Off the Map: Union Township church still going strong

UNION TOWNSHIP - Founded by Welsh immigrants who settled in the area in the 1850s, the Welsh United Church of Christ just off Highway 1 in Johnson County is thought to be one of the oldest churches in the area.

It is led by the Rev. Jerry Stevenson, who says that even though the congregation is quite small, having operated for more than 150 years is quite a feat.

Services still are held every Sunday at 10 a.m. and the organ still is played.

'We had five people last Sunday,” said Stevenson, noting that the cold weather tends to keep people home.

On any given Sunday, Stevenson said about a dozen people gather to worship.

'Most of them live within a few miles of this place or around the Iowa City area,” he said. 'This is their home, a part of them that stands the test of time.”

The church has managed to physically stand the test of time as well.

'The craftsmanship is phenomenal,” Stevenson said.

Details throughout the house of worship give a nod to the church's rich Welsh history. The cross hanging at the front of the church was carved from the wood of a walnut tree standing on the 1850 homestead. And the inside is decorated in golds and reds and green.

'It is a bit gaudy,” Stevenson admits, 'but it is unique to have the church decorated in the colors of Wales. You don't often see the Welsh flag hanging in the corner.”

There is no central aisle because when the church was built they only came to worship there.

'Weddings and funerals were done in the home then,” Stevenson said. Today, the church does play host to both weddings and funerals. 'We did a wedding on the 31st of December and the bride was the fourth generation in her family to be married here,” he said.

Volunteer efforts and generosity have kept the church going, Stevenson said, adding one family donated funds to put a new roof on the church a few years back as a memorial to their mother.

Stevenson, who lives in a house on the property, said he always is happy to show off the church to those who are curious.

'People knock on the parsonage door often and ask to see the church,” he said. 'They will say something like ‘I've been driving by this place for 10 years and finally decided to stop.'”

The pioneer cemetery is a draw for visitors as well. 'People come from all over to visit it,” Stevenson said. 'It fascinates me. One gentleman has come from Spain several times.”