Churches in Lincoln County Kansas

The early settlers of Lincoln County were very interested in their spiritual lives, and churches were among the first institutions to be organized across the county. The vast majority of pioneers were Protestant or Catholic, although there were a few Jewish settlers as well, most notably the Shire brothers, who operated a mercantile in Lincoln for many years.

People of many faiths made Lincoln County their home during the early days of settlement in the late 1860s and 1870s. Large groups of Lutherans settled in several areas of the county, including Lincoln, Sylvan Grove and Denmark. A contingent of Irish Catholics settled in the green hills between Lincoln and Vesper. There were Methodist churches in all the larger towns of the county. And largely through the efforts of the Rev. H.C. Bradbury, the Presbyterian Church was a strong force as well.

Here is a listing of some of the county's churches, most of which are still in existence:

Lincoln: Central Christian, Church of Christ, Congregational Christian, Presbyterian, St. John Lutheran, St. Patrick's Catholic, St. Paul Lutheran, United Methodist, The Wesleyan Church.

Sylvan Grove: Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Presbyterian Church.

Vesper: Emmanuel United Church of Christ, Vesper Presbyterian.

Barnard: Baptist, United Methodist.

Others: Ash Grove United Methodist, Denmark Evangelical Lutheran, Bethany Baptist.

Below are links to more information about churches and religion. If you'd like to submit information for this page, please contact the County Coordinator

HISTORY OF ASH GROVE METHODIST CHURCH
A 1956 article about the 50th anniversary of the church

METHODISTS OBSERVE CENTENNIAL
THE 100th anniversary was celebrated in 1971.

VESPER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH HISTORY
"Vesper church to mark 110th anniversary," Lincoln Sentinel-Republican, Sept. 11, 1986

ANOTHER VESPER PRESBYTERIAN HISTORY
"Vesper Presbyterians Celebrate Their Seventy-Fifth Anniversary," Lincoln Sentinel-Republican, Nov. 1, 1951.

SADLY, VESPER PRESBYTERIAN CLOSES
"Historic Church Plans Last Service," Lincoln Sentinel-Republican, Jan. 3, 2008.

SYLVAN BETHLEHEM LUTHERAN CHURCH HISTORY
"Church Plans Dedication Services"; from the Lincoln Sentinel-Republican, Feb. 2, 1962

SYLVAN GROVE CHURCH HISTORY, PART 1
A history of the Presbyterian Church in Sylvan Grove, from "Honoring Our Heritage," by Marge Lawson

SYLVAN GROVE CHURCH HISTORY, PART 2
A history of the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Sylvan Grove, from "Honoring Our Heritage," by Marge Lawson

SYLVAN CHURCH HISTORY, PART 3
A history of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Sylvan Grove, from "Honoring Our Heritage," by Marge Lawson

SYLVAN PRESBYTERIAN'S 100TH
The Sylvan Presbyterian Church celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1976.

BETHANY BAPTIST CHURCH ANNIVERSARY
"Bethany Baptist Church 100th anniversary"; from the Lincoln Sentinel-Republican, 6 April 1978

   Bethany Baptist, located in Battle Creek Township, was founded in 1878.

BETHANY BAPTIST CHURCH HISTORY
"Bethany Baptist Church celebrates 120 year anniversary"; from the Lincoln Sentinel-Republican, April 30, 1998

DENMARK CHURCH HISTORY
"110th Anniversary at Denmark Church"; from the Lincoln Sentinel-Republican, Sept. 1, 1988

ST. JOHN LUTHERAN CHURCH DROPS GERMAN SERVICES
Shortly after Germany declared war on the United States in December 1941, the congregation of St. John voted to discontinue its services in German.

ST. JOHN LUTHERAN CHURCH HISTORY
"St. John Lutheran Church to celebrate centennial in August"; from the Lincoln Sentinel-Republican, July 23, 1981

A HISTORY OF LUTHERANISM IN KANSAS
A brief history of several early Lutheran Synod churches in Lincoln that didn't survive.

CHRIST KRUSE BROUGHT GERMAN LUTHERANS TO COUNTY
Christ Kruse came to Lincoln County to inspect a farm he'd bought, sight unseen, and liked the land so much he stayed to help establish German Lutheran settlements south of Lincoln and at Sylvan Grove.

ST. PATRICK'S CATHOLIC CHURCH DEDICATION
"Dedication of Catholic Church"; from the Lincoln Sentinel, June 20, 1907

ST. PATRICK'S CATHOLIC CHURCH BELL
"History of St. Patrick's Bell"; from the Lincoln Sentinel-Republican, Jan. 26, 1939

ST. PATRICK'S CATHOLIC CHURCH HISTORY
Written by Helen Flaherty and taken from the Lincoln Sentinel-Republican, date unknown

ST. PATRICK'S CATHOLIC CHURCH MEMORIALS
A list of stained glass windows and Stations of the Cross donated by the founders of the church

ST. PATRICK'S HISTORY
An article written on the 50th anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone of St. Patrick's Church

CATHOLICS IN LINCOLN COUNTY
Miscellaneous items gleaned from county newspapers concerning the development of the Catholic Church in Lincoln County

DENMARK CHURCH ON HISTORIC REGISTER
"Denmark Church approved as historical site"; from the Lincoln Sentinel-Republican, May 16, 1991

DENMARK CHURCH ANNIVERSARY
Denmark Lutheran Church celebrates its 125th anniversary; from the Lincoln Sentinel-Republican, Oct. 9, 2003

EMMANUEL UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST HISTORY
"Emmanuel Church celebrating 90th year"; from the Lincoln Sentinel-Republican, Aug. 25, 1983

LINCOLN CHURCHES IN 1913
Part of a series of articles on Lincoln in 1913; includes brief sketches of the Church of Christ, First Christian, Catholic, Free Methodist Church, Methodist, Presbyterian and Baptist churches

SOME METHODIST CHURCHES IN LINCOLN COUNTY
Methodist churches of Barnard, Beverly, Lincoln and Sylvan Grove. Summaries of church histories and current statistics taken from the book, History of Methodism in Northwest Kansas / by William Henry Sweet (Salina, Kan. : Kansas Wesleyan University, 1920)

REV. BRADBURY TRIBUTE
An interesting story about Presbyterian minister H.C. Bradbury, from the Lincoln Beacon, Oct. 27, 1887

REV. BRADBURY AND THE COWBOY COLLECTION
The story of a "cowboy collection" on behalf of Rev. Bradbury, from the Lincoln Republican, Dec. 2, 1897

OBITUARY OF REV. H.C. BRADBURY
From the Lincoln Sentinel, June 7, 1923

TRIBUTE TO REV. H.C. BRADBURY
An editorial from the Topeka Daily Capital that was reprinted in the Lincoln Sentinel, June 7, 1923

THE PREACHER SURPRISED THEM
A story about Rev. H.C. Bradbury's early days in Minneapolis, from the Dec. 18, 1902, Lincoln Republican

A HISTORY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN LINCOLN COUNTY
Written by Rev. H.C. Bradbury and published in the Lincoln Beacon, March 10, 1887

THE BRADBURY MONUMENT
A 1928 article about the erection of an obelisk monument to Rev. H.C. Bradbury in the Lincoln Cemetery.

REV. BRADBURY'S TRIP WEST
In 1903, Rev. H.C. Bradbury visited the West Coast, stopping to see many former Lincoln Countians along the way.

HARMONY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH DEDICATED
In 1904 a new Harmony Presbyterian Church was dedicated.

HARMONY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH BURNS
in 1933 Harmony Presbyterian Church burned down, the cause unknown. The church was not rebuilt.

CATHOLIC CHURCH HISTORY
"The Catholic Church in Lincoln"; from "A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans."

REV. HENDRICKSON RETIRES
Rev. R.L. Hendrickson preached his last serman in the Congregational Christian Church in 1954.

FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH CLOSES
In 1996, the First Christian Church in Lincoln closed after 117 years.

BEVERLY CHURCH HAS CENTENNIAL
The Beverly Church's centennial celebration in 1986 coincides with that of the town.

SHILOH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH DEDICATED
The church four miles west of Ash Grove was dedicated in 1916.

REV BRANSON MOVED TO PRAIRIE GROVE
A 1923 article about Methodist pastor L.A. Branson moving from Sylvan to Prairie Grove; includes the movements of other area Methodist ministers.

PRAISE FOR REV. W.D. SCHERMERHORN
A 1922 article from the Sylvan Grove News about Rev. Schermerhorn, the man who shot the bank robber at Sylvan Grove and went on to become a prominent educator in the Methodist church.

PRAIRIE GROVE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH DEDICATED

Barnard Baptist Church is located in Barnard.

 

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CONGREGATIONAL CHRISTIAN CHURCH
This church has been renamed, but was once the Congregational Christian Church. It is now called the Lincoln Evangelical Church.

 

 

 

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WESLEYAN CHURCH
This photo was taken in May 2004.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LINCOLN PRESBYTERIAN
The first Presbyterian services in Lincoln were in the early 1870s. This drawing is of the building that replaced the original structure after it was destroyed in a fire in the 1930s.

 

 

 

 

LINCOLN PRESBYTERIAN
This is another view of the modern Presbyterian Church. The church disbanded some years ago and is now a private residence.

 

 

 

 

 LINCOLN PRESBYTERIAN
This photo of the church was taken in May 2004. Although it has become a private residence, the exterior remains virtually unchanged.

 

 

 

  

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