History of Leonard UMC
The United Methodist Church in Leonard, Michigan is part of a religious movement which began in England under the guidance of the Anglican priest, John Wesley, in the 1600's. He saw the middle class members of the Anglican Church becoming dissatisfied with the Church of England and wanted to learn better ways to practice the Christian faith. Eventually some of those who had studied and met with Wesley made their way to the British colonies in the new world. During the time leading up to the American Revolutionary War, and the period of developing the Constitution, these Christians formed into the Methodist Church. The Church grew as it sent circuit riders into settlements, villages, and towns spreading the Christian faith from Georgian to Maine.
The Ohio territory was the next area that the circuit riders focused on preaching the Christian faith. The Ohio Methodist Conference held in October 1830 decided to send two ministers into the Michigan territory. Elyiah Pilcher and Henry Colclazer settled in Jackson, Michigan, and organized a circuit for the southern part of the territory. They would travel to preach and to perform marriages and funerals as far north as Flint and Lapeer. Like other circuit riders the services were held in log cabins, meetinghouses, dance halls, one room school houses, barns and taverns.
At a Michigan Church Conference held in 1862 the Methodists increased the number of circuit riders and enlarged their circuits to cover 500 square miles. By 1858 the Leonard Methodist Church was established by Rev. T. Plackett, a pastor of the Macomb circuit. From 1858 to 1889 the Methodist Church in Leonard was served by 20 different circuit riders. Finally in 1889 Rev. M. R. Saigon was appointed as a full time minister at Leonard, Michigan. He was instrumental along with Mr. Rowland to get a church build and dedicated by 1892, which is still the present structure. It's addition in 1968 has often served as the town hall and site for national, state, and local elections.
