Middle Fabius Cumberland Presbyterian Church

Middle Fabius

Cumberland Presbyterian Church

Also called Campground

1843
This is the first mention of Middle Fabius in the McGee Presbytery minutes.
Middle Fabius Cumberland Presbyterian Church
McGee Presbytery - Missouri Synod
Elder representative from Middle Fabius: E. Briggs
[Source: Minutes of McGee Presbytery of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 31 March 1843, age 68]

1844
Middle Fabius Cumberland Presbyterian Church
McGee Presbytery - Missouri Synod
Elder representative from Middle Fabius: Irvine Johnson
[Source: Minutes of McGee Presbytery of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 12 October 1844, page 80]

1845
Middle Fabius Cumberland Presbyterian Church
McGee Presbytery - McAdow Synod
Elder representative from Middle Fabius: Charles French
[Source: Minutes of McGee Presbytery of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 3 April 1845, page 84]

1846
Middle Fabius Cumberland Presbyterian Church
McGee Presbytery - McAdow Synod
Elder representative from Middle Fabius: Irvine Johnson
[Source: Minutes of McGee Presbytery of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 10 April 1846, page 93]

1859
Middle Fabius Cumberland Presbyterian Church
McGee Presbytery - McAdow Synod
Elder representative from Middle Fabius: J. Maggard
[Source: Minutes of McGee Presbytery of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1 April 1859, pager 156]

1859
Middle Fabius Cumberland Presbyterian Church
McGee Presbytery - McAdow Synod
Elder representative from Middle Fabius: George Beeler
[Source: Minutes of McGee Presbytery of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 14 October 1859, page 167]

The 1859 minutes of McAdow Synod are missing from the original volume. Apparently McAdow Synod formed Kirksville Presbytery from McGee Presbytery at their October 1859 meeting.

1859
Middle Fabius Cumberland Presbyterian Church
Kirksville Presbytery - McAdow Synod
Elder representative from Middle Fabius: J. Maggard
[Source: Minutes of Kirksville Presbytery of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 2 December 1959, page 1]

1871
Middle Fabius Cumberland Presbyterian Church
Kirksville Presbytery - McAdow Synod
No elder representative to presbytery
[Source: Minutes of Kirksville Presbytery of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1 February 1871]

1890
Name of the Congregation: Middle Fabius Cumberland Presbyterian Church
Clerk of the Session and Post-Office: F. M. Hope - Downing, Mo.
Pastor: J. B. Lowrance
Total Membership: 90
Kirksville Presbytery - Missouri Synod
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1890, page 196]

1906
Name of Church: Middle Fabius Cumberland Presbyterian Church
Clerk of the Session and Post Office: M. L. Bondurant - Downing, Mo.
Minister Now in Charge: None Listed
Total Number of Members: 25
Kirksville Presbytery - Missouri Synod
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1906, page 77a]

1907
The congregation split and part became the Middle Fabius Presbyterian Church (PCUSA). This congregation was dissolved or dropped from the roll in 1970.

1957
Name of Church: Middle Fabius Cumberland Presbyterian Church
Minister in Charge: None Listed
Clerk of Session and Address: Grover Woods, R.R. 11, Memphis, Mo
Total Number on Church Roll: 40
Acrive Membership: 10
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1957, pages 186-187]

1967
Report of Committee on Missions
The Board agreed to get certified copies of deeds of all churches in the Presbytery. Thus far, we have secured deeds to the following properties: Harmony (Saline Co), Norton, Magrada, Middle Fabius (Camp Grounds), Kansas City, Moberly, Eldad, Westville, Medill (church and manse), Faith. Some of the above have from two to four parts of deeds.
[Source: Minutes of Platte-Lexington Presbytery of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 18 March 1967, page 15]

1970
Report of the Board of Missions
Having been instructed to submit to the fall meeting of Presbytery a list of churches that do not have services, we submit the following: Cumberland Chapel, Elston, Fairview, Guthrie, Herndon (this church should be removed from the records of Presbytery as it was sold in 1968 and so reported by the Board of Trustees), High Hill, Magnolia, McGready, Medill, Middle Fabius, Mt. Pleasant, Rochester, Salem (Randolph County), and Sharon. We recommend that a list of inactive churches be maintained and that as the opportunity presents itself each individual church be investigated with the thought of either re-activating the congregation, or recommending the disposal of the property.
[Source: Minutes of Platte-Lexington Presbytery of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 19 September 1970, page 31]

1981
The 1970 Minutes of Platte-Lexington carried a list of the following congregations as inactive: Cumberland Chapel, Elston, Fairview, Guthrie, High Hill, Magnolia, McGready, Middle Fabius, Mt. Pleasant, Rochester, Salem (Randolph Co.) and Sharon.
[Source: Minutes of Platte-Lexington Presbytery of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 21 March 1981, page 12]

Middle Fabius Congregation

The Middle Fabius Church, three and one-half miles east of Downing, Schuyler county, State of Missouri (Township 65, Range 13) is one of those grand old pioneer congregations of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church that survives the tests of time.

This area was surveyed into sections by General Ashby in the year, 1839. Prior to the survey, pioneers who settled in the area were known as ""squatters." Following the survey these were privileged to purchase the land on which they resided, or which they might choose as a home. Doubtless, even before the survey, residents of this area established one of those famous pioneer Camp Meeting Grounds, for records show that during the year of the survey a congregation of worshipers was organized by the Rev. S. G. Briggs, an ordained minister of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church; and as early as 1844 he organized and superintended a Sunday School at this place. J. W. Barnett, Margaret Barnett, Catharine Givens, Isaac, Elizabeth, and Martha North were among the charter members of the church organization.

Three steams drain this area, namely: the Upper Fabius, Middle Fabius, and Lower Fabius. The Camp Grounds and Church are located nearest the middle stream, hence the widely known name "Middle Fabius Church."

The first house of worship, a small log structure, served as a meeting place for many years. The present house of worship, a neat framed chapel (30x42) is surrounded on three sides by a large well-kept cemetery, maintained by an Endowment Fund. The ravages of time have almost obliterated the inscription on stones that mark the graves of early pioneers buried there.

These grounds, lying eight-tenth of a mile from Highway 166, present a most picturesque scene, viz: a neat well-kept framed Chapel surrounded on three sides by its large "silent city;" to the front, between church and highway, is a natural park, as beautiful as can be found anywhere; and age-old trees stand here and there testifying to the service they have rendered as "God's first Temples."

Ruling elders, Joe and John Bondurant, carry the honor of the longest period of service as church officials. Adron T. Moore began serving as Clerk of the Session right following the union "affair" and so served until his death in 1952. Thereafter Oscar Bondurant was elected to the Eldership and Grover Wood to the Clerkship.
[Source: History of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Missouri. A typed manuscript in the archives]