Asbury Mount Olive United Methodist Church 3.12

In the Beginning there were two, yes two, churches one in the north and one in south Topeka.

Asbury was the church in the north. Built before 1890, the family of late vice-president Charles Curtis attended this church. Originally a flat-topped structure, it was purchased in 1892 by a black congregation who would later extend the walls higher and add a pitched rood. Amazingly Asbury withstood the floods of 1903 and 1951, being rebuilt each time by the members who called it home.

The church in south, Mount Olive, was organized in 1877 by 10 pioneers
under the leadership of Rev. John Sanders. Their first meeting was held in a blacksmith shop located in the 1000 block of Kansas Avenue. The year of 1907 marked the move to our present location, 12th & Buchanan. After four years, in 1911, a stone building was erected which would stand until 1974.

And then there was one.

Asbury and Mount Olive merged and became one on the first day of June, 1969, under the pastorate of Rev. W. H. Blackman. It was decided that
services would be held at Mount Olive until a new facility could be erected and new building that we, the church, utilize today.

Our new structure began to become a reality with the razing of the old
building in October 1974. Another year passed as we watched our dream near completion. On the 19th of October, 1975, we moved into our new church a new church that will forever pursue that cause of Christ with

The Spirit born in that blacksmith shop,

The Spirit that filled the sanctuary of that old flat-topped building,

A Spirit born in the 1800’s that LIVES today!