This church was the first church organized in Marshall County Iowa, located between the small towns of Albion and Liscomb, where pioneer settlers founded a place of worship near the Iowa River. Even today, this church can only be reached by driving at least two miles on gravel roads. There are only a few families located in the immediate countryside, yet the attendance and membership remains strong and healthy because folks continue to drive to this church where they receive the Word of God, church family membership and the love of Jesus.
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| Bethel Grove Church Sanctuary 2018 |
The building committee involved everyone in the church to assist in multiple ways. From the construction contractor to the painted and carefully decorated walls, Bethel Grove Church was rebuilt from the ground up. The previous sanctuary was built in 1918 and its walls were sagging and sadly it was deemed uninhabitable.
Although new, the sanctuary includes powerful remembrances of its history: several of the stained glass windows were beautifully re-cased in wood so they could be backlit to preserve the beauty of previous generations, the communion table remains the center focal point, along with a cross that my father designed for use following a remodeling project in the 1970s.
But, I think the new additions were the icing on the cake. From the beautiful new baptistry, the elevator to the stage, the ramp to the back door, the enormous youth room, the storage areas, a fully-equipped communion preparation room, right to the technologically upgraded speakers and video screens that make it all so comfortable and accessible to everyone for worship. It is truly a remarkable accomplishment for a congregation its size. Congratulations, Bethel Grove Church.
From humble beginnings in a pioneer home,
Bethel Grove has preached the Bible to young and the old.
With your views of the prairies and farm ground so rich
may you forever continue to share truth, be it told.
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