During the 1830s, several families moved westward from Indiana to Southern Illinois, planting non-denominational churches whose beliefs parallel the beliefs of the New Testament church. Some of these families settled land in what would eventually become northern Jefferson County and Southern Marion County. The Old Goshen Trail, which ran from Shawneetown to Edwardsville, was one of only a few roads in Southern Illinois. Robert Breeze gave up some of his land located on the Old Goshen Trail. And in 1838 a brand new Church of Christ, the third oldest west of the Wabash River, was born. It was called Grand Prairie Church until 1844, when the name was changed to Little Grove.
In 1870, the members of Little Grove decided to replace their log structure with a new building that was a little more secure. That building is the present-day auditorium. It cost $1895 to build. Repairs and minor changes to the building occurred throughout the next eighty years. In 1951, Little Grove added a basement, which contained a kitchen, bathrooms, classrooms, and storage. Renovations inside and outside of the church building occurred in 1970. It was during this time period that the large rock cross was added to the front of the building. In 2006, a fellowship hall, which contained bathrooms, a kitchen, and a large area for classrooms and fellowship was added. In 2010, new renovations were done to the auditorium. And in 2013, a new addition to the south side of the building was added, containing a nursery and an office.
Little Grove was famously known for expelling members in the early decades of the church. At a church meeting in 1851, for example, a member was accused of drunkenness and was excluded from the congregation. Others were expelled for betting, dancing, playing cards, fighting, profanity, and “being busy bodies in other people’s affairs.” But the most famous came during the Civil War when a lady left church before the preacher finished his sermon. When she was asked about why she left, she stated that she wasn’t going to listen to a “traitor” preach. A special meeting was held to expel her. Eventually, the church split with Democrats and Republicans sitting on separate sides of the church building. A petition was signed to hang the preacher, Reverend James Snow, for being a “traitor.” Luckily for him, the Civil War ended and his life was spared.
Some of the ministers who have served the church include James Snow, John Ashley, David Chance, John Williams, Guy Parsons, J.E. Story, Dewey Hawkins, Merle Melton, Joe Putnam, Richard Daniels, Brett Copple, Bob Williams, George Ansley, Jim Burleyson, and many others. For the past 22 years, Lance Boldt has been the minister of Little Grove. Lance Boldt is the current preacher and has been Little Grove’s longest-serving minister, as 2025 marks 25 years behind the pulpit.
Some 3000 people have called themselves members of this country church during its 187 years of existence. Surrounded by fields and one of Southern Illinois’ oldest cemeteries, Little Grove prides itself in its country roots, but more importantly, in its faith in the Lord. Anchored in God’s Word, Little Grove is one that is not afraid to preach the Bible, even in a politically correct society. But we preach the truth in love—loving the sinner and hating the sin. We believe that the Bible holds all of God’s will for how we get right with Him and how we are to practice the Christian life. The Apostles took Christ’s words & shared them with the world. And we understand the Great Commission and make it our duty to share Christ with those who are lost around us.
We structure our church services similarly to the original New Testament church as stated in Acts 2:42— we teach, pray, enjoy fellowship, and serve communion each Sunday. Our song service includes old time hymns and some new songs.
Sadly, in March 2020, due to the Covid pandemic, the state of Illinois shut down all places that it deemed as non-essential. This included our church. On Father’s Day of that year, Little Grove reopened its doors, and we have been open ever since. During those three months, the church modernized itself so that we could put all of our services online. Today, Little Grove broadcasts its services on Facebook.