On July 9th, 1900, Travis and Mary Moore deeded
J Aspey, O.L. Boardley, and Willis Pitts. This land
was to be used exclusively for a church or
educational building. The deed stated “That
should this building ever cease to be used for
such purposes, the title to the land must revert to
its grantors, heirs, or assigns.”
In 1901, a concrete church was erected. This was
a sturdy building with walls two feet thick. A large
double front door opened into a spacious foyer,
with entrances on both sides that opened to the
sanctuary.
There was no regular pastor for some years,
but since it was church policy to be open to all
Bible-believing denominations, several came and
held revival meetings from time to time. A thriving
Sunday school was superintended by a Mr.
Proctor, and on Sunday nights a young people’s
group of about 20 met faithfully.
In 1911, Rev. Helfenstien held a revival meeting
and was instrumental in organizing the body of
believers as members of the New Light Christian
Church, headquartered in Indiana. The
membership rapidly reached over 100. However,
the building began to crack and became unsafe
for use. Rev. Ernest Jones, a holiness preacher,
was pastoring at that time. He took his
congregation to an old Baptist Church near
Galmey, where they held services for some time.
Then they bought a store building nearby and
moved into it. They later sold the store building
and, in 1922, after removing the concrete church,
they built a one-room frame building on the same
site.
It was in this one-room sanctuary that the people
of this farming community gathered on Sundays
to worship God in their humble, sincere way. In
1929, Rev. Thomas Crance took over the
Congregational Christian Church as it was now
known, and was paid by donation only. In the
services on the Sundays that Rev. Crance did not
come.
The years passed and through all this time the
church stood as a lighthouse to all who needed
help. There was a large decrease in the area
population following the construction of the
Pomme de Terre Dam as farmers sold their
farms and moved out of the area. And after
Rev. Crance’s retirement, church attendance
dropped to almost nothing and the building had
fallen into a state of disrepair.
Fearing the land would revert back to the
original tract from which it came, interest was
created in repairing the old building and an
1967-68, the building was rejuvenated and
saved from ruin by donations of both money
and manual labor.
There were still no
but in July of 1972, some
ladies of the community,
with help from the ladies of
Weaubleau Baptist Church,
held a week of Vacation
Bible School. During this
week, nightly revival
meetings were held and
conducted by Rev. Gene
Roberts of the Weaubleau
Church.
In August & September of
1973, Rev. Ed Voskuhl preached
several messages. In October,
1973, a youth revival was held by
a group from Southwest Bible College in Bolivar,
the pulpit each Sunday morning.
The congregation went ahead with plans to
incorporate as an interdenominational church and
business meeting held on November 6.
By the spring of 1974, tentative plans to add
Sunday School rooms to the one-room sanctuary
became reality. In addition to 3 new classrooms,
kitchen facilities and restrooms were added.
Church attendance grew rapidly.
for a newer sanctuary, and in January of 1978,
construction of the building began and was ready
new sanctuary was held on Easter Sunday, March
19, 1978.
In the fall of 1981, the congregation began discussing
the need for additional space, to include a
Fellowship Hall and recreation center, new kitchen,
larger restroom facilities, a library, pastor’s
study, and multi-purpose room. Ground breaking
was in the spring of 1982.
At a special meeting in August, 1983, the congregation
voted to change the name of the church to
Galmey Community Bible Church.
In 1984, the church began several new ministries:
a Sunday afternoon service at the Hermitage Park
Care Center (now Hermitage Nursing & Rehab),
-
sionary. Both these ministries continue today.
and cross were installed.
On October 12, 1986 the church celebrated the
completion of the building program with an Open
House and dedication services in the afternoon.
Ministries that Galmey Community Bible Church
continues today are:
• Sunday afternoon service at Hermitage
Nursing & Rehab
• Supporting 15 missionaries and 3 missionary
projects
• Bearing Precious Seed - Assembling John &
• Galmey Missions Circle, which meets twice
a month to fellowship and work with their
hands to help Missionaries we now support.
• Vacation Bible School - Teaching children
about Jesus Christ through music, missions,
fellowship, lessons, and play.
• T.R.I.B.E. Youth Group studies the truth of
the Bible, while getting social interaction with
like minded young people.
• Men’s Breakfast - All men are invited for
some good food and fellowship.
Rev. Ernest Jones
Rev. Thomas Crance
No Pastor
Rev. Ed Voskuhl
Rev. Richard E. Jenkins
Rev. Don DeMonbrun
Rev. Zane Richardson
Dr. GH Surrette (Interim)
Supply Pastor Virgil Kearney
Rev. Martin S. Burch
Rev. Rick Walters
Dr. Larry Graves
Pastor Bob Townsend
1912-1929
1929-1959
1959-1973
1973-1979
1979-1980
1980-1987
1988-1992
1992-1993
1993-1994
1994-1997
1997-2017
2017-2018
2019-Present