HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 483 At present there are organizations at Cape Girardeau, De Soto, Allenville, Al- theim. Dexter, Dutchtown, Jackson and Til- sit. German Methodists The first organization of German IMeth- odists in Southeast Missouri was probably the church at Gordonville, which was organ- ized in 1848. In the same year Apple Creek chapel was made a mission and was attached to the congregation which was formed about six miles southwest of Jackson. The original officers of the church at Gordonville were : Phillip Ruhl, presiding elder; Christian Bar- tels, Frederick Schleuter, August Gunther, Conrad Boettler and Henry Doris, stewards; and John Antonsen, Dietrich Erase and Henry Doris, trustees. The officers of the church in the early times were Charles Holl- man, Frank Horstraan, Jacob Mueller, Thomas Hoyer, Christopher Hoech and Henry Schultze. The first building for this congregation was a simple frame house erected in 1849. It served the purposes of the church until it was replaced by a brick l)uilding in 1875. The original members of Apple Creek church were : AA^'illiam Schultze and wife, Heinrich Tuschoff and wife and Ileinrich Westmeir and wife. William Schultze was the local minister, and Tus- ehoff was the steward and superintendent of Sunday school. The i^astors of this church were : Charles Hollman, 1849 ; Frank Horts- man, 1851; Jacob Mueller, 1853; Theodore Heyer, 1854; C. Hoech. 1856; Henry Schulze, 1860. The first house of worship erected by the congregation was a small frame building which is still standing. It was dedicated by Rev. Jacob ^lueller. This church was continued as a mission until 1863, when a parsonage was erected and the mission became a circuit. Later a church was organized at White- water. The church at Cape Girardeau is perhaps the largest of these organizations in Southeast Missouri. It has a good brick build- ing and is a flourishing and influential body. It was organized as a mission in 1867 and connected with Apple Creek until it was made a station in 1884. The German Methodist church at De Soto was organized in 1851 by Rev. John G. Kost. Pkesbyteruns The Presbytery of Missouri was formed by the Synod of Tennessee and held its first meeting at St. Louis on December 18, 1817. It then included all the territory in the United States west of the meridian passing through the mouth of the Cumberland river, the only ministers in the Presbytery being Solomon Giddings, Timothy Flint, Thomas Donnell and J. W. Mathews. In 1831 the Synod of Illinois was formed and the Pres- bytery of Slissouri was divided into three Presbyteries, St. Louis, Missouri and St. Charles. The next year the Synod of Mis- souri was formed and held its first meeting at St. Louis on the second Thursday in Oc- tober, 1832 ; there were forty churches in the organization and eighteen ministers. In 1837 the general assembly of the Presbyterian church passed what was Icnown as the Exci- sion Act, severing all ecclesiastic relations with several sj'nods and causing the organization, in 1838, of what was popularly known as the New School General Assembly. This act led to a division of sTiods and Presbyterian churches throughout the United States. In 1839 the Presbytery in Missouri divided also; on flie division of the St. Louis Presbytery
