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The church would have served any denomination, and any minister in the area could preach on Sunday morning. The ministers -- Catholic priests first, followed by Presbyterians, Methodists and Baptists -- were paid from the money in the collection plate. If the congregation liked the sermon, they'd put more in the collection plate, so the ministers really worked for their salary.
The working organ is a combination of parts made in Germany in 1881 and a cabinet made in the United States in 1882. There were no choirs at the time. The minister would announce the title of the song, the organist would begin to play, and the congregation would begin singing words they had memorized as young children. A bench in the right front corner marks the Amen Corner, where the elders of the church sat. If they approved of the sermon, they would shout "Amen" or "Hallelujah, Brother!
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Our community church was built in 1888 at Blue Eye, Missouri, on
the Arkansas/Missouri state line. It was moved 126 miles intact to become a
part of Mountain Village 1890. According to tradition, the church was placed
on the highest ground of the village, to be looked up to. It was the
religious and social center of the village. Double doors on the front
allowed a coffin to be carried into the church.
