Sedan resident Kay Seitz (1962), in a paper she wrote for Dr. Burlingame’s class, Montana History 302 noted, “The first few years when few homesteaders were living in the community, everyone worshiped God in his own home. Later people took turns taking charge of the worship services. They were short (services), usually there was only one reading from the Bible and some prayers and a song or two. The church services were held in peoples’ homes on every other Sunday.”

Sedan resident Frank J. Clark donated the land circa 1890s where the Sedan Church is located.

A few different accounts have been written over the years regarding the history of the Sedan Church and are noted below:

(Sedan Community Country Cookbook, 1989) “A Mr. Clark donated the land and the community people built it for all, as there was no denomination.

The cornerstone was laid in 1898, and the contents in the stone are in the Livingston Museum, stating the board and builders and the superintendent and who was the circuit pastor.  Mr. Clark deeded the church to the Methodists, which caused some hard feelings and they could not get pastors here very often.”

In an undocumented interview former Sedan resident Jene (Pergande) Hendrickson offers, “The church cornerstone says it was laid May 9, 1898. It is frame and Josh Woosley sawed and gave the lumber.”

See the article below believed to be from the Livingston Enterprise entitled, “Rare 70-Year-Old Bible at Sedan Found in Church,” from the Yellowstone Gateway Museum archives dated 1968 which states, “About 1893, the residents of the Sedan Community built a Methodist community church…”

“(A) Methodist minister came up from Wilsall twice a month to hold church services. This church was a one room log building, the only seats were just raised planks with no backs.” (Seitz, 1962)

In an interview conducted by Don Morgan (Tracks, c. 1989) he wrote that Tim Petterson stated that the church, “…was built between 1900 and 1910 by Wes Inabnit.”

In another account of when the church was established from “Gallatin County’s Heritage: A Report of Progress 1805-1976 (Burlingame, 1977) reads: “A log cabin was erected in 1916 which became a Methodist Church for intermittent services, and a type of community center.”  It is worth noting that the article from the above Bicentennial Publication begins, “Sedan, now ghostly indeed…”

“Some believe that the church was active for about 10 years. However, in the charge of a Rev. T.H. Roddey, it was reopened and used, when the weather and roads permitted. It was in the depression years, 1932-1933, and he wrote in the Wilsall church book that it was a very difficult year.

No date is known as to when, but the Methodist Conference had wanted to move the old building down to Wilsall to combine with the one there. But an old timer said his family had all gone to it and it should stay here. It did and has had no care for many, many years, so is slowly returning to dust.” (Sedan Community Country Cookbook, 1989)

In an interview conducted by Don Morgan (Tracks Volume I, circa 1989) Jene Hendrickson notes, “…the cornerstone was made and the documents for the church were put there, including the official roll of church officials.”  

(Tracks, c.1989) “The trustees of the Sedan Methodist Church were James Woosley, Frank Clark and Andrew Smith.  The building committee for the church included Josh Woosley, F.J. Clark, A.M. Snell, James Woosley and Cassius Morrison.  S.B. Tabor was the Presiding Elder and W.G. Forbir was the preacher.”

The Tracks article noted above referencing pastor T.H. Roddey, and as mentioned in the Sedan Community Country Cookbook, 1989 states, “On February 1, 1932, Roddey bought the church and owned it until March 1, 1933.” 

In 1946 Wesley and Myda (Christie) Inabnit returned to Sedan and bought the “Clark Place” which was how the land the Sedan Church is on was referred to then. 

Wes and Myda Inabnit sold the Clark Place to his brother-in-law and sister Tim and Anita (Inabnit) Petterson in 1964.

Don Morgan (Tracks, c. 1989) wrote that Tim Petterson stated, “At first it was a Methodist Church, which later changed to the Episcopal Church and later changed back into the Sedan Methodist Church.  This church lasted 25 years.”

An unidentified source stated, “It has been used as a granary and cattle shelter. To look at it now you would never supposed this was once a church. Most of the people in the community were protestants.”

Scott and Susan Lohmuller bought the land from Pettersons and installed a working windmill on the property near their home.

Lohmullers sold it to Bruce & Carol Angiolillo.  The home was moved to Highway 89 North just outside of Wilsall.

Morgan wrote (Tracks c. 1989), “…it does not have a steeple or a bell tower.” And “…there are three very large window frames, However, there no windows are left in the church.  The color of the building is like it has been scarred at one time, or a weathered gray color.”

The above statement might explain why the Sedan Church, affectionately restored by its current owners Bruce & Carol Angiolillo, stands again in all its glory and is now gray.