Clawson United Methodist Church
In 1910, a group of people were meeting in the Log Cabin School in Troy, or rather Troy Township for church and Sunday School. The group was nondenominational and as it kept growing, it was decided in 1916 that there was a need for an organized church.
On November 16, 1916, a meeting was called. Mrs. Herman Hendrickson remembered it as being held in the home of she and her husband, but another record states that is was held in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Mooney. The meeting was held for the purpose of discussing whether or not it should be organized as a Methodist Episcopal Church. Reverend Karl Sundstrum, an aged Methodist preacher had been leading the group. He invited a district superintendent of the Detroit Annual Conference, to be present at that meeting. After discussion, Mrs. Albert Todd made a motion that a Methodist Episcopal Church be organized. It was seconded by Mrs. Mortensen and the motion carried unanimously.
On December 1, 1916, a meeting to draw up articles of incorporation was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Mooney. Reverend Allen presided and Reverend Cassius Wakefield, pastor of the Birmingham church acted as secretary. It was decided that the name of the church should be the Clawson Methodist Episcopal Church. The articles of incorporation were signed by Reverend Karl J. Sunstrom, Reverend Cassius Wakefield, Elias Donneson, Mrs. B. M. Cash, Mrs. James Staples, Mrs. Ella McNairnie, Mrs. M. Sharp, Mrs. L. J. Humphery, W. O. Hames, and Mrs. Charles Gretz.
It was also decided to have preaching service every Sunday morning and to pay the sum of $3.00 per week for the service. The church was on the Birmingham circuit and Reverend Wakefield became the first pastor. A short time later a site for the building of a church was purchased from Nelson Hardy for the sum of $1,000. This was at the corner of Main and Broadacre streets in Clawson The specifications were drawn up by the architect Willis Butterfield and presented March 21, 1917. The building contract was let to James G. Pray at the cost of about $10,000. Help was secured from the Board of Home Missions of the Methodist Episcopal Church to pay for its construction.
The dedication services were held August 19, 1917. There were 75 charter members at that time.
About the time of dedication, the church was attached to the Troy-Big Beaver Charge, and Reverend Ira Cargo became the pastor. (Reverend Cargo died in the summer of 1982 in the Chelsea Methodist Retirement Home.)
Reverend W. Moore served from 1917 to 1919 and Reverend Paul Lowry from 1919 to 1922. These three ministers lived in Troy. By 1922, the Clawson church had grown so that they felt they could support a minister of their own and a parsonage was built directly behind the church at the cost of $4,000. Reverend Oatey was the first resident pastor. He served from 1922 to 1926.
In 1925, an additional 90 foot frontage on Main Street was purchased at a cost of $1,750 through a trade of the parsonage behind the church for the new parsonage site. The new parsonage of yellow stucco with red tile roof cost $6,500.
It should be noted that a large portion of the cost of building and church expenses was raised by church suppers, bazaars, etc. Also at the time, there was no water in the church, and all water had to be carried from a nearby well in ten-gallon cans and lifted over a fence as well.
Reverend Leroy Lord served as pastor from 1926 to 1932. Reverend James Chapman served from 1932 until he retired in 1935. Reverend John Somers served from 1935 to 1939, when he suffered a paralytic stroke and Reverend E. Bohne Echolt was sent in October to finish the year from October 1939 to June 1940.
At one time during the depression years of the early 1930s, the church was unable to keep up payments on an $8000 mortgage and they were afraid they would lose the church so the Ladies Aid purchased equipment and took a space at the state fairgrounds. There with the help of others in the church, they served meals during the fair in order to make money to save the church. This meant that some people had to work from 5 a.m. until nearly midnight.
In the 1930s, the choir put on a series of Seth Parker Sunday Evening programs.
Reverend John Parrish was sent here for his first pastorate in 1940. He was here until June 1944. During 1941, he helped celebrate the 25the anniversary of the church and also helped greatly in paying off the mortgage. At the time of the 25th anniversary, there were 188 members and a church school enrollment of over 300. The budget was 5,582 of which $878 went to missions.
In September, 1940, the Women’s Society of Christian Service was organized. It combined the Ladies Aid Society, the Foreign Missionary Society and the Home Missionary Society.
By 1942, the church school had grown so large it seemed we needed more space, so plans were started for an educational unit.
Reverend Delmar Stubbs was pastor from 1944 to 1945, Reverend Victor Darling from 1945 to 1947. Reverend Dan Jorgensen came in 1947 and stayed until 1951. By the time Reverend Jorgensen came, or school had grown so large that we had rented the Mooney School where some of our church school classes were held. The new educational building was started and the corner stone was laid in 1949. The building was finished in 1951. It was valued at $80,000. Nearly 100 men volunteered their time at various times to help the contractor. The W.S.C.S. (Women’s Society of Christian Service) had a part in it also by providing, at various times, a hot lunch for the workers. The Kresge Foundation gave a gift of $8,500. There were over 340 other contributors. We also borrowed $20,000 from the Board of Missions.
Reverend Glen Trembath was pastor from 1953 to 1955 and Revered Walter Ratcliffe was appointed from 1955 to 1963, with Reverend William Buffton assistant for one year.
By 1955, both the church membership and school had grown so that it seemed we needed more space. An advance committee was formed which recommended more church space and a larger area for church school. In 1956, plans were drawn for a new sanctuary, with new classrooms on the ground floor. It was to be built on the north end of our property where the parsonage stood at that time. A crusade was started to raise $100,000. A new parsonage at 940 W. Selfridge was purchased in 1958. Also in 1956, we purchased property west of the church building and used the house for Sunday school until with was sold and moved so that space could be used for parking space.
The new building began in the spring of 1961 and was completed in 1962. Reverend Hodgson come in 1963 and was pastor until 1968. We celebrated our 50th anniversary in 1966. At that time, our membership books showed a membership of about 1200.
Reverend George Hawk was assistant from 1964 to 1967 and Reverend Helen Royce was assistant from 1967 to 1968.
Reverend Clyde Smith was pastor from 1968 to 1973 and Reverend David Stout was assistant from 1968 to 1971. While Rev. Stout was assistant, and under his direction, about 15 high school students went to the inner city to tutor grade school children who needed help in various subjects. During Reverend Smith’s stay, it was discovered that something must be done to the old original church building. It wad decided to remodel it and put in an elevator. Our mortgage on our new sanctuary was paid off, so we felt free to go ahead with the remodeling. The elevator was installed; the old sanctuary was dived into a chapel, an office for the music director, Janet Lee, and a conference room, and then downstairs was made into a youth center. This was completed in 1972.
In 1973 Reverend Herbert Glenn came and stayed until 1982. The debt was paid on our remodeling. We should have included a complete new brick exterior as part of the remodeling.
We supported several missionary programs of fairly large amounts in foreign lands. Also, at home, the layettes program usually amounted to around a total of 100 layettes each year. These went to Rose Bell’s United Neighbors program, hospitals and wherever they were needed.
Reverend Frank Cozadd came to us in 1982. We now have about 750 members and about 100 enrolled in church school, with a growing vacation bible school each year.
Many other projects have been carried on for people in need, and many of our members have spent many hours in food and clothing programs for Rose Bell’s United Neighbors program and for Detroit social service volunteer work on their own. The city of Detroit has recognized this verbally and through certificates.
Winnifred and Marion Martin
February 1983