Walnut Grove
United Methodist
Church
Contact us
By telephone:
Rev. Brenda Wick, Pastor
Cell: 812-677-2810
Home: 812-385-8043
We are located at:
13599 E Governor's Road
Monroe City, IN 47557
Our mailing address is:
PO Box 215
Monroe City, IN 47557
Suggested links
The Upper RoomOur Daily Bread
Christian Cartoons
Reverend Fun Cartoon
Coming Events and The History of Our Church
Coming Events
- March 28, Palm Sunday - Worship Service (10am) will be Confirmation Sunday for Confirmation Class & Choir Cantata, "Majesty!"
- April 1, Maunday Thursday Service @ Hamline Chapel UMC @ 7PM. Our "Cluster Group" is having joint service for the Lenten Season.
- April 2 - Good Friday Service @ Community UMC @ 7PM
- April 4, Easter Sunday! Sunrise Service @ 7AM followed by a full breakfast. Please join us as our guest for the day! Sunday School @ 9AM for all ages. Worship Service @ 10AM. An Egg Hunt for the children will be held after Worship Service on the church lawn (in our Social Hall if it is raining.)
- April 10, 8AM-4PM - Blue Jeans Center Flea Market - Back-To-School Mall Booth. Gather your "fleas" to help our area kids with their school expenses!
- April ??? Watch this space for our Annual Make & Bake Auction date!
- Vacation Bible School - DATE TBA- Ages 3 years to Middle School
- July 3 or 4? - WG's Home-made Ice Cream Booth @ River Front Pavilion, 2:00PM, 1st Street, Vincennes
- Saturday, July 10 @ 5PM to ?? - Annual Ice Cream Social, - Free-Will Offering accepted. Menu to include: Bratwurst, Hamburgers, Hotdogs, Baked Beans, Cole Slaw, Variety of Pies & Cakes, and, of course, lots of our famous HOME-MADE ICE CREAM!
The History of Our Church
Walnut Grove United Methodist Church is located five miles east of Monroe City, Indiana on E. Governor’s Road. It is built on land given by James Douglas “Blue Jean” Williams. J. D. Williams became the first Indiana governor from Knox County and the seventeenth Hoosier governor in 1876. He served as governor until his death from natural causes while in office in 1880. A tall obelisk monument stands atop the hill marking the grave of Governor Williams just a few feet away from this beautiful little church. Walnut Grove is still attended by two of the Governor’s great-grandchildren down to the eighth generation of the Governor’s family, as well as many descendants of our founding families.
The first church was organized in the community in 1836, the same year J. D. Williams purchased land along Pond Creek and moved his family there. Services at the time were held at Pond Creek School, which was constructed of log and located across S. Petersburg Road, southeast of the cemetery. The school was later replaced by a white frame building near where the present day church now stands. That arrangement continued until 1891 when a white frame church was constructed, costing $400 to complete. Changes began in 1925 when the belfry was added and repairs were made. In 1941, the church was raised and a basement put under it. That building burned in 1949 and plans were made at once to rebuild.
On June 1, 1950, the first service was held in the, then not quite finished, Bedford stone church we still worship in today. A few years ago, our Walnut Grove family recognized the need for our lovely sanctuary to be handicap-accessible. We began praying and working. Fundraising started in earnest with the revival of an old tradition: the Annual Ice Cream Social in 2003. Many cookbooks were sold, cakes baked, crafts made and auctions held and the hard work paid off when the ground-breaking ceremony for our new Social Hall was held on December 9, 2007. Construction began on March 11, 2008 and we held our first Walnut Grove Family meal together after church, October 12, 2008. The tradition was continued as the hall was not finished then either!
There have been changes along the way, both in building structures and customs. It has been told that when services were held in the original white frame church that men sat on the left side and women on the right. One thing that has remained constant from the organization of the church in 1836 until today is that people still congregate here to worship God and study His word and sing His praises! Amen!