175-year legacy

     The oldest church in Jones County certainly has a lot to celebrate.

     The Scotch Grove Presbyterian Church will honor its 175 years of local history on Saturday, Sept. 9. The public in invited to take part in an all-day celebration; there’s something for everyone.

     The oldest church in the area is small but mighty with 25 active members today. The oldest member, Howard Zirkelbach, has been with the church for 83 years. As the Monticello Sesquicentennial Book states about the Scotch grove church: “… but those who remained…hung on with the determination that the ‘light set on a hill might not grow dim nor disappear.’” That remains true today of the church on the hill.

     The first Scotch Grove Presbyterian Church was actually built in 1851 where the cemetery sits today on 95^th Avenue. In 1841, residents organized church services in the home of Donald Sutherland, led by Rev. Michael Hummer. They had 12 charter members.

     This first church was referred to as the “The First Church of Edinburgh.” The thought was that the town of Edinburgh would become the county seat. That didn’t happen and the church was then known as the Scotch Grove Presbyterian Church.

     The first church was a small-framed building. The small cemetery was plotted northeast of where the soldiers’ memorial stands today. Today, the cemetery is not part of the church, but maintained and funded by the Scotch Grove Township and private donations.

     Ten years later, the congregation grew to a point that a bigger church was needed. In 1861, the present church on 95^th Avenue was built at a cost of just $2,000, which the congregation funded on their own.

     Several years later, Dr. Alex McKean, an ancestor of Andy McKean (current Iowa House representative), was tasked with finding a bell to be placed in the church steeple. After a two-year search, he paid $250 for a 700-pound bronze bell.

     Throughout the Scotch Grove church’s first decades, several Jones County Presbyterian churches formed as sister churches:

     • 1861, Wayne Presbyterian Church

     • 1870, Bethel Presbyterian Church

     • 1871, Onslow Presbyterian Church

     • 1878, First Presbyterian Church of Center Junction

     • 1882, Monticello Presbyterian Church

     The Scotch Grove church underwent many changes in its lifetime. In 1941, the church added a furnace, which required the addition of a partial basement. The ceiling inside the sanctuary was also lowered to deal with the heating issues of the church. At this time, the building was wired for electricity.

     In 1948, members’ contributions went toward the installation of an electric organ and chimes. The set of chimes were donated by the Ed Zirkelbach family.

     By 1954, the church was just over 100 years old and in need of repairs. A new, full basement was dug and the church itself was raised and reset 25 feet to the west.

     In 1966, a new floor was laid and new oak pews were installed, matching the pulpit and communion table.

     One hundred seventy-five years later, this statement certainly rings true today: “It has been a leader in our community and we are sure it will continue to be in the years to come. We can safely predict that this congregation of strong, pious, and devoted families will continue to serve one another, their community, and their God well…”

     Many of the Scotch Grove church’s original families in its founding days are still quite familiar in the area today: Sutherland, Clark, Sinclair, Naylor, Gallahan, Moats, Royden, Himebaugh, Paulsen, Thompson, Hinrichs, Balster, Freese, Lang, Brady, Eby, Otten, Kiburz, Carson, Doden, Streets, Nickols, Schneiter, Stickley, Batchelder, Husmann, Snell, Craig, Wright, Hughes, and Leggett.

     Today, Pastor Frank Shepherd, Jr. serves the church as a student pastor.

     “We’re a teaching church,” explained Paul Rohrbacher, who’s been a member since 1994. “When Frank came he changed things around for the better. His sermons are centered around today and how we can relate to the Bible and scripture.”

     So what has kept the church going strong all these years? Cris Zirkelbach, who’s been a member for 46 years, said it's the people and their faith. “There is so much more to the Scotch Grove church than it’s history. The small congregation epitomizes that definition of church family. It’s a place where ‘passing the peace’ is a husband kissing his wife, and handshakes and hugs all around between every person there. It’s ringing the bell at a funeral to honor and celebrate each and every year of a person’s life.  It’s a place where a student pastor or student musician comes to be nurtured and grow on a path that they have been sent. It’s a faith not only in God, but also in life. The people that walk through those doors are the heart and soul of this church. They are its past, its present and its future.”

     Rohrbacher agrees. “We have a minimal flock size,” he said of the congregation, but we’re still chugging along.” Rohrbacher joined the Scotch Grove church when he and his wife, who was a Hughes, retired to her family farm in the 1990s.

     The Sept. 9 celebration will take place in and around the church and cemetery on 95^th Avenue off County Road E-17. Events include: 3-mile walk, historic cemetery walk led by Rep. Andy McKean and John Lacock, contests, historic displays, special music, rope making, blacksmith demonstrations and so much more. A pork chop dinner will also be served.