In accordance with the general rule in the rural districts of Illinois, religious organization and development have been a leading factor in local history. ELDER JOHN LOGAN, a Baptist minister, is reputed to have preached the first Christian sermon ever delivered in McDonough County, though the exact date is not given. Elder Logan came to that locality in May, 1828, and settled in the vicinity of the present village of Industry, in what was known as the "Carter Settlement", which had been established during the previous year. Mr. Logan had the reputation of being the first missionary appointed by the Home Missionary Society of Boston, Mass., and for some months lived in the old block-house situated on the farm of WILLIAM CARTER, from whom the settlement took its name, and here he is said to have preached the first sermon in the county during the year of his arrival. During the month of November, 1831, Elder Logan, assisted by ELDER STEPHEN STRICKLAND, established a Baptist Church in Bethel Township. It was known as the "Union Church", at the time of its organization consisting of ten members--four males and six females--viz.: JOHN and NANCY GIBSON, WILLIAM and SARAH STEPHENS, JAMES and POLLY EDMONSTON, RICHARD and CASSANDRA MORRIS, ABIGAIL FERGUSON and SARAH C. PALMER. The denomination was known at that time ad the "united Baptist"; which afterwards became the "Regular Baptist". Thus it was that the Baptist denomination gained the reputation of becoming the first church organization in McDonough County. THOMAS H. OWEN, a licentiate who preached to this congregation for a time, afterward removed to Hancock County, and was later a member of the State Legislature, serving two terms in the House and one session in the Senate. John Gibson, who was one of the first members of this church, was a prominent citizen, on two occasions the annual association being held near him, when he fed and lodged a large number of its members. In 1832 ELDER WILLIAM BRADLEY was called to the pastorate of this church, and in the fall of the same year messengers were sent to the Spoon River Association, and it was received into correspondence and fellowship. In 1833, ELDER MICAJAH B. ROWLAND joined the Union Church and soon after became its pastor, from which he was released in 1835, being succeeded during the latter year by SAMUEL L. DARK, a licentiate, who was ordained in 1840. Others who held pastoral relations with this church were ELDER ROBERT MAYS (1838), ELDER JOHN DRISKILL (1838-57), ELDER GEORGE TRACY (for a few months in 1858) but whose pastorate was terminated by his sudden death. Elder Tracy was succeeded by ELDER ISAAC N. VAN METER, whose pastorate continued for over twenty years, being assisted at times by ELDER JACOB CASTLEBURY and T. N. FRAZEE. This church met at Middletown (now Fandon) for many years, where a new house of worship was erected about 1877. Antioch Church, also of the Regular Baptist denomination, was organized at Middletown in February, 1841, by Elders Owen and Frazee--the Union Church then holding its meetings a few miles distant. But four persons entered the organization at that time,--viz.:JOHN and PARTHENIA MCCORMICK, WILLIAM D. STEVENS and HOLLY EDMONSTON--though others soon after were added. Elder Owen served as pastor for a time, and the church was connected with the Salem Association. A house of worship was built in Middletown in 1843, but the church was finally dissolved in 1849, most of its members uniting with the Union Church. Besides the two churches already named, there were one or two others accepting the same articles of faith, but these generally united with the "New School" organization, leaving but one "Regular Baptist" church in the county in 1878.