Phillip Hinkel Rader’s "Rader Lutheran church"
from Morgan, Missouri
Photos courtesy of Inez Mills-Langston of Fayetteville, AR
Thanks to Ed Fickie of Austin TX
for the following articles from The Shepherd of the Hills Gazette (1995 ?)
1901 Church to Grace Inspiration Point
Come next spring, Shepherd of the Hills will have a new addition to Inspiration Point. A 1901 Lutheran Church has been rebuilt during the winter to stand atop the second highest spot in Missouri.
Inspiration Point is the place where Harold Bell Wright pitched his tent, and began compiling notes for his book "The Shepherd of the Hills." He fell in love with the backwoods people and the beautiful scenery, so much so that he returned to this very spot for the next six summers.
Before visiting the Ozarks, Wright had been the minister of the First Christian Church in Pittsburg, Kansas. Since he was so widely known, he was asked to preach in churches all across Missouri.
The 1901 Lutheran church that will stand atop Inspiration Point is similar to some of those where Wright once ministered. This particular church was built in Morgan, Missouri by Phillip Hinkle Rader, and cost approximately $7,500 to dismantle.
The framework, woodwork, and trim were saved, along with the doors, windows, bell tower, pews, and pulpit. The rest of the church will be rebuilt by using over 100 pictures that were taken before the dismantling on August 2,
the above picture from the Branson web site "Ozark Mountain Christmas"
1989.The former congregation of the little church is tickled to death to see their previous place of worship move to Branson, Missouri. In fact even though they have all relocated, they haven’t lost touch with each other. Every year, on the second weekend in July, they hold a reunion to catch up on all that has happened in the past year.
But just because the church has relocated dosn’t mean that the reunions have to come to a halt. Shepherd of the Hills is planning to keep up the tradition by continuing the get-togethers on Inspiration Point.
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