den. The first elders were: Messrs. Thomas, Mullen, Golden, Gamble and John. The church is in fair condition, with a Sunday-school.
Mt. Pisgah Church, at McCallsburg, at Milford School, No. 5, was organized November 22, 1873, by Rev. L. L. Lorrimor, with J. H. Keigley, L. McKim, Mary J. McKim, D. H. Spencer, B. Confare and Grizzell M. Confare. Rev. F. M. Johnson began his pastorate in 1876, and Rev. A. K. Bone in 1878, and Rev. S. McCall in 1880. The congregation moved its headquarters to the Valley View School, about six miles north of Nevada, in 1879, and out of it was organized Bethel Congregation, which has since located at Gilbert. Rev. W. Stockinger was the next pastor. When Rev. Ferguson became the pastor in 1885 he held services also three miles southwest of town, and in February, 1889, opened services at McCallsburg, which took the place of the others. Services were at first held in a building together with the Disciples, as at present. They have auxiliary societies and a membership of forty-three persons.
The Maxwell Church grew out of the desire of the Iowa Center new-comers for services. School-houses were used as early as 1881, and afterward the Methodist Episcopal Church, until in 1889 a neat building was erected at a cost of $2,500. Rev. Bone was the first pastor, Rev. Stockinger in 1884, and Rev. R. A. Ferguson since 1885. They have a membership of about seventy-five, and a Sabbath-school of over one hundred, with B. Confare, superintendent. They also have the usual auxiliary societies. The officers are elders J. D. Gamble and D. W. John, and trustees, J. G. Wells, J. D. Gamble and B. Confare.
Bethel Church, at Gilbert, was organized, as has been said, by Rev. F. M. Johnson, from the Mt. Pisgah congregation, at Union School. They began with sixty-seven members and officers as follows: Elders, J. H. Keigley, W. J. Tripp, J. A. McFarlan and James Dodds. They moved to Gilbert, when the new church was dedicated on September 25, 1881. It is a frame, costing $1,500. The pastors have been Revs. Johnson, McCall, Stockinger, Ferguson, R. L. McWhorter and J. B. Howard. They now have forty-two members.
The Baptist Churches of Story belong to the Upper Des Moines Association, which was organized in 1860 at Mount Pleasant, with Rev. O. A. Holmes as moderator. There were then but five churches with 178 members, while in 1889 there were thirty-two churches and 1,781 members-a tenfold increase in thirty years. The churches in Story County are Iowa Center, Ames, Nevada and Kelley, and their associated points.
The First Baptist Church of Iowa Center was organized at Iowa Center, on December 3, 1854, by Elder Ira Rees, with these officers and members: Deacon John G. Wood, Jeremiah Cory, Jr., H. J. Hackethorn, W. K. Wood, Thomas C. Davis, Mary Davis, Eliza J. Wood, Malinda Wood, Sarah Hackethorn and Mary A. Wood. The pastors began with Elder Rees, who served until 1856; B. F. Leavit, to 1860; D. Robinson, to 1862; John Parker, to 1864; irregular supplies until 1867, when Elder Herring was called. Elder Herring's service was suddenly cut off by his death on March 28, 1868. Rev. John Cassady next had charge until 1871, when they had to be content with occasional supplies again, until 1876, on the arrival of Rev. John Bodenham. Since 1877, however, supplies have been necessary, among whom were Revs. Robinson, Hall, Brown, Mitchell, Groat and D. C. Clouse, the present incumbent. They have only a small membership. Schools were used to meet in until in 1858 a brick church was erected, 36x40 feet, at a cost of $2,000.