HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2011-04-28, Page 20PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2011.Nile church closed, demolished earlier this month
With one final service on March
27, Nile United Church, one point in
the three-point Dungannon Union
Pastoral Charge closed its doors
after serving the small community
and surrounding area residents for
156 years.
The church had fallen on hard
times recently, according to a letter
sent to Ashfield-Colborne-
Wawanosh (ACW) Township
Council, and due to a lack of
membership, the doors had to be
closed.
The letter, which requested ACW
to help with the tipping fees for the
demolition of the church, was
several months coming according to
church member Anne Feagan.
The church’s congregation met
and had to decide how they were
going to proceed, since they were
not able to maintain the church as it
was running.
“No business can stay afloat
losing $1,200 a month,” Feagan
stated. “Last fall, we decided to bite
the bullet and made the decision to
close.”
The closure set the stage for a very
memorable last service Feagan said.
“The service was reminiscent of
earlier days,” she said. “It was very
moving, and there was standing-
room only.”
The sanctuary became barren
earlier this month as pews,
decorations and furniture had been
given to current and former
congregation members. It normally
housed between 10 and 15 members
of the congregation on Sundays, but,
for the last service, Feagan
estimated that more than 220 people
filled the room.
“It was a great service. We had
people back from all over,” she said.
“Letters were read from previous
ministers and people shared their
memories.”
The service featured hymns from
the earlier days of the church, some
from as far back as 90 years ago.
To conclude the service, members
of the church exited to a classic
hymn, Auld Lang Syne, but the lyrics
had been rewritten by a former
member of the congregation to mark
the hallowed date.
With that final session completed,
the only thing that remained to do
was to demolish the property, which
occured earlier this month after local
Mennonite groups were given the
opportunity to salvage materials
from the church for their own new
church.
Feagan explained that thedemolition, and the Mennonites’ useof the church’s materials, was adecision made by the congregation,and that it was a difficult one.
“We had to decide what to do with
it,” she said. “We didn’t want to tear
it down, but we would rather remove
it than see it fall to ruin.
“It’s good that the Mennonites
will be using the materials for their
own church, a lot of the
congregation was happy that the
church would live on that way.”
A marker was permanently placed
on the property after the demolition
was finished, according to Feagan.
The church was set to have
services until June, but the
congregation decided to move that
ahead to March.
“We decided to not go further into
debt,” Feagan explained, adding that
the March closure date meant they
would be able to find contract help
more readily before the busy season
began.Originally, according to Feagan,services were held at the WesleyanMethodist Church of Ashfield,
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
Welcomes you to come and worship with us
Trinity, Blyth
9:15 a.m.
Church Office: 519-357-4883
St. John's, Brussels
11:15 a.m.
519-887-6862
Sunday, May 1
Rev. Perry Chuipka
www.nabcom.ca/church
Youre Invited
to come worship
with us
Sunday, May 1
Brussels Public School
at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Sunday School for children
4 to 11 years of age (mornings only)
Childcare provided for infants and toddlers
Coffee & cookies after the morning service
For additional details please contact:
Steve Klumpenhower 519.887.8651 Rick Packer 519.527.0173
Chris McMichael 519.482.1644
Worship Service & Sunday School at 11 a.m.
CORNER OF DINSLEY & MILL STREETS
MINISTER
Rev. Gary Clark, BA, M. Div.
All Welcome
MUSIC DIRECTOR
Floyd Herman, BA, M. Ed.OFFICE: 519-523-4224
May 1st ~ The Commandments And You
- Get More Out Of Life
119 John’s Ave., Auburn
519-526-1131
www.huronchapel.org
9:30 a.m.
Sunday School
10:30 a.m.
Morning Worship Service
Guest Speaker:
Rev. Eugene Neudorf
THE CATHOLIC PARISHES OF NORTH HURON AND NORTH PERTH
CORDIALLY INVITE YOU TO ATTEND HOLY MASS.
OUR SUNDAY LITURGIES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
Brussels:
St. Ambrose
Saturday
6:00 p.m.
17 Flora Street
Wingham:
Sacred Heart
Sunday
9:00 a.m.
220 Carling Terrace
Listowel:
St. Joseph
Sunday
11:00 a.m.
1025 Wallace Avenue N.
BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE
UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA
Sandra Cable, Worship Leader
Church Office 519-887-6259 E-mail - beunitedchurch@gmail.com
Sunday, May 1
Ethel United Church
Worship Service and Sunday School - 9:30 a.m.
Brussels United Church
Worship Service and Sunday School - 11:00 a.m.
Celebrating our Christian Faith together in worship
UPCOMING EVENTS AT
BRUSSELS & ETHEL UNITED CHURCHES
May 8 - Mother’s Day and Baptism
Please join us for worship
Hwy. 4, Blyth 519-523-4743
www.blythcrc.ca
SUNDAYS
Morning Service 10:00 am
Evening Service 7:30 pm
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
Rev. Elwin Garland
SUNDAY, MAY 1
Wheelchair accessible ~ Nursery care available
519-887-2664
10:00 am - Sunday Morning Worship
- Sunday School
getlivingwater.org
Pastor: Ernest Dow ~ 519-523-4848
Living Water
Christian Fellowship
10:30 a.m. ~ Worship & Sunday School
at Blyth Public School,
corner of King & Mill
Tuesdays 7:30 pm - Wingham Small Group
1st & 3rd Wednesdays 7:30 pm - Women’s Ministry
Fridays 7:00 pm - Youth Group
May 1: Acts 2:42-47
“The church
you’ve always
longed for -
Works at being
a caring family”
Evangelical Missionary Church
Farewell
Members of the Nile Choir, circa 1886, made a bit of a comeback in the Nile United Church’s
history book published in the late 1990s. The book has become more rare since the church
closed its doors in March after more than 150 years of service. (Denny Scott photo)
Continued on page 25