The church of Jesus Christ is greater and more important than any of it’s parts.  Our own Wetmore Community Church has no significance except as it is, and continues to be, a true

and worthy branch of the great Church of Christ.

The church was founded by Jesus Himself.  It is His instrument.  It is designed for the fulfillment of His purposes. It has been called His “body”.  As such, it is in-filled with His Spirit and obedient to His will.  It is the channel of His blessing, the place of nurture for His people.

That there are many branches of the visible church may seem regrettable, yet is perhaps natural.  It need by no means destroys the essential unity which we strive to achieve.  Only gross spiritual arrogance will fail to recognize that there are many groups which have differences in beliefs (in non-essential doctrines) and practices, yet belong to the true and universal church of Jesus Christ.

We get no true picture of the Wetmore Community Church if we look at it as something separate and alone.  It is part of what started at Pentecost.

THE EARLY CHURCH

The church has its roots in the Old Testament, but its spectacular flowering began when Peter and the others stood together on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) and proclaimed the

gospel of the risen and living Savior.

By the faithful witness of many people the church quickly spread to various cities of the Mediterranean, as is recorded in the book of Acts.  By A.D. 300 it had attained such strength that the Emperor Constantine himself embraced the faith.  By

A.D. 500 the church had possessed the Roman Empire.  In spite of humble beginnings and cruel persecutions this advance had been made with a speed and completeness that

has never been matched by that of any set of ideas in a comparable unit of civilization.  As the church continued to grow, coming to embrace Western and Northern Europe, its very prosperity became a pitfall.  The winnowing effect of the hard old days was gone, and much chaff came into its membership and its leadership.  The enormous power of the papacy often found expression in tyranny.  Corruption and spiritual impotence prevailed throughout the church.

THE REFORMATION

In the early sixteenth century the intellectual ferment that we call the Renaissance and the spiritual ferment that we call the Protestant Reformation came to a climax.  In the year 1517, Martin Luther emerged as the leader of those who were clamoring for a return to the great simple central doctrines of the Christian faith, and for a church whose life would more nearly conform to those fundamental truths.  The term “Protestant” is unfortunate and misleading.  Even the term “Reformation”, is by no means suitable, although it is too late now to change the vocabulary of history.  Luther and other leaders of that time made affirmations, not denials. Their message was positive, not negative.  They focused the attention of the world on the key truths of the Word of God, and they caused an earthquake that is still shaking Western and world civilization.

A central doctrine of the Reformation is that “the just shall live by faith”.  We can, by no means, lay up a treasure of good works to pay our debt to God.  The recognition of this fact ministers to a sincere and humble life.  It’s denial, conscious or unconscious, results in a shallow and prideful and unworthy character.

A second key principle of the reformers is the right and privilege of every man to come directly into the presence of God.  Christ is the Great High Priest.  No other is necessary.  The doctrine of the “priesthood of all believers” is not only at the heart of our experience of God, but has a far-reaching effect in community and society.  It is a cardinal principle in the

basic conception of the dignity of man.  It has been in many nations the chief well-spring for the democratic processes in society and government.

Underlying everything else in reformation doctrine and life is the belief that the Bible, not the Church, is the center of final authority.  This basic belief has freed the Church from domination by ecclesiastical hierarchy.  It has laid upon Protestantism a tremendous responsibility for sound education and individual thinking.  It has been a very great factor in

stimulating universal education, and has brought a large measure of freedom and progress to the nations that have been affected by it.

THE WETMORE COMMUNITY CHURCH

Prior to 1913, women of the Wetmore area held prayer meetings in various homes.  The women longed for a community Sunday School as their children were growing up with no religious education other than what was taught in the homes, but there seemed no logical place to hold a meeting.

Services were being held on Sunday mornings in the Woodmen of the World hall which was rented from the Woodmen for $25.00 a year.  Often on Sunday mornings, the hall smelled strongly of cigar smoke with spittoons about the hall adding their aroma.  Some of the ladies went to the hall early on Sunday to try to make it suitable for the services as the Woodmen held their meetings on Saturday evenings.

For a time, the old school building which was on top of the east hill at Wetmore, was used for services.  This proved to be more of a headache than a help.  The older people of the

community could not climb the steep hill to get to the old school house and it was almost impossible, at times, to get up the hill with the mode of travel of the day.

There was no community organization to carry out the desire of these concerned women.  At a prayer meeting in October of 1913, held in the home of Mrs. May Betts, one of the seven women present voiced the opinion that they should build their own church building.  Some expressed doubts while others thought it might be possible.  That evening plans were

formulated to organize the Wetmore Ladies Aid Society.  Mrs. William Watson of Canon City met with the ladies as she had some knowledge about organizing a Ladies Aid group.  The women present were Mrs. Watson, who was elected president; Mrs. J Wesley Jones, vice-president; Mrs. Erma Allen, secretary and Mrs. May Betts, treasurer. Also present

that evening were Mrs. “Grandma” Walters, Mrs. Millie Essmeier and Mrs. Ike Taylor.

The original group drew up in their by-laws of the Wetmore Ladies Aid Society that “no one shall be barred from membership on account of their religious belief.”

“The objects of this society shall be to secure land sufficient for a church building, to build a church building; to act as a charity organization, by furnishing relief and assistance to the sick and needy in the community when they have goods and funds in the treasury for that purpose.”

“The members of this society are to make goods and articles for sale to get funds, to hold socials and to solicit subscriptions of goods and money.”

At a Saturday evening prayer meeting in November of 1913, plans were made to finance the building of a church.  One woman suggested they serve a Thanksgiving dinner

cafeteria style and use the money to start the church building.  The ladies voted to serve a cafeteria dinner for the next Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, 1913, to be their first money making project.  The women made $90.00 on their first venture to finance a church building.

The Wetmore Community Church building was completed in 1917.  The women continued to serve a Thanksgiving dinner each year until the building was completely paid for.

Mrs. Ray Cantrell, who had charge of the first Thanksgiving dinner made a trip to Wetmore some 26 years after the building was completed.  She visited the church

building.  The following Sunday, found on the pulpit was this tribute: “I am happy to know that all through these years the church has stood as a Sentinel for our God and His kingdom.”