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HISTORY OF VERNON & NORTH VERNON CHRISTIAN CHURCHES
By W. Paul Marsh, Pastor
First Christian Church
From the April 22, 1937, North Vernon Sun

2010 photo of what had been the Vernon Christian Church, it went through many changes including being mechanics garage and the Vernon Town Hall - now abandoned.

Early Picture from the Newspaper of the North Vernon Church built in 1925 after earlier building was destroyed by a Tornado in 1917.

Photo of the North Vernon Church in 1990's

    It is hard to write the history of the First Christian Church that was established in Jennings county without writing the history of some of the great pioneers who came to this county in the early days. Among one of the most outstanding was Jethro New and his family. He was the father of twelve children, the youngest was Hickman New the first Elder of the Church, and John B. New, minister, who established the church. These two sons came from this illustrious family, and their work for the church in Indiana would make an interesting book well worth reading.
    The first member of the Jethro New family to come to Jennings county was the minister, John B. New to come to Jennings county was the minister. John B. New, who came from the state of Kentucky, to Madison, in February, 1821. It was said of him: "That the institution of Slavery as practiced in Kentucky was not to his liking, and his object in coming to Indiana was to assist in making it a free State." For the first ten years of his preaching he was a Baptist preacher, seven years of which he preached for the Baptist Church in Indiana. But about the year 1830 he took a stand with the Church of Christ Reformers or Christian Church. In the year 1831 he gathered around him a group of those who were like minded. And in the year 1833 he organized the Christian Church at Vernon. The following trustees were elected on November 2, 1833: Samuel Wagner, Ebenezer Baldwin and George W. Brannon. This was recorded in the records of Jennings county. At this organization meeting if the church the following elders were elected: Hickman New, George W. Brannon and B. Owen, with John B. New as the minister. Among the charter members were the Fosters, Jones, the James A. Hutchings family, the Smith Vawter family and the Jethro New family who came to Jennings county in 1822.
    From 1833 until 1839 the Vernon Christian Church had 90 members and sent three of its elders to Indianapolis, Indiana, to the first State meeting held by Christian Church people. The record of this meeting is recorded in the Millennial Harbinger (August, 1839). Also, during this time P. M. Blankenship who lived out in the country united with the church and later became one of the outstanding preachers of the early days in Indiana, and did great work in Morgan and Monroe counties.
    There were other interesting characters among the early members of the Vernon church. There was Col. Smith Vawter, who was elected a recorder of the county. And Mr. Ebenezer Baldwin a merchant, a most interesting young man was a member of the Christian church. In all probability the most interesting of all the early members of the church at Vernon was Elder Hickman New. After his brother, John B. New, the Christian churches first minister had gone to Indianapolis, Indiana. New became the second minister of the church. This was in the year 1840. He was one of the three elders that represented the Vernon Christian Church in the first Fellowship Meeting of the Church of Christ (Christian Church) which was held in Indianapolis in 1839.
    One of the writers of that day has this to say about this meeting. "The object of said meeting will be to promote the general prosperity of the good cause in Indiana-to endeavor, by free interchange of views, to bring the united energies of the Disciples to bear upon the accomplishment of the desirable objects: such as the procuring and sustaining of efficient and faithful evangelists: the promotion of education in general and of religious education in general, and of religious education in particular."
    Elder New was a cabinet maker and carpenter, and had charge of the building of the first church building of our people in Jennings county. And was the second minister of the church from 1840 to 1850. Meetings were held twice a month and once a year a revival meeting was conducted by an outstanding pioneer preacher.
    In the year 1850 Alexander Campbell on his first tour of the state of Indiana, on his way from Madison stopped and preached for the Vernon Church, the morning of November 6, 1850 and from there he journeyed to Columbus and Indianapolis.
    For the next ten or fifteen years we know little about the activities of the church, and occasionally there is mentioned the name of one of the pioneer preachers having held services in the church at Vernon. But in the year 1860 the following item appeared in the Vernon Banner under the dates of January 10th and 17th: "Elder Alexander Campbell will preach at the Christian Church on Saturday the 19th inst. at 11:00 o'clock" And on January 24th the following item appeared in the same paper: "The Venerable Alexander Campbell, of Virginia addressed a large and respectable congregation at the Court House in this place. Though quite old he appears vigorous in mind and body with promise of many years."
    From 1860 to 1870 little is known except what appears in the Vernon Banner. There is mentioned the names of several of the early ministers. And there are whole years that not the name of a single minister is mentioned.
    About the year 1871 Elder John Brazelton became the minister of the Vernon Christian Church, and during his ministry the church made progress and much is said about the work of the church from the latter part of 1871 until early March 1876.
    In the year 1876, March 15th, W. T. Hacker became the minister. And on September 12th and 13th the first county meeting of the Christian Church was held. There was at this time several congregations in the county. In the fall of this year Elder George Campbell, not the Campbell who offered the resolution which resulted in the establishment of Northwestern Christian University.
    In spite of all efforts at this time the Vernon church was fast losing its membership because several leading members had died and others were moving away, and a great many of them came to North Vernon, just two miles away, a railroad center. In fact there were a great many more of the members of the Vernon church living in North Vernon than lived in Vernon, and they finally decided that it would be better to move the church to North Vernon which was done later. About this time they organized a Union Bible School in the Vernon Church which reached an attendance of 153.
    It was in the latter part of the year 1875 that the members of the Vernon Christian Church began fellowship meetings with the help of Elder John Brazelton who lived in North Vernon. The first revival meeting we have and record of was the one held by Rev. Strouse and Elder Brazelton in the Universalist Church. However the first preaching services there is any record of was held by Elder Brazelton on Feb. 12th and 13th, 1875. Just a little over a year later March 25th, 1876, a series of meetings was begun by the Rev Z. T. Sweeny that lasted until April 24th, 1876. There is record of the organization of the church in North Vernon. The group in North Vernon considered themselves members of the Church at Vernon. And as long as it was possible to carry on work in the old church buildings there was no desire to move to the new location at North Vernon.
    In the year 1887 the Trustees of the Vernon Church sold the old building. This was in March of that year, the money to be applied on a building in North Vernon. In the fall of this year all members, both living in Vernon and North Vernon, took on new life. Their first meeting was held October 30, 1887, with Rev. Henry R. Prichard of Indianapolis, was called to help the church get started. The meeting was held in the Universalist church and was crowded at all services. For the next five years they rented the church. The following ministers served the church during this time: Rev. J. B. Beazley, Elder M. M. Gard, Elder N. S. McCallum, and Elder Jesse Mavity. Rev. Charles E. Hudson was called as pastor July 19th, 1891.
    The following Evangelistic meeting were held from 1888 to 1891: Rev. Ewing, State Evangelist of the State Missionary Society; Rev. James Small; Rev. Charles E. Hudson.
    In June, 1892, the Universalist church was purchased, and August 28th of this same year the newly acquired property was dedicated as a Christian Church by Rev. Z. T. Sweeney. Then follows several years of splendid work by Rev. Charles E. Hudson and Elder John B. Brazelton until a few years before his death in 1907. About 1902 the church began to decline because of deaths and removals. In the year 1906 at the lowest point of decline because of deaths and removals. In the year 1906 at the lowest point of decline, an Evangelist, who went about in a wheel chair, held a meeting and several new members united with the church.
    The church was struck by lightning in the early part of 1908 and this made it necessary to take down the tower and remodel the building. Rev. J. P. Rawlison was the pastor at this time.
    On May 26, 1917, the church was destroyed by a wind storm. Then followed a period of discouragement when for a time it looked as if the church would close, but the faithful few were loyal to the cause of Christ and carried on surmounting great difficulties. For a long time they had no place to worship and went from place to place, and finally the basement was completed and they worshipped in it for a time. Then in 1925 the present church building was completed and dedicated by the late C. W. Cauble.
    The following list of ministers and evangelists served the church at various times since 1898 to the presence. Rev. Bard, Rev. Rust, Rev. Allen Searl, Rev. L. Firsenburger, J. J. Bare, Joe Scott, M. R. Scott, R. L. Pettis, Fred R. Davis, Henry Freeman, L. E. Glosyloss, W. H. Brook, Jr.; John Taylor, R. E. Burke, F. N. Rodgers, Rev. Milligan, Ernest Harold, L. A. Nix, W. T. Sisterson and W. Paul Marsh, the present pastor. The church has given the world two minister, Rev. W. A. Everhart and Enos Dowling.
    The last ten years splendid progress has been made by the church, and in the last year the church, and in the last year the church has been remembered in the will of the late Anna L. (Brazelton) Tripp by a gift of "the third of the residue of my estate" which will amount to about $20,000. She was the daughter of Elder John B. Brazelton, and gave this amount in honor of her father who was at one time a minister of this church.
Bibliography
"Disciples of Christ in Indiana," Rev. C. W. Cauble.
"The Pioneer Preachers," Madison Evans.
"Vernon Banner" files, Vernon, Indiana.
"Banner Plain Dealer," North Vernon Indiana
"North Vernon Plain Dealer," North Vernon, Indiana.
"County Records from the beginning, 1818, Vernon, Indiana.
"A Trip Through Indiana in the Forties," Diary of John Parsons, Edited by Kate Milner Rabb.
"North Vernon Sun," North Vernon, Indiana.
"Old Church records."

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