion of the members built a new church, which is now known as Chapel Missionary Baptist Church and is located on Hwy. 52 in the community of Lakeview, Indiana. In June of 1958, the original church reorganized as "Buena Southern Missionary Baptist Church" and had sixty-three charter members.
By 1970, the congregation had grown and once again, there was a need for more space. A twenty by forty foot addition with a basement was added to the sanctuary and the vestibule was rebuilt. Indoor restrooms and a nursery were added in 1976.
The New Church
In 2003, the congregation had grown and more space was necessary. Instead of remodeling the old church as they had in the past, the members voted to build a new church building on the property. On April 4, 2004, the ground-breaking ceremony was held, with approximately 100 in attendance. The organization, "Builders for Christ", assisted members in the construction of the new church.
The church was constructed over the summer of 2004 and was finished in August. The original bell from the old church is housed in the new church and is still rung each Sunday to bid people to come and worship the Lord. The first service was held in the new building on September 26, 2004.
Ministers who served the early Methodist organization include:
| Rev. Austin H. Reat | Rev. R.A. Lameter |
| Rev. J.S. Alley | Rev. Eli Spencer |
| Rev. George H. Neville | Rev. Issac Turner |
| Rev. James McCaw | Rev. George Winchester |
| Rev. J.H. Norton | Rev. J.D. Currant |
| Rev. D.C. Benjamin | Rev. George C. Clouds |
Ministers who served the Baptist organization include:
| Rev. Dillard Couch | |
| Rev. James Saylor | |
| Rev. Charles Hunder | |
| Rev. Maynard Earls | March 1945 - December 1945 |
| Rev. Grayson Terry | |
| Bro. Steve Fox | February 1952 - July 1952 |
| Rev. Mart Reece | July 1952 - July 1953 |
| Mr. Kenneth Bates | 1954 - 1957 |
| Rev. Troy Gabbard | June 1958 - February 1959 |
| Rev. Granville Turner | February 1959 - May 1966 |
| Bro. Kenneth Burdette | May 1966 - February 1967 |
| Bro. Paul Edwards | June 1967 - November 1968 |
| Mr. James Hundley | January 1969 - July 1972 |
| Bro. Wilbur Lynch | Ordained November 23, 1969 |
| Bro. Charles Caudill | March 1973 - June 1978 |
| Bro. Grady Slaven | Sept. 1978 - January 1979 | Bro. Frank Lyman | Sept. 1979 - July 1981 | Bro. Grady Slaven | Sept. 1978 - January 1979 | Bro. Ellis Cowan | July 1981 - August 1988 | Bro. Charles Caudill | October 1988 - October 1990 | Bro. Tommy Lee Metcalf | July 1991 - August 1992 | Bro. Ellis Cowan | February 1994 - April 1994 | Bro. James Hundley | Sept. 1994 - May 2000 | Bro. Rob Edwards | August 2000 - Present |
