HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2010-01-28, Page 12After a long history in Belgrave,
Knox Presbyterian Church has
closed its doors.
A small congregation and
dwindling funds led to the decision
to merge with Melville Presbyterian
Church in Brussels.
The church has been in Belgrave
for well over 100 years, having first
been erected in 1865. Just one year
later, Blyth and Belgrave became
self-sustaining congregations. Ten
years after that, the Belgrave
congregation was strong enough to
stand as its own congregation in the
community.
The building was home to
Belgrave’s Methodist Church,
before taking in the Presbyterians in
the 1920s. Many members of the
community have fond memories of
this church and what it meant to
worship in Huron County years ago.
“I’ve gone all my life,” says
Arnold Bruce, long-time member.
“In the 1930s, you used to have to
come on the stagecoach. There was a
big shed across the road for everyone
to keep their horses in.”
Over the years, Bruce
remembered, advancements were
made, installing a wood stove for
heat and then oil heaters before
hydro was installed.
Over the years, the church became
adorned with artifacts, soon to be
moved to Melville. There is a pump
organ that is over 100 years old, a
piano and a cross that was donated
by long-time clerk Garner
Nicholson.
With the complicated asset
division process not yet complete, it
isn’t confirmed that the cross will
stay in the area, but there is a good
chance that it will. While the local
Presbyterian Church has rights to
much of the property, the
Presbyterian Church of Canada has
rights to the actual church and its site
for potential sale interests down the
road.
Currently, however, Melville’s
clerk, Mary Douma says that much
of the important artifacts from Knox
are in Brussels. What is coming from
Knox is being situated in the
basement as part of a small chapel
within Melville. Douma says that
while nothing has been finalized yet,
there has been talk of a re-dedication
of the basement chapel to honour
Knox.
“Right now we have the pulpit, the
organ and some chairs from Knox,”
Douma said. “It’s all set up in the
basement as a little worship area for
the winter.”
In addition to those items, Douma
says Knox’s hymn books are there as
well and since the churches have
always been sister churches, she ishoping the transition will be smooth,“all of Knox’s members arewelcome at Melville with openarms.”She has already said that the eldermembers from Knox will be
accepted as elder members at
Melville without having to join a
second time, saying that the two
memberships are essentially
melding into one.
While the decision to close the
church proved to be a difficult one to
make, former minister Cathrine
Campbell says that it was the choice
of the members, given the tough
times the church found itself in.
“It was their decision and the time
had come,” she said. “It’s sad, but it
was what had to be done.”
Campbell described the Knox
congregation as small, but powerful.
“It was a real family-type church
and if something needed to be done,
you didn’t have to ask those people
twice.”
Hebo Siertsema, clerk at Knox
since 2001, said that the church was
doing fine until Campbell retired.
After she retired, he said, they
noticed a decline in their attendance.
“Numbers declined and we
couldn’t afford a full-time minister
anymore,” he said. “It wasn’t easy.We had a full church on our closingday (Jan. 10).”Siertsema has been involved withthe church for over 40 years. He saidthat there was a real feeling ofcommunity and family in the
churches of Belgrave, more than
anywhere else he has ever seen.
“The people here were loyal,” he
said. “ We were all together here for
a lot of years,”
PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2010.
Packing it in
After decades in Belgrave, Knox Presbyterian Church closed its doors earlier this month
because of a dwindling congregation, among other concerns. Helping pack away the hymn
books before sending them to their new home at Melville Presbyterian Church in Brussels are
clerk Hebo Siertsema, left, and long-time members of the Knox congregation, Arnold Bruce,
centre, and Doug Bruce. (Shawn Loughlin photo)
Knox Presbyterian Church closes doors
YOU ARE WELCOME
9:45 a.m. Sunday School for all ages
10:30 a.m. - Sunday Morning Worship
Mid-week Bible Study
C H U R C H O F G O D ,ANDERS
O
N
,
I
N
D
I
A
N
A
Timeless Truths
For Today
308 Blyth Rd. E., Blyth
Pastor Les Cook ~ 519-523-4590
Blyth Community Church of God
Coffee House
Sunday, January 31
6:00 to 9:00 pm
All
proceeds
to Children
of Hope
orphanage
in Haiti
Haiti Fundraiser
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
Welcomes you to come
and worship with us
Trinity, Blyth
9:15 a.m.
519-523-9595
St. John's, Brussels
11:15 a.m.
519-887-6862
Sunday, January 31
Corner of Dinsley & Mill Street
Blyth United Church
Office: 519-523-4224 Rev. Gary Clark
All Welcome
Sunday, January 31
Worship Service & Sunday School
at 11 a.m.
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 Bible Study
1st & 3rd Wednesdays 7:30 pm - Women at the Well
Fridays 7:30 pm - Youth Group
Evangelical Missionary Church
January 31: 1Col. 14:1-19
“Building Up the
Church”
POTLUCK,
Annual Congregational Meeting
This Friday: Youth Group
TUBING at Boler Mountain
(4:45 pm at BPS)
Youre Invited
to come worship
with us
Sunday, January 31
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
BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE
UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA
Sandra Cable, Worship Leader
Church Office 519-887-6259 E-mail - bepc@wightman.ca
Sunday, January 31
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
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
BRUSSELS
SUNDAY, JANUARY 31
Wheelchair accessible ~ Nursery care available
519-887-2664
11:00 am - Sunday Morning Worship
- Sunday School
REV. DAVID WOOD
119 John’s Ave.,Auburn
519-526-1131
www.huronchapel.org
9:30 a.m.
Sunday School & Small Groups
10:30 a.m.
Morning Worship Service
Jr. High Youth
Snow Camp
at Word of Life
in Owen Sound
January 29-31
for more info,
call the
church office!
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Please join us for worship
SUNDAYS
Morning Service 10:00am
Evening Service 7:30pm
BLYTH CHRISTIAN
REFORMED CHURCH
Pastor John Kuperus
Hwy. 4, Blyth