The pioneering of the Church of Christ in Angola was started by David C. Hanselman in 1852 and occasional meetings were held for several years, conducted by D.C. Hanselman, James Hadsel, Samuel Wannamaker, Randall Faurot, Burdette B. Goodale, Thomas Moffett, A.N. Bartlett and Myron Gleanson.
Joshua Goodrich, having held a successful meeting at Metz, was invited and held an evangelistic meeting at Angola beginning January 31, 1866, in a small Church building occupied alternately by the Presbyterians and Methodists. Twenty-one were baptized and nine were added by letter and statement. This meeting was aided by the open opposition in the services of the Presbyterian clergyman and of the infidels of the town. Angola was a center of spiritualism and religious infidelity, having 1500 residents with but one church building and less than 30 professed Christians.
After the Goodrich meeting, a temporary Church organization was set up at which time the members of the Church at Sowle Settlement, comprising the Fast and Ogden families came into fellowship here. So far as known the first officers were Christian Fast and W.P. Ogden, Elders, and E.N. Woodford, Deacon.
The real activities of the Church in Angola began with the call of John Aylsworth as minister in October, 1869, when the Church was reorganized and a definite building program planned. The first Church building was erected in 1870 on the present site and was later remodeled and improved by annexes to the east and north. |
