MOWEAQUA - First United Methodist Church in Moweaqua was formed at a time when shouting hallelujahs and praising God were done mostly in homes and circuit riders were spreading the gospel.

In 1837, a few members would meet at the old homestead of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Schneider just west of town, and the circuit riders would stop to preach.

The members built their first church in 1854, just a block away from the church's present site.

It was a small frame building with small windows, high benches and even an Amen corner, where the white-haired elder men of the church gathered.

When the congregation's first organ was brought into the church, it caused quite a disturbance. One member, Grandma Mittlekauff, threw up her hands and said, "The devil is in this place," and walked out, according to church history.

Since then, First United Methodist Church has enjoyed a rich 154-year history.

The church's members outgrew their first building and built another one in 1875, on the corner of Hanover and Locust streets.

On Dec. 29, 1907, on the same site, the cornerstone of the third and present church building was laid and dedicated.

The brick and stone church building was patterned after the late 19th century architectural style known as the "Akron Plan," which was pioneered after the Episcopal Church of Akron, Ohio, and was popular in the 1860s.

The style made churches more multifunctional with class space for Sunday school and was adjacent to the semicircle theatrical seating sanctuary.

"The detail and work of this church has always floored me," said the Rev. Sharon Treptow, who became pastor of the church in 2005.

Trefoils are prominent in the woodwork throughout the sanctuary, which also represents the symbol of the trinity, Treptow said.

The back wall in the pulpit is decorated with gold organ pipes extending to the ceiling.

But what's most noticeable inside the church are the two large stained glass windows.

One window tells the story of Mary pointing to the empty tomb where Jesus was supposed to be lying. An angel sits on top of the tomb. And two smaller windows are painted over with Easter lilies to signify the story of Christ's resurrection.

The second large stained glass window captures Jesus kneeling and praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, surrounded by trees and grapevines.

Two smaller windows next to it also are painted over with Passion flowers to represent the suffering and death of Jesus: The five sepals signify the 10 apostles who remained faithful to Jesus throughout the Passion, and hairlike rays above the petals suggest the crown of thorns that Jesus wore on the day of his death.

Being the third building erected by the Methodist congregation, it remains solid and has been well maintained for the past 100 years.

Longtime member Mary Ann Hedges and her husband, Jim, were married in the church in 1955.

She vividly remembers walking down the isle and the adjacent conference room overflowing with guests.

"It was important for me to get married at this church because my husband's grandmother was one of the early members and had a lot of involvement in this church," Hedges said.

"But I was a teenager when my parents first started coming to this church, so I've always loved being at this church and still do," she added.

Treptow also has made her mark in the church's history books as the second female minister to pastor at First United Methodist Church.

She said the nearly 225 members are active not just in the church but inside and outside the Moweaqua community. The church's youth group is leaving for a trip in July to help repair homes and work at a nursing home in Virginia. A few adults left this week to help repair homes and conduct Bible study groups in Alaska.

"We have been collecting money and materials to put together flood baskets to send to individuals in Iowa who suffered a loss during the flooding," Treptow added.

Sheila Smith can be reached at sheilas@herald-review.com or 421-7963.

A quick history

Facts about First United Methodist Church, 222 N. Hanover St., Moweaqua:

* The Methodist formed their first congregation in 1837.

* The first church was built in 1854 on the old homestead of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Schneider.

* The first pastor was the Rev. J. Lane, who served from 1854 to 1855.

* A second church was built in 1875 off Hanover and Locust streets.

* The third church was built in 1907 with an exterior Gothic look and interior patterned after the Akron-style churches popular in the 1860s.

* The new church cost $27,000 to build, and members raised $7,000 to pay off the mortgage on the same day of the church dedication Dec. 29, 1907.

* The Rev. Sharon Treptow is the current pastor,

* The church has about 225 members,

* Sunday school is at 9 a.m., with worship service at 10 a.m., Sunday.