Snapshots of History by Mike Avitt
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I took this picture on May 11, 2022 at Shannon City. During the summer, this building is completely engulfed in weeds and brush and is therefore invisible. I believe this building is the remains of the Shannon City Christian Church located two blocks north of the Community Church. The window configuration, the height and the vestibule all suggest this was a church. Let’s look at all the churches in Shannon City. I’m going to rely mostly on the Shannon City Centennial Book for info.
Shannon City was established in the winter of 1887-88. The United Presbyterian Church was built in 1893 and dedicated on September 17 of that year. The Rev. Joseph McNab was the pastor of both the Shannon City and Eugene churches. Rev. McNab ceased preaching at Eugene in January 1894. Since both Shannon City and Tingley had U. P. Churches, Eugene was closed by 1895.
Shannon City U. P. Church was upgraded around 1920 but began to struggle around 1950. Supply pastors and student pastors did the preaching; the parsonage was sold in 1958. In December 1960, it was decided to dissolve the congregation. This action was finalized in 1962.
The Shannon City Christian Church was built in 1903 but struggled in the 1920s and was discontinued in 1929. The centennial book says it is believed the church building was dismantled in the 1940s. A 1916 plat map shows the Christian Church in the same location where I took this week’s photograph. So, you make the call.
An Advent Christian congregation built a church in 1893, but dissipated after a few years. The Roman Catholics bought the building in 1907. Sometime in the 1920s they left. The church building was torn down in 1935 by Robbie Robertson and Mart Anderson.
In 1959 a congregation called Shannon City Bible Church started meeting in the cafe. In 1962 a rural schoolhouse from the Lenox area was moved to town and services were held there. Rev. Lyle DeFord was pastor in 1963. The last regular pastor left in 1977, but Bible study continued into the 1980s.
The Shannon City Methodist Episcopal Church was dedicated October 20, 1889. A basement was constructed under the church in the 1940s.
Rev. Merlin Wilkins was pastor here from 1952 to 1963. Rev. Wilkins also taught and coached at Shannon City High School. Another local pastor was Rev. Eydie Deal Stephens. In 2007, the United Methodist Church sold the building to a group of local investors and today the church operates as Shannon City Community Church (non-denominational). This is my home church and we are the last active church in Shannon City.
Pastor Lila Greene was in charge in 2014 when I began attending here. Lila passed in November 2017 and Rev. Al Rusk came on board about January 2018. As I write this, Rev. Al is in Cambodia with MOVE Ministries helping to build a Christian school. We will keep the ship afloat until he returns.
We are committed to building a new kitchen and dining hall this summer. Our church building was built on faith 136 years ago and our motives will be the same when we build in 2016.
