Lake Creek Campmeeting Over 160 years, Annually since 1843 History of the Lake Creek Campmeeting Home Page Lake Creek History Campmeeting Photos Historical Photos Lake Creek Church General History of Campmeetings: At the beginning of the 19th century Christians were praying for revival in the world. the answer to that prayer found its beginning in the efforts of a Presbyterian, Scots-Irish preacher by the name of James McGready in Logan County, Kentucky. His preaching was more Methodist than Presbyterian. In June of 1800 some 500 persons showed up for Sunday services at the Red River Church. Conversions were many but only one family had brought provisions to stay overnight and everyone else had to beg or forage from the countryside. McGready knew the moment had come so he announced that the last week of July there would be another meeting and people were invited to come and camp, bring their grub and bedding and plan to stay at the Gasper River Church. This was the first campmeeting. The next year was the Cane Ridge Campmeeting with as many as 25,000 souls attending. Although this was the beginning of the campmeeting movement and it was started by the Presbyterians it soon became a Methodist Inastitution. Bishop Asbury heard of results of the 1800 meeting and stated in his journal: “God has given us hundreds in 1800, why not thousands in 1801, yea, why not a million if we have faith.” The movement spread with his endorsement. In 1806 the Methodist preachers in Deleware reported 150 days and nights in the woods with 5,368 converted. In August of 1808 at Deer Creek in Ohio Asbury noted that there were 23 preachers present with 125 tents and wagons and over 2,000 people. As early as 1809 Asbury urged that campmeeting locations be made permanent. This led to the building of cabins on the grounds, etc. By the time of Bishop Asbury’s death in 1816 there were at least 600 Methodist Campmeetings with permanent locations in various parts of the country. frontspiece drawing for B. W. Gorham's Camp Meeting Manuel published in Boston, 1854. .... Artist's concept of campmeeting early 1800s. Beginning in the 1830s and 1840s a steady stream of German immigrant settlers began to come to Pettis, Benton and Morgan counties in Missouri. The early settlers came up the rivers, the Missouri and the Osage, and settled on the rolling hills in the midst of the timber that reminded them of their homeland. As early as the year 1839 some of the families felt a need for religious services. Both Methodists and Lutherans worshipped together for a while. A Methodist Lay Preacher by the name of Francis Walkenhorst helped organize the people together for worship. There are no official records of this preacher but he did officiate at the weddings of Gerhardt Ringen to Adelheid Timken and John Timken to Katherine Behrens in 1840. The services were irregular and held in homes. The fact that some organization had been done prior to the sending of the first missionary helps us understand why the Lake Creek Society was so quickly organized. The families of Cord Kahrs, Jacob Timken and Gerhardt Ringen sent a petition to Dr. William Nast, leader of the German Methodist Movement,asking for a missionary to be sent to them. In the fall of 1843 Sebastian Barth was sent to organize the Osage Mission. A generally accepted method of organizing a society was to hold a campmeeting and gather new converts and supporters together. The first campmeeting at Lake Creek was held in the fall of 1843 and by the end of the year Barth had organized 15 preaching points. The fact that this was done so quickly lends credence to the advance lay preacher, Walkenhorst, laying the groundwork before him. It took three weeks for Barth to travel the circuit on horseback to all 15 preaching points. They ranged from Jefferson City to Lexington Missouri. Above: Sebastian Barth, first preacher assigned to Lake Creek Above: Campers gather before services Above: Large crowd gathers at the tent before services Above: Closing circle ceremony over 100 years ago Front Row above: Henry E. Hoehns with Leo, Henry Ringen, Anna Ringen, Mary Ratje-Hoehns, J. H. Hoehns and Rev. G.J.Jaiser Back Row: August Hoehns, Laura Hoehns, August Dittmer, Laura Dittmer, Elizabeth Hoehns-Mahnken, Emelia Hampy, Julia Rages-Hoehns, Mary Bluhm-Rages, Elsie Hoehns and Arni Siegel. Photo taken about 1907. Walter Culbertson Funeral at Lake Creek Cemetary next to old campgrounds. L.to R. - Henry Hoehns, Harmon Gieschen, Fritz Siegel, Louis Ringen, Henry Ringen, Harmon Meyer