Arenzville Churches

From Virgil Dowdall's 1968 supplement to Perrin's history:

"In the fall of 1872 Christopher Lovekamp, Henry Lovekamp, and Henry Schaeffer were elected the first elders. In 1872 Pastor Toewe of Michigan was called as the first pastor and was installed on April 4, 1873. In the latter part of 1873, the present site was bought, and by the third Sunday in Advent, the church was completed and dedicated as Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church. During the pastorate of Rev. Carl Eberhardt, who served from 1896-1914, the congregation outgrew the old church, and a new and larger one was built on the same site. It was dedicated June 11, 1911, and is still in use." 

More information about the schedule of services can be found here.

Trinity's Facebook page

 Built in 1860, the Presbyterian started as a Union church, used by all denominations. The congregation of Cumberland Presbyterians acquired the church in 1870 by assuming the remaining ($500) debt on the building.  For a time, it was known as the "M.P. Church" (Methodist-Presbyterian Church) when both congregations used it. The commencement ceremony of the first high school class to graduate from Arenzville Public Schools was held here in 1890. In 1907, it became known as the Presbyterian Church. It was refurbished and rededicated in 1950. By the late 1960's, however, with a dwindling congregation, it began to fall into disrepair. It was closed in 1970 and the building demolished in 1972. The church bell is preserved in the village park, along with a plaque to recall the building's history.
 

 During the 1894-95 conference year, Rev. A. C. Hunter organized the Methodist Episcopal Church of Arenzville, with a membership of twenty-four. Prior to 1895, Methodist ministers from Concord served this community. The lot was donated by William Arenz, and the building, which cost $3,789, was dedicated on October 29, 1905, with an all-day program. The original church building has undergone several renovations, and an extension was added on the south end.

Arenzville UMC Facebook page here

Arenzville's Catholic church is a mission church presently served as part of a parish cluster with Beardstown and Virginia. The first Catholic families - German and Irish immigrants - gathered in private homes to worship and seldom had a priest to say Mass. They formally organized in 1872 as St. Fidelis Roman Catholic Church, and in 1881purchased a lot at the corner of W. North and Adams Street. A small two-room house on that site served as their church until they began construction of the present church in 1899. The site was dedicated on October 13, 1899 and the church completed in 1900. The Mass schedule varies - see the Facebook page for St. Alexius (Beardstown) for more information.

St. Peters was formed in 1850 and has a long history of faithful worship and service. A historic white frame church building served from 1871 to 1971, when it burned. A beautiful new brick church was built on the site, and has served as our church home for more than 50 years. The historic cemetery, located adjacent to the church, includes burials of many of Arenzville's earliest residents. More information about current services can be found here.

A brief history of St. Peter's can be found online at this link.