Quinter Church

(1886 - )

The Gospel Messenger  Aug. 24, 1886p. 525, Vol. 24, No. 33

From Quinter, Kan.

ACCORDING to previous arrangements, Bro. M. M. E. and myself came to this beautiful little village, so lately planted on the vast, uncultivated prairie of Gove county, where we soon met with Elders John Newcomer, John Brower, John Hollinger, of the Russel church, Russel Co., and J. D. Trostle, John Humberger, of the Abilene church, and I. H. Crist, of Olathe.  The object of this meeting was to organize into a body the members here located.  All things being found in order, on the morning of the 14th we met with the members of said county.

After devotional exercises, and the appointing of Bro. M. M. Eshelman, Foreman; Bro. B. B. Whitmer, Writing Clerk; I. H. Crist, Reading Clerk, we entered our duties as follows:

1.    Bro. John Newcomer represented the Dorrance church as being in harmony for said organization.

2.    By the individual inquest it was found that the members of this territory were all willing for the organization.

3.    The relation of the elder, or elders, to the church, and the church's duties and responsibilities toward the officers were appropriately presented.  The principles of non-conformity to the world in dress, conduct and duties, and the maintenance of gospel simplicity, were clearly defined as understood and applied by the general Brotherhood.  The members were also urged to study the Scriptures, to be diligent in prayer, to live the 'principles of holiness, and thus be God's instruments in saving others.  To all this the members unanimously agreed in the spirit of Christ.

4.    It was agreed that the name of the church should be Quinter.

5.    W. H. Sisler was chosen Clerk, G. Boesch, Treasurer; G. G. Lehmer, District Solicitor; Katie Boesch, Solicitor for the General Brotherhood.

6.    The counties of Trego, Gove, St. John, Sherman and Wallace, in Kansas, embrace the territory of the church of Quinter, with the understanding that, until otherwise provided for, the members in Thomas county and the southern part of Sheridan shall hold their membership in this church.  Those desiring to correspond with the church should address Eld. John Eikenberry, Quinter, Kan., enclosing stamp for reply.

7.    After this the church was pronounced in accord and fellowship with the churches composing the Brotherhood.  The meeting throughout was characterized with the best of feeling, and union and harmony existed, as well as submissiveness, to an unusual extent.  May the members here, as well as elsewhere, continue to cultivate a spirit so noble and worthy!  B. B. WHITMER

The Gospel Messenger Dec. 29, 1917 page 835

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE QUINTER CHURCH

The Quinter church has now passed its thirty-first milestone. Some of its earliest leaders are resting beneath the sod and others have taken their places.

    Out on the plains of Kansas, where the coyotes howled around the little sod shanties, located miles apart, the town of Quinter was located in the fall of 1885. half way between Kansas City and Denver, on the Union Pacific Railroad. The Brethren began to move in during the winter and spring of 1885-86. The church of about sixty members was organized in June, 1886. It was the first church organized in Quinter. (The writer was not then a member but was present a Bro. Ephraim Cobcr was the first minister who preached in Quinter. Elders Honbcrger. J. C. Trostle. B. B. Whitmer and M. M. Eshelman organized the church. Elders John Ikenbcrry, Jacob Hawn and Ephraim Cober were resident ministers at that time. The church chose Bro. John Ikenberry as presiding elder. He had the oversight of the church until 1892; Bro. B. B. Whitmer from 1802 to 1897; Bro. J. B. Wertz, 1897 in 1901; D. A. Crist from 1501 to the present time. The church was organized in a hall above a store building. Services were held there till the first schoolhouse in Quinter was built.—about three months after the organization. Our first churchhouse was built in 1887, which stood until 1910, when, because of insufficiency of room, it was torn down and a larger one built. The size of this is: Main part, 40.x70; wing 30x40; also two vestibules and a ladies’ room.

  Our elders and their helpers from the beginning were strong workers for the church. Very soon they began to hold meetings in little sod schoolhouses at different places around Quinter, — five-twenty, and sometimes twenty-five miles away. I observe. too, what a change has taken place in our mode of traveling. The writer calls to mind one time, about twenty years ago. when a minister, with his wife and small family, left his home one Sunday morning about five o'clock, traveled for several hours, then stopped beside a little schoolhouse, ate breakfast, went on and reached their mission point by eleven o'clock. Now it has 50 changed that we can make the distance in one hour. But those who are left of us look back with pleasure on the many happy days spent in the pioneer times, although the hot winds did blow, and there were no automobiles then, and nearly every one went to church in lumber wagons.

  As life is filled with ups and downs, so it has been with this church membership from the time of its organization. The membership grew in one year to one hundred and twenty-five. Later on, because of crop failure, the membership diminished until, at the close of the drouth of 1893-94, only about thirty-five were left. With better crops, immigration again moved this way and by 1909 the church numbered four hundred eighteen. The drouth of 1911. '12, '13, then struck us, which took out over two hundred members. We are now in another drouth, but the members are still holding out. expecting the drouth soon to break. The membership now numbers about three hundred and sixty-five, of whom only four are charter members. Some have gone to other sections; others have been laid away to rest.

  At present we have a live Sunday-school, with an attendance of about three hundred and fifty: also a good Christian Workers' Meeting. We have preaching twice each Sunday, with five other regular preaching places.

  Eld. Crist has a number of good, live-wire helpers in both the ministry and the laity, who are doing much good work for their Lord and Master. Mary E. Crist. Quinter. Kans., Dec. 9.