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About Us The Early United Methodist Church serves the town of Early and surrounding community. Our Interim Pastor is Rev. Dr. DeeAnn Klapp. See the Pastor's Corner for more information. Anita Mason handles the office duties and Cindy Hatch is church custodian. NEW NORTHWEST DISTRICTBeginning on July 1, 2007, the Early United Methodist Church will be a part of the Northwest District.DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT OF NORTHWEST IOWA < < REV. BERNIE COLORADO will continue to be our District Superintendent and will be residing in Storm Lake. The address for the Northwest District office is 1206 W. 4th St., Storm Lake, IA 50588. BISHOP - IOWA AREA OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH We are also a member of the Iowa conference with headquarters in Des Moines. Bishop Palmer is head of the Iowa Area of the United Methodist Church. BISHOP PALMER > > NORTHWEST DISTRICT FIELD OUTREACH MINISTER < < SARAH KITTERMAN STEVENSThe new Field Outreach Minister named for the Northwest District is Sarah Kitterman Stevens. She graduated from Morningside College and later Claremont Graduate University where she was awarded a Masters of Religion with a focus on Women's Studies in Religion. Recently she has been the Project FAITH Coordinator for the Council on Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence. A member of Grace UMC in Sioux City, Sarah has also been Chair of worship planning for the Annual Conference Session. She will be a partner in the Northwest District ministry team with the Rev. Bernie Colorado, District Superintendent. More information on the Iowa United Methodist Church may be found at www.iaumc.org September 6, 2007 - The ChronicleThe Early and Odebolt United Methodist Churches welcomed a new minister to their congregations. Pastor DeeAnn Klapp recently began serving the two churches. Pastor DeeAnn and her husband John live in Correctionville and have four children, with their youngest son Andrew living at home.The new pastor is originally from Long Island and was educated in New York. She attended high school in New Jersey, college in North Dakota, seminary in Illinois and received her Doctor of Ministry degree from St. Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, MO in 2002. Paster DeeAnn has been a United Methodist minister since 1985, serving rural churches in Iowa. Before coming to Early and Odebolt, she served over 8 years in Pisgah, Mondamin and Little Sioux. "My purpose here is to show hungry folk where to find the Living Bread, and to give satisfied folks an appetite," stated Paster DeeAnn. John Weber is our Lay Leader. The primary task of the Lay Leader is to gather the hopes and concerns of the congregation and community; plan with others to address some of these; recommend these plans to the appropriate administrative bodies and leadership; and actively participate in and support such programs so that the community may become more loving and just. |
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MABEL ALLEN LOUNGEMissions have always been of great interest to Early Methodists. Soon after the organization of the Ladies Aid Society, the Woman's Foreign Mission Society organized to study the needs of people in foreign lands. It was the intent of these women to send missionaries abroad to carry the gospel of Christ. It was from the teachings of this group that Miss Mabel Allen, a member of our church, became interested in becoming a missionary. After giving much thought and prayer she made her decision to go to China as a missionary. She gave twenty years of her life to this work. She endeared herself to many hundreds of Chinese students through her consecrated Christian teachings. Many of her students came to America to continue their education and then returned to their homeland to carry on the Christian work she started. Her life and zealous missionary spirit has been an inspiration to many people.Upon her return to Early, she became active in the local church and worked faithfully as long as her health permitted. In 1956 she entered the Odebolt Nursing Home at the age of 86, and died there on July 24, 1965 at the age of 96. The Mabel Allen Lounge was named in her honor at the UMW Blessing Cup Luncheon in November, 1964. As a memorial to Mabel, three of her students, Dr. Sarah Fong (Mrs. H. H. Sung), Dr. Ruth Wong (Mrs. W. P. Lin) and Pearl Wong sent beautiful Chinese panels to be used to decorate the Mabel Allen Lounge in the Methodist Church. FURROW MEMORIAL HALL Furrow Memorial Hall, a beautiful and functional addition to the Early United Methodist Church, was dedicated on June 23, 1974. It was given in remembrance of Sanford M. Furrow II by his family. It is to be used for service and fellowship by the members and friends of the church. A fully equipped kitchen is adjacent to the hall. Early United Methodist Church HistoryThe first Methodist Church services held in this community were conducted in the Prentice school house two miles south of Early. This was some years before the town of Early was established on its present site. A small congregation also met at the school house two miles north of Early, and here church services were held in connection with the services at the Prentice school. After the town of Early moved north in 1882 to have the benefit of the railroad, the first Methodist Church was built the following year. Just after the church building was enclosed a tornado demolished the structure. Undaunted, the little band of faithful Methodists went to work again and the building was soon completed at the cost of $2800. The first parsonage was built in July, 1890. The lots for the house were donated and there was a provision in the deed that liquor should never be sold on the premises. This parsonage was remodeled and a kitchen added in 1908. They also remodeled the church in 1910. At that time the league room was enlarged, a metal ceiling put on, and a furnace installed.  The official board met on January 16, 1920, and it was then decided to build a $25,000 brick church to replace the present structure, the new building to be erected on the old school property across the street north.The edifice is to be modern in every respect and in appearance will be of Gothic architecture. The main floor will have six classrooms and a large auditorium. The pulpit will be placed in one corner of the auditorium. In the basement there will be a big reception room and a banquet room, furnace room, kitchen, lavatories, and cloak room. This church was dedicated May 5, 1921. A building committee was responsible for providing a fine modern parsonage in the year 1949. In 1955, the Early Methodist Church was determined to be inadequate in meeting the needs of a growing congregation. Remodeling was considered to be too costly. So it was recommended that a new building be constructed consisting of a sanctuary, educational unit and dining area. The church was to be built in a new location at the northwest corner of Early.  The exterior of the building is of a modified Colonial design built on one level. An aluminum spire tops the tower. The educational unit consists of six classrooms, two restrooms and a kitchenette. The fellowship room is named the Mabel Allen Lounge.
The Furrow Memorial hall was added to the church in the summer of 1976 (left side in photo at right). It includes a stage, dining area with seating for 240 people and a completely equipped kitchen. In 1976, the Hall and kitchen were air-conditioned. A thorough history of the Early Churches may be found in the 1982 Early Centennial Book.
Group Photo - 2002
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Home | Announcements | Church Information | U M Y F | Cares, Prayers & Joys Pastor's Corner | Missions | Counseling and Crisis | Member Gallery | About Us Early United Methodist Church 402 Hickory St, PO Box 66 Early, IA 50535 Phone: 712/273-5241 (Church) • 712/273-5243 (Parsonage) Email: eumc@ruralwaves.us Website: www.umc1.org Early UMC prayer chain email: earlyumc@gmail.com Office Hours: 9-12 a.m. - Monday, Wednesday, and Friday |
