Mrs. William Posey, daughter of Rev. Samuel Rannels, pastor of Paris and Stonermouth Churches, lived in Jacksonville, Illinois. She was interviewed by Rev. John D. Shane and this is what she said about Hopewell Church:
"Pa organized the church at Hopewell. The church was composed of Dutch Markee kept public-by the side of the road, between Paris and Lexington, at the sign of the cross keys. My Father's horse didn't want to go by there. Mrs. Link now in (or about) Jacksonville, (a very old lady), was from that neighborhood. Mrs. Giltner was a member. Pa preached at Hopewell six sabbaths in the year, and every other Tuesday. He preached in an old school-house. I went there, to Hopewell, once, to a communion with Pa. When we got there on Saturday, there was a Dutch preacher in the stand, preaching to the people in Dutch. When he got through, Pa preached. We went that night to this old Mrs. Giltner's, who was a member."
