The 150-year-old South Bethel Church was moved to a new location during a 48-hour period in early December. Line crews from the CIPCO, Wilton facility and from cooperative member Eastern Iowa Light & Power assisted the Patterson Structural Movers of Washington, Iowa in this relocation project. The 40x82 foot church building was moved over 12 miles of winding rural Cedar County roads to its new location at the Cedar County Historical Society Museum just north of Tipton, Iowa.

It is believed that this church is the oldest continuously operating rural United Methodist Church west of the Mississippi River. The congregation began meeting in local homes in 1837. The church building was built in 1854 and then rebuilt in the 1920’s after being damaged by a tornado.

A recap of this project will also air later this year on the Learning Channel’s “Heavy Haulers” cable TV show.