As was usual with early settlers, as soon as they were settled, they began to think of a place to worship, and they would meet in a settler’s home until a church house could be erected. And so it was in Jackson Township, when the first sermon was preached in 1830 by Rev. George Walker, a Baptist minister, at John Porter’s home.
Next came Rev. Thomas E. Brown and his wife Susan, from Lee County, Virginia, and settled on land one and one half miles east of New Ross, but in Jackson Township, Boone County. In 1832 they organized a class, and this class went into the forest, hewed logs, and built their first church, a Methodist denomination. The seats were improvised from logs, split in the middle, with the flat surface smoothed down, and with stakes inserted underneath to give proper elevation. The women were as enthusiastic as the men and were faithful helpers. This church house was also used as a schoolhouse, and James Watson was the teacher.

This group of organizers was very faithful, and named the church “Browns Chapel” after their leader, Rev. Brown, Rev. Joseph White, an itinerant minister, was the first minister of this log church. About 1859, this log structure was sold to Charles Lewis, in the same neighborhood, and he used it as a barn until 1915, when it was torn down.
Caleb Osborn and James Cram sang in the old log church. They were said to have had very good voices. They were starting to build a new frame church, but Rev. Brown, didn't’t live to see it completed, for he died in 1860. But he had left a provision in his will that the church was to receive $500, and this was a great help in erecting the
new building. John Wesley Porter, son of John Porter, donated lumber for the new church, from an old hotel; which had been located east of Browns Chapel. James Evans and Samuel Jessee were liberal supporters of the church. This new frame church stood until 1878, when it was sold and moved to the Joseph Stipe farm, also in the same area, and it, too, was used as a barn.
Rev. Thomas Brown and wife Susan were buried on their land, and two marble shafts, surrounded by an iron fence, marked their graves.

Early pastors were Daniel Demotte, Rev. Hargrave, John Smith, Joseph White, Thomas Brown, and Rev. David Handley, the last minister at Browns Chapel, beginning in 1877, but in 1878 he began to preach often at New Ross, and it was decided to build a brick church in New Ross, and Browns Chapel was disbanded and sold, but over the door of the New Ross. Methodist Church are the words, “Browns Chapel.” Browns Chapel was on section 6, Jackson Township.

Another church in Jackson Township, two miles east of New Ross, but also connected with Browns Chapel, was the Mt. Zion Methodist Church. In 1828 Young Hughes, Lewis Dewers, John and Washington Gibson, John Porter, Andrew Hudson, and others met one-half mile east of where the last church was built, in section 29. In 1831, a log church was built, one-half mile south of the last church. Peter and Samuel Emmert, and Samuel Jesse went to Browns Chapel, on land later owned by Timothy Lane, then to this church.
I presume the log church was disbanded, for in 1840, at the home of Peter Emmert, a church was organized, with the organizers being Peter and Mary Emmett, Simeon and Mary Emmert, William and Fannie Emmert, William and Susan White, Hank Williamson and wife, John and Frances Whiteman, and John and Mary Walker. In 1841, a church was built on land owned by Simeon and Nancy Canada Emmert. (Hardin’s Boone County History gave other names besides the above, Nancy and Miller Hubble, Daniel New, John Higgins, Foster New, Lorraine New, Saul Miller, Asbury Williamson, and Love Williamson. Also, another source named William Nicely and first wife, Catherine Christian Niceley.)

This church operated from 1840 reorganization, until 1860 then it was disbanded. But in 1869, Rev. Tip Bailey came and revived them and by 1870 a new church had been built, and it was dedicated September 1870 by Rev. Levi Swazy, and they called the church Mt. Zion Methodist Church. A cemetery had been laid out at the time of the building of the 1840 church. The first burial was a Harris boy.
This church progressed and was remodeled until it was a very nice structure. But members became fewer and fewer and in 1973-74, the church was disbanded and torn down. Interstate Highway 74, was at the back of the church and cut off easy access to the church from the north.