Cornerstone's History
In 1939, cottage prayer meetings resulted in the organization of the Holton Gospel Mission. On August 18, 1940, Rev. L. T. Morrison, pastor at the Muskegon First Free Methodist Church, began preaching on Sunday afternoons in the Town Hall. The following June, a tent meeting was held with Rev. Walter S. Kendall as evangelist.
On June 22, 1941, Rev. Kendall, at the close of the service, read portions of the Free Methodist discipline in the presence of several people. The following persons took their vows and became charter members: LaVern and Ellen Cobb, Delbert and Myrtle MacLaren, and Laura Cobb.
In 1942, needing a place to worship, the membership looked at the Holton bank building which had been empty for quite some time. They eventually got it for the purchase price of $2,000. Reconstruction of the building was completed and on June 21, 1942 the first service was held.
In June 1944, a lot facing DeWitt Street was purchased and a parsonage was built and
occupied in May of 1945. In 1955, a decade later, it was decided not to erect a new church adjacent to the parsonage but to secure property on M-120. This property, owned by William Pomeroy, became available when an access road was put in the Holton village east of the highway (120). This cut a parcel of ground at the corner of the new road and was purchased by the church. On Saturday, July 14, 1956 at 7:00 a.m., 35 people gathered for ground breaking. The church
was built with donated labor and was first occupied on Easter Sunday, March 29,1959.
In 1971, the parsonage on DeWitt Street was sold and a new one was built next door to the church. This was completed in 1975.
In 1991, Holton Free Methodist Church was renamed Holton Cornerstone Free Methodist Church.
In May of 1994, work was begun on the addition of a fellowship room and large foyer to our present church. This was completed and dedicated on April 23, 1995.