| Some early Missouri
families had affiliations with a church while many didn't even though they
were believers. As Missouri became more and more settled, more people joined
organized religious groups. Some of the major denominations right before
the Civil War included: Methodist, Baptist, Christian Disciples,
Regular Presbyterian, Cumberland Presbyterian, Roman Catholic. Lutheran,
Union, and Episcopal. There were very small numbers of Jews, Unitarians,
and Mormons in the states.
As noted earlier, early settlers had no formal alliances with a church. Some were even anti-religious including those who lived in river towns and the upper class sophisticates of St. Louis. |
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History of Religion Missouri's
history is closely allied with the progress of religion in America. Most
of the denominations were quick to organize in Missouri even when it was
a territory. There are some famous historic churches in the state. For
example, in Cape Girardeau County, Old Bethel Church, organized in 1806
was the first Baptist Church west of the Mississippi River. A monument
marks the spot. The oldest Episcopal Church in Missouri was founded in
St. Louis in 1819.
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History of Religion and Churches in Missouri
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William Jewell College Curry Library Liberty, Missouri 64068 816-781-7700 |
Concordia Historical Institute 801 DeMun Avenue St. Louis, Missouri 63105 314-721-5934 |
Missouri Valley College Murrell Memorial Library 500 E. College Marshall, Missouri 65340 |
Southwest Baptist College Library Bolivar, Missouri 65613 |
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Knights of Columbus Vatican Film Library Pius XII Memorial Library 3655 W. Pine Boulevard St. Louis, Missouri 63031 |
700 Howdershell Road P. O. Box 1095 Florissant, Missouri 63031 |
Saul Brodsky Jewish Community Library 12 Millstone Campus Drive St. Louis, Missouri 63146 |
4515 West Pine Blvd St. Louis, Missouri 63108 314-361-7765 |
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475 East Lockwood Webster Groves, Missouri 63118 (United Church of Christ Evangelical & Reformed) |
7800 Kenrick Drive 4445 Lindell Blvd St. Louis, Missouri 63119 314-961-4320 |
1210 Locust Street St. Louis, Missouri 63103 314-231-1220 |
United Methodist Church Archives: Western Historical Manuscripts Collection 23 Ellis Library University of Missouri Columbia, Missouri 65201 573-882-6028 |
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1020 Lowry Street Columbia, Missouri 65201 Note: most Methodist archival materials are uncataloged and unindexed. |
Missouri West Historical Depository Central Methodist College Library Fayette, Missouri 65248 |
Missouri State Archives, P. O. Box 778 Jefferson City, Missouri 65102 573-751-3280 |
| Source:
Free or Inexpensive Research Aids and Some Useful Addresses, published by the St. Louis Genealogical Society, (9011 Manchester, Suite 3, St. Louis, Missouri 63144) in 1993. Directory of Local Historical Museum and Genealogical Agencies in Missouri, published by the State Historical Society of Missouri, 1020 Lowry Street, Columbia, Missouri 65201 A Survey of American Church Records by E. Kay Kirkham, published by The Everton Publishers, Inc., P. O. Box 368, Logan, Utah, 84321 |
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Leftwich, W. M. (William M.) Martyrdom in Missouri; a history of religious proscription, the seizure of churches, and the persecution of ministers of the gospel, in the state of Missouri during the late civil war, and under the "test oath" of the new constitution. By Rev. W. M. Leftwich. Saint Louis, S. W. book & pub. co., 1870. |