When services conclude on Sunday morning, May 29, Victoria United Methodist Church will cease to be a house of worship. But it will take on a new identity, becoming home to the Jefferson County Heritage and Historical Society.
Membership in the tiny church, at 5321 Chouteau Ave. off Hwy P, between Festus and De Soto, has dwindled drastically in recent years – only about 10 active members remain – so it will close for good.
Meanwhile, the historical society has been casting about for a permanent home. It has been temporarily quartered in the basement of the First United Methodist Church in Festus, but that space is not sufficient for the group’s needs.
Society president Bernard Laiben got wind of Victoria UMC closing and contacted church officials about possibly obtaining the property.
“I wrote letters to all the right people, and it worked out great,” he said. “They are giving it to us.”
Longtime church members and twin sisters Marjory Ives and Marilyn Irwin, who celebrated their 90th birthday on May 16, have been members of the church since their family moved to the area in 1940.
“It breaks my heart our church is closing,” Ives said. “But we are glad it won’t just sit and go to wrack and ruin, like so many of the old country churches do. We are lucky it will stay on and have a new life.”
The building, which is owned by the Missouri Methodist Conference, was built in the 1870s.
Church officials came to the decision to close with “sadness and heavy hearts” but see no alternative.
In a letter sent to all members in November, they wrote:
“The financial burdens of maintaining the church building and daily expenses have become more than the few active members can bear. The rising cost of everything has been compounded by the loss of several of our regular tithing members, through death and/or transfer.
“We have fought a hard fight and done everything we can to preserve VUMC and keep the doors open for future generations to worship in a ‘small country church’ atmosphere.”
The Rev. Nate Berneking, a Jefferson County native, is director of finance and administrative ministries for the Missouri Methodist Conference and has the authority to dispose of properties worth less than $100,000 in any way he sees fit.
“I’m always saddened when a congregation reaches the end of its life as a church,” he said. “But transferring the real estate to the JCHHS is a win-win. They will keep the building, which will always be associated with the Methodist movement in Missouri. Even though worship will not continue, the preservation of the building will, in some way, further our Methodist witness.”
Laiben said ownership of the property will be transferred to the society shortly after the last services at the church.
“Sometime after June 1 we’ll get the paperwork to sign and it’ll be a done deal,” he said. “It’s a great thing.”
Keeping history alive
Laiben said the society had looked into other options for a facility, including the Little Girl Scout House in Crystal City, but nothing worked out until the church opportunity came along.
“It’s not the ideal location, but it would be silly of us not to take it,” he said. “They’ve kept it up very well, with new wiring, new plumbing.”
Ives recalled the many fundraising events held to amass the necessary funds to renovate and repair the church over the years.
“We put in a new kitchen, new pews, new carpeting, a water heater – all over the past six or seven years,” she said. “I can’t tell you how many bake sales we did, standing out in front of Walmart all day.”
Laiben said tentative plans are to keep the historical look of the place.
“We are going to try to maintain at least part of it looking like an old country church,” he said. “The bulk of the museum will probably be upstairs in the sanctuary. There’s a lot more room than what we have now, so hopefully we’ll be able to put on display some things that have been stored because of lack of room.”
Laiben said a grand opening will be held once the move is complete, probably in later summer or early fall.
“We will have some presentations out there – the Victoria Witch in October, around Halloween, definitely some other things,” he said. “The society will meet there, and we’ll have open hours for the public once we’re in and settled.”
The historical society membership stands at about 30; new members are welcome. Dues are $20 annually.
“You either like history and old stuff or you don’t,” Laiben said. “We do a lot of research, and it would be great to have more people to help with that.”
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Slow build
There is some discrepancy in the records as to when the church was actually built.
“Victoria United Methodist Church existed from 1853,” Laiben said. “Before the church was built, they probably met in members’ houses. The church came first and the building later.”
Laiben and other society researchers dug up newspaper articles that indicate the building’s original deed transfer happened in 1871 and its cornerstone was laid in 1871, although it wasn’t completed until 1874. It was dedicated in 1877. The building originally had no basement, but one was added sometime in the 1930s.
For many years, preachers served at Victoria, Mapaville and Hematite churches on a “circuit” or revolving schedule.
VUMC was known by several names during its history.
“Some articles call it just Victoria Church,” Laiben said. “The property was originally donated by James and Kate Allen. There was no Baptist church locally, and for many years the two congregations shared the building, alternating weekends. In the early 1900s they called it the Union Church, because both congregations were using it.”
Ives recalls those days with affection.
“It was always a small church, but the pews were always full,” she said. “Our best friends were another set of twins, and they were Baptist. We didn’t know the difference until we were maybe 9 or 10 and it finally dawned on us why we weren’t allowed to take Communion with them.”
The church served as something of a town hall for the Victoria community, Ives said.
“The bell in the church is from a riverboat. I’m not sure how it was acquired,” she said. “If there was a fire or some other kind of emergency, the bell was rung to assemble the community. You see it in old-time movies, but it really was that way.”
Church officials say members have the option to withdraw from the church, to move to another Methodist church or even to move to another denomination.
“We just don’t know yet where we’re going to go,” Ives said.
The sisters do know they will have one final experience in their beloved little country church.
“Our funerals will be there – it’s part of the agreement with the historical society,” Ives said. “We already have it all arranged.”