Joe Hornaday
The Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church, located just four miles south of Greensburg on County Road 60 SW, was recently decimated when an enormous hickory tree was lifted out of the ground and tossed onto the church thundering through the building.
The church, according to congregation member Larry Colson, has long been known as the oldest active church structure in Decatur County. Dedicated in 1858, the Mt. Pleasant Church was planning to celebrate its 150th anniversary on Sunday, Sept. 21.
“We’re postponing it,” Colson said. “We don’t know ‘til when.”
At a meeting of the congregation late Monday night, the group decided that temporarily postponing the anniversary celebration would be in the church’s best interest. But the demolished church is not going to stop the parishioners from attending their regular Sunday service.
“Next Sunday, we’ll be out on the lawn,” Colson explained. “The weather won’t be too bad either way.”
It has yet to be determined if the structure will be a total loss. According to Colson, the tree that did the damage had stood 27 feet from the southeast corner of the church and had overlooked the property since the church was built.
The tragedy at Mt. Pleasant has encouraged its small congregation, neighbors, friends and others to pitch in and help out in any way they can. Colson noted that the congregation felt blessed there were no injuries.
“If it had happened the following Sunday, there would have been as many as 200 people in the nave,” Colson explained.
The church also wished to thank the Millhousen Fire Department and its volunteers, Jim Kunz and Matt Stone, who stood watch over the church grounds, as well as neighbors Tim Porter and Dan Rich for arriving on the scene so quickly.
“Enough cannot be said for the REMC crew that worked non-stop and beyond the call of duty to bring safety and electricity back to the community,” Colson added. “We especially want to thank the Greensburg Methodist, Zion Methodist, Friendship Methodist and the Union Baptist Churches for their generous officers to use their people and facilities.”
Fellow church member Ellen Callahan was also appreciative of the community’s efforts.
“It makes you appreciate the small town community,” she said.
Colson hopes that the church will resurrect the 150th anniversary celebration in the near future. A fund is presently set up to do just that. Donations are needed to help save the church as it waits on word from the insurance provider and the higher Methodist organization.
While the congregation decides the best route to alternatives, donations will start being accepted at all MainSource Bank locations around the county beginning on Friday, Sept. 19. The donations will be returned if it is determined that the structure cannot be rebuilt.
