Neosho First Presbyterian Church turns bell tower into beacon of faith

Nov. 11—NEOSHO, Mo. — The Neosho First Presbyterian Church has remodeled its bell tower, creating a beacon of faith for the surrounding area.

"My hope is that it will last another 100 years," said Melissa Bush, an elder at the church who headed up the project.

The church, 215 N. High St., was organized in 1867 by the Rev. John McFarland and the Rev. John Pinkerton. The original church was built in 1871 and seated about 150 people. A fire in 1897 burned the wooden church to the ground, and church organizers decided to rebuild with native stone later that year. The belfry was added at that time.

In 1941, the KD Sunday school class decided to put a bell in the church's belfry. The class bought a bell from the Neosho School District from a former one-room schoolhouse for about $25.

The bell was rung on Sundays to call everyone to worship. About 20 years ago, the church discovered a leak in the belfry that was ruining the bell's supports. They stopped ringing the bell then and had to repair the tower several times for temporary fixes.

This year, the church sold their manse across the street, previously used as a residence for the church's pastor and their family. The funds went to repair the bell tower, a project that wound up costing around $90,000.

"It was supposed to be a six-week project, but it turned into a six-month project," Bush said. "We started repairing from the top to the bottom because the leak had started going into the sanctuary."

About the remodel

Branco Enterprise did the remodel, which included stuccoing the rock of the tower and installing new flooring. Also part of the project was the restoration and reframing of several small stained-glass windows that are placed about halfway up the tower. They also installed a chandelier to light the tower's interior, which serves as the entrance to the church. As a modern touch, the chandelier is on a light lift. A motor lowers the chandelier to make it easier to replace the bulbs.

For the remodel, the church had to remove the original bell from the tower. It took four men to remove the iron bell, estimated to weigh 300 to 400 pounds. The bell is currently stored in a barn as the church prepares to sell it. The church is taking offers for the bell, and it has drawn local and national attention. Interested parties can contact the church for more information.

Bush said putting the bell back in the tower wasn't an option. Its weight and size made it too dangerous to have in the belfry, and the cost to put it back would have been too high.

Instead, the church put crosses in the top windows of the belfry. In the newly enclosed space, the crosses are lit from behind at night, creating an effect similar to a lighthouse above the streets of Neosho. The wooden crosses were made by church member John Dolence.

"We just want everyone to know that we no longer ringing the bell on Sunday morning, but we do have lights," Bush said. "So now, we have a beacon for our beliefs. We are here for everyone. We're Christians and we want to share our faith."

The remodeling project was big for the small, but growing, church of 27 members.

"I am so proud of our church," Bush said. "We could have said, 'Let's tear the bell tower down; it's so expensive to remodel.' But it's a part of our history. All of the kids who came through the church, up to about 20 years ago, took a turn ringing that bell. My youngest son, Daniel, rang it when we first came here."

Church programs

The Neosho First Presbyterian Church has faced several changes and challenges recently. They had to find a new minister, who arrived just as COVID-19 forced the closure of the church.

Through it all, the church has continued its legacy of being a place for people in need. Faithful Friends Animal Advocates was started by the church's previous pastor's wife. They helped start a homeless shelter in Neosho and provided a home for about 30 people during a severe ice storm.

The church continues to hold regular gatherings, Bible studies and community events, like a family game night at 5 p.m. Saturday. It currently supports missions like the annual Angel Tree, Hope's Kitchen in Neosho and a new offering to help people served by the Neosho public administrator to buy clothing and food.

Pastor William Lee hopes the new bell tower marks a new chapter for the church and its role in the community.

"I don't think our neighbors noticed us being here," Lee said. "Things were kind of slow when I came here, especially when COVID-19 hit. We are finally starting to have some activity going on; things are starting to open up. We have some new members and will hopefully get more involved in the city's life."