My parents who were early settlers in this vicinity knew about this church and the people who attended services there. Indians and a few white people made up the congregation. My father Liberty Hunter, who lived near Silver lake on Hunter's creek, came to Golden Township in 1866. To better understand this generation, one has to go back many years and try to picture a virgin wilderness of pine and maple and beech, ready for the lumber man to clear the land and build homes, schoolhouses, churches, and places of business. The log church burned to the ground in 1874. With the settlers coming to build their homes, a new church had to be built. As I recall, the log church was caught in the path of a forest fire which could not be stopped and the church was quickly burned to the ground.
After the log church burned, a frame church was built on the S.E. corner of Joy and 7th street, almost across the street from where the log church stood. This church was used until 1902, when the new red brick church was built, on the S.E. corner of Joy and 4th streets. The old church was sold to the Macabees and used as a meeting place where they had a stage built for Vaudville shows and it was also used as the gymnasium for the Mears school.
The new church was built by the sacrifice and dedication of many people who wanted beautiful church they could worship God. The field-stone foundation, red bricks bell, lovely furnishings, but above all the beautiful stained glass windows, made in Belgium, with silver and gold mixed in the glass to reflect the light. These things make the Mears United Methodist Church one of the most beautiful country churches in the area. A fitting structure, built by some of the Christian pioneers of this area. The church is dedicated to the Glory of God and to spreading the Gospel, (the good news of salvation)."
