The original Collins Grove United Methodist Church was built just after the Civil War. It is located in a community that is also known as Collins Grove. It was settled primarily by African Americans and, in the 1960's, boasted 60 families. With all of the construction of highways and businesses over the decades, the community has declined significantly. According to Jim Schlosser, who wrote an article about the community for the News & Record, in 2005, only about 20 families remained at that time and the number was predicted to decrease significantly.*
It is hard to know what has happened to the neighborhood these past thirteen years; however, to be sure the church and the historic cemetery behind it have been beautifully maintained. Often, in these small rural communities, the church is the pulse of the neighborhood; and, at the corner of Lewiston and Fleming Roads, just beside a Dollar Store, Collins Grove UMC is just that place.
*reference and more information, here.
It appears to be a church within a thriving community, so it was rather sad to hear that there's nobody left - so to speak.
Posted by: Lowell | Sunday, May 06, 2018 at 09:18 AM
Sometimes churches like this sustain themselves with bringing in other congregations.
Posted by: William Kendall | Sunday, May 06, 2018 at 12:40 PM