Old Mission Church still holding services after 199 years

UPPER SANDUSKY — Worship services are still held every Sunday during the summer at the old Mission Church, which dates back to a time when the Wyandot Indians lived in Upper Sandusky. The Rev. Betsy Bowen, who serves the Upper River Ministries, has a passion for the 199-year-old gray stone building on East Church Street and enjoys sharing it with others. The church was designated as a historical shrine by the Methodist General Conference in 1960. These sacred lands were formally returned to the Wyandots in 2019, she said. John Stewart United Methodist Church in Upper Sandusky oversees the three acres which includes the church and a cemetery where John Stewart, the first Methodist missionary, is buried alongside members of the Wyandot tribe. History of the mission The Wyandot Indian Mission was founded by Stewart in 1816. Born in Virginia, Stewart was the son of free black parents of mixed ancestry. In 1816, he traveled to Ohio and was robbed in Marietta. Destitute and despondent, he was walking the streets one night when he heard singing, said Bowen. "He went into a Methodist camp meeting and received Jesus as his savior and began going to church and Bible study," she said. Bowen said Stewart was walking through the woods one day when he heard a calling that said, "Go, declare my council faithfully." Stewart traveled across the Ohio wilderness and arrived at the settlement of Wyandot Indians in Upper Sandusky, where he began preaching. Some chiefs converted to Christianity, and more tribal members followed. In 1819, Stewart was granted a license to preach, becoming the Father of Missions of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The Missionary Society of the General Conference was formed that same year to care for the work already being done in Northwest Ohio. Three years later, the Mission Church became the first officially recognized mission of the Methodist Episcopal Church in America. Stewart retired early due to poor health, and died in 1823 at the age of 37. 'The final straw' The Rev. James B. Finley came to the mission in 1821. The following year, he and some of the Wyandot chiefs traveled to Washington, D.C., to request government funds to build a church, said Bowen. The request was granted and in 1824, a one-room stone meeting house was erected for $1,333. Wood was milled at the nearby Indian Mill, and blue limestone was quarried from the bottom of the Sandusky River. The tribe worshiped there until 1843. Bowen explained that the federal government had been trying to get the Wyandots to move west and resettle on reservations, but the tribe resisted until a chief was attacked and killed by white men in 1842. "That was the final straw," she said. Tribal members were, however, allowed to plan their own departure, said Bowen. "In July 1843, 664 Wyandots met here for the last time, put fresh flowers and leaves on the graves of their loved ones," she said. Before leaving, the tribe deeded the land and church to the Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church, forerunner of the Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church, to protect its sanctity. After the Wyandots left, other denominations used the church, but eventually it went unused and fell into ruin. Bowen said the arrival of the Rev. Nathaniel N.B.C. Love in the 1870s brought new life to the church. "He fell in love with the church and the grounds," she said. When Love returned to the area in the 1880s, he took it upon himself to rebuild the Mission Church with the help of the Methodists. Restored, rededicated A rededication service was held in 1889. In attendance was Margaret Gray-Eyes Solomon, daughter of Chief Squire Gray-Eyes and a member of the Wyandot tribe that was relocated to Kansas. She married David Young, who died along with her children. She then married John Solomon and returned to Wyandot County, where she was given the nickname Mother Solomon. "She grew up in this space, saw the church built, was forced away, came back and saw it rebuilt," said Bowen. Mother Solomon, the only member of the Wyandot tribe who was able to attend, sang at the ceremony. She died in 1890 and is buried in Old Mission Cemetery. The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Upper Sandusky historian Thelma Marsh is credited with starting tours at the historic church in the 1960s, said Bowen. A member of the John Stewart church since 1981, Bowen got involved with the history committee a few years later. After Marsh died in 1992, Bowen began helping with tours at the Mission Church. Bowen said the John Stewart church continues to oversee the care of the church and lands for the Wyandots after the transfer of ownership from United Methodist Global Ministries. The church is open from 1-4 p.m. each Friday, Saturday and Sunday. For information or tours, call 419-294-2510 or 419-294-2867. Worship services are also held there at 8 a.m. every Sunday in May, June, July and August.