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The Second and Existing Sanctuary
The congregation began to think about a new building. The Ladies Aid Society established a fund through which they raised about $3,000. At a congregational meeting in 1912, Charles Yoe offered to be one of ten who would give $1,000 toward a new church. “The ten were not all found, but during the year, through the efforts of C. A. Connelly, the three Carson lots were purchased for $2,100.” The Sunday School grew under the leadership of L. L. Hughes to over 400 students in 1912. Membership stood at 584.
In April, 1913, a group of about ten men met at the parsonage for dinner to discuss the possibility of building. By the first quarterly conference, held May 12, 1913, $19,000 had been raised. A building committee was elected and instructed to submit plans. A. H. Black was elected chairman; B. F. Boys, treasurer; and W. P. Wharton, secretary. They employed J. O. Parr of Oklahoma to develop plans, which were adopted at an adjourned session of the first quarterly conference, July 24. A contract was let to F. D. Brewster on September 22.
The final farewell worship service was held in the old building on Sunday, September 28 and the congregation moved to the National Business College building the next day. By Thursday evening of the same week, the tower, the last of the old building, fell.
The cornerstone for the new building was laid on January 15, 1914, and the work was complete by October 3, 1914, at a cost of $35,264.41. The building was dedicated on October 25, 1914.
“From 9 o’clock in the morning until 10 o’clock last night there was hardly an idle moment in the services that marked the dedication day in the new $50,000 church. At 9 o’clock, the Sunday School marched from the church, abandoning temporary quarters for the commodious new quarters that will, through the next half century at least, be home to the church. The morning church service began at 10 o’clock and concluded at 1 o’clock. Bishop W. O. Shepard of Kansas City, preached a powerful sermon. At the close of the sermon, Dr. T. C. Iliff took charge of the meeting and raised about $15,000 to apply to the $23,000 needed before the church could be dedicated. At 2:30, another service was held. Bishop Shepard preached and, at the close of his sermon, baptized ten babies. (Another article reports that he baptized eleven babies.) An additional sum was raised at this meeting. The night service began at 7 o’clock and nearly all the churches in the city adjourned their own services to attend this meeting. Dr. Iliff preached and at the close of his efforts, the full debt had been lifted and the church was dedicated.” A congregation of 1,700 witnessed the dedication of the church.
The Independence Daily Reporter reported that the windows were made by the Jacoby Art Class company of Saint Louis and described the color scheme as tones of buff, gold, cream and ivory, with green draperies and carpet. A Sunday School auditorium and alcoves were at the east of the building facing the pulpit with sliding partitions separating the alcoves and a motor driven partition separated the main auditorium from a smaller auditorium to the east. There was a partial aisle into the center section that stopped about five rows from the front. And the pastor arrived at the pulpit by a small door that gave him access to the chancel area from his office at the west side of the building. The choir loft seated forty-six and the two side balconies would accommodate 100 each. The main floor seated 550 and with the alcoves, the sanctuary could seat over 1,200, all within sight and hearing of the choir and pulpit.
Before a decision had been made to construct a new building, the Veronica Society, “at the suggestion and with the assistance of Mrs. M. J. Landon, started a fund for the purchase of a pipe organ should the dream of a new church ever be realized. At her death, her husband and son, Alfred M. Landon, asked the privilege of paying the entire cost of the new organ which was installed and designated as the Annie M. Landon Memorial Organ.” The installation of a pipe organ, purchased from M.P. Moller of Hagerstown, Maryland at the cost of $3,500, began the morning following the dedication of the building. It was located in the center of the choir loft.
The historical record includes accounts of revival meetings held nearly every year from 1912 to 1917, with 102 and 74 and 33 and 48 and 47 and 22 joining the congregation so that on March 18, 1819, membership stood at 911.
The money raised on the day of dedication must have been in the form of pledges. In 1915, Charles Yoe wrote “We will only go back two short years to March 1, 1913, when this church was worshiping in the old church. You know its condition, roof leaking, paper and plastering off and no conveniences. The other churches of the city all had new and up-to-date buildings with pipe organs, electric lights and plenty of room for Sunday schools and social work. The Methodists felt so hard up they could hardly pay the preacher and keep up the church expenses....” He remembered the work of church leaders and Rev. Wharton and described the building and the dedication service. He asked people who had made ‘subscriptions’ and those who have never paid anything, “to do their part” so that “we can pay this debt.”
The Independence Daily Reporter described the mortgage burning held October 23, 1920. “A. H. Black, chairman of the (Building) Committee .... kindled a fire in a casserole. Dr. (Walter P.) Wharton (who was pastor during the construction) put the first note on the fire and then followed the addition of notes by each member of the committee, the contractor, the District Superintendent and the pastor. While the flames leaped up to seize every note that was offered...the intense interest of the congregation increased and when the last was aflame, they burst into rapturous applause.”
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Prayer changes things!