Westminster Group Works to Save Local Historic Church

Last weekend, a group of Westminster College community members traveled 20 minutes south of Fulton to Tebbetts, Missouri to help save the historic African American United Methodist Church.

“We spent the day clearing brush around the graveyard and excavating old gravestones that had been discarded around the property,” said Dr. Mark Boulton. ” The AME Church has performed a vital role as a center of the black community in Tebbetts since its founding in 1878.  Many of the graves date back to the nineteenth century, the oldest belonging to ‘Hannah’ who was born in 1823.  The church was recently placed on the National Register of Historic Places, but unfortunately has suffered some major structural damage.  Mrs. Doris Handy is one of the few congregants left, but both she and the Tebbetts community are determined to preserve both thae building and its history.”

Service - Brett Houska

Brett Houska clears brush outside the church.

The Westminster group was joined with students from Columbia College in Columbia, Missouri. “I hope that this is the beginning of Westminster’s involvement and that we can plan many more trips down there to help out,” said Dr. Boulton. “The town and the building have so much history wrapped up in them that I am eager to see Westminster play a role in preserving the site…This is a great opportunity to gain service hours, make an impact on the local community, and learn some fascinating local history.”
If you are interested in learning how you can help save this historic Missouri site, contact Rachael Holloway or Dr. Mark Boulton.
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