Darby Township, Pickaway County, OH

Church History & Records

The first religious meetings in this township were held by Thomas Reynolds, an exhorter of the Methodist denomination, who came to this country soon after 1800. He was active in the ministry for many years and died at the age of 80 years. Robert Finley, a traveling Methodist preacher, was the first regular clergyman in this section. Among the early preachers in this township were Jacob Young, a Methodist, and Isaac Henry, a Baptist; the latter settled in the northwest corner of the township on Opossum Run about 1807.

A Methodist society was formed at a very early date and meetings were held in barns and buildings until a log house was erected in 1844. This church was called the Free Will Church, any denomination that chose to do so being allowed to worship in it. The Methodist society subsequently disbanded, but finally reorganized and worship ed for five. years in the schoolhouse near the old Free Will Church. A church building was erected in. 1870 at a cost of about $2,300, and was called. the Renick Church, in appreciation of the interest and activity shown in its erection by Benjamin F. Renick; services were discontinued here some time ago ; the building was. removed to the vicinity of Deer Creek and. is now used by the Holiness Church.

A Methodist Episcopal Church was organized at Derby soon after the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad was run through Darby township and Derby made a station. The church. building was erected in 1887 at a cost of about $2,000. The church has 117 members, while. the attendance at Sunday-school is about 125.. The Sunday-school superintendent is I. C.. Hall. The pastors of this church have been the following : Revs. W. S. Fisher, H. R. Pfaltzgraf, A. B. Sniff, William Benzing, N. C. Patterson and J. H. Mindling, who is the present incumbent and also has charge of the churches at Yankeetown and Era.

The Methodist Episcopal Church at Era has a membership of 23. The value of the: church building is $1,200. The pastor of the. Derby M. E. Church preaches here. H. S.. Kennedy is superintendent of the Sunday-school,. which has an average attendance of about 20.

The Disciples' Chapel at Derby was built in 1887, soon after, the organization of the-society. , Church services have not been held regularly for a year or more. The attendance is about 50, while the Sunday-school has an attendance of about 20. Miles Green is superintendent of the Sunday-school.

From about 1844 until the time of the Civil War there was a class of the United Brethren in Christ located at Era, then known as Palestine. A frame meeting-house was erected here about 1850 which stood for many years. Questions of a political nature caused dissension and division among the members, and the society was finally broken up. Source: HISTORY OF PICKAWAY COUNTY, OHIO AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS, EDITED AND COMPILED BY HON. AARON R. VAN CLEAF.  CIRCLEVILLE, OHIO