WAPELLA CHRISTIAN CHURCH


Quite a number of the members of the Long Point congregation live at Wapella, four miles from 
their  house or worship, and it was very inconvenient for them to attend public worship so far
from home, as but a few of the had means of conveyance;  so it was thought best to organize a
congregation at Wapella. In the winter 1867 elder George Owens, of Jacksonville, Ill., commenced
protracted meeting in the M.E. church house.  Here he continued until his preaching had 
converted quite a number from the Methodist, when he was excluded from their house. the meetings
were thenheld in the old school house, and here, on the 24th. day of January, 1867, the church 
was constituted; a goodly number had obeyed the gospel during the meeting, and these, with 
twenty from the Long Point congregation, constituted the charter members. the first elders were
Joshua Carle, Peter Crum, and Stephen Riggs; deacons, A.D. Metz, Wm. Crum, and J.. Carr. Having
no house of worship, they continued to meet in the old school-house until 1869. when the present
house was built, at a cost of $3000; size, 34 by 50 feet, with a seating capacity of 350. The 
present officers are, Joshua Carle and James W. Karr, elders A.D. Metz,  William Crum, and 
Thomas Wright, deacons. the present membership in good standing is forty-five. The following 
preachers have been pastors to this congregation; George Owens, two years; L. Engle, E.T. 
Russel, John C. Tulley, one year each; W.L. Jermane and S. D. Lindsley, two years each. S.D. 
Lindsley resides here and preaches  for this congregation one half of the time. The church 
maintains an interesting Sunday-school of  50 members, and keeps regularly its Wednesday evening
prayer meetings. When no other minister is present, the pulpit is filled by W.R. Carle and elder
James W. Karr alternately. This congregation believes in cultivating it home talent, making the
church a school, Christ's school, where His disciples are taught. In such schools some of our 
best ministers are taught, and who can estimate the good of a church may thus accomplish, by 
giving gifted young men an opportunity to  develop their talents, mental and moral, and thus 
fit themselves for preaching "the unsearchable riches of Christ and His kingdom." The church has
never failed to meet upon the first day of the week "to show forth the Lords death" and attend 
to the other ordinances of His house. Its influence for good is felt in the community where it 
exists.  The history of this church would not be complete without a short sketch of the life and
labors of elder Joshua Carle, Father Carle was born in Fayetteville, Pennsylvania, August 4, 
1800; from here his parents moved to Jefferson County, Ohio.  Here Joshua grew into manhood, 
and November 29, 1829, under the preaching of Walter Scott, became "obedient it he faith." He 
was a true disciple, a learner in Christ, and advanced rapidly in the knowledge of the 
scriptures. He attended the meetings of A. Campbell at Wellesburgh, and succeeded in getting 
Campbell to hold a meeting in his father's neighborhood in Jefferson county. The few disciples 
gathered together here continued to meet from house to house until 1830, when a church was 
organized, Father Carle then became an active worker, teaching exhorting and admonishing; the
teaching, belief and practice  of the Disciples here at this time was an astonishment to the 
people. In 1830 he organized a congregation at Warrington. Walking by the book, he found it his
duty to baptize, and did so---being the first in the reformation to find authority for a 
Disciple, "a royal priest: to baptize. (1 Peter, 2nd. chapter.) He soon began to preach, and 
organized a congregation at Smithfield and built a meeting house. In 1839 he moved to Trumbull
county, and was made elder of the congregation at Austintown. In 1842 he assisted in the 
organization of  and a building of a meeting house at Niles. He remained in Trumbull county 
sixteen years, preaching for the various congregations in the county. In 1859 he moved to McLean
county, Ill., and to Wapella, De Witt, county   In 1864, where he still lives. Much of the 
stability of this congregation is owing to Father Carle, who unless sickness prevents, may 
always be  found in his place in the house of the Lord.  End.
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