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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1987-09-30, Page 27THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1987. PAGE 27. Bly th CRC celebrates 25th anniversary This weekend will mark a special time for members of the Blyth Christian Reformed Church as the church celebrates its 25th anniver­ sary. The celebration will begin with an open house in the church basement from 2-5 p.m. with coffee and doughnuts served. From 5:30 to 7 p.m. soup and buns will be served. The proceedings will switch to Blyth Memorial Hall from 7:30 to 10 p.m. where a program of skits and choral music will be perform­ ed. Sunday at the 10 a.m service Rev. Raymond J. Sikkema. the first minister of the church when it was formed in Oct., 1962 and Rev. Roger L. Gelwicks, the most recent minister until a few months ago, will take part in the anniversary service. To mark completion of the first quarter century of the church, a history book has been issued. In it. Rev. Lammert Slofstra, who was minister of the Christian Reformed Church in Clinton to which many of the Blyth area families went on Sundays, recalls the first steps to Art Gallery offers drawing course Those with an urge to draw will get their chance to have profes­ sional instruction when the Blyth Festival holds a six-week drawing course at its art gallery this fall. Ron Walker, well-known profes­ sional artist and head of the art program at Central Huron Secon­ dary School will teach the course which will take place at 7 p.m. on Thursday evenings at the gallery. Cost of the course is only $24 for the six weeks, plus the cost of materials used (charcoal, paper, etc.) The course is open to people from age 12 to 114, gallery co-ordinator Carol McDonnell said last week. The course, which begins Oct. 8, has room for only 20 students so anyone interested is advised to call or visit the Festival administration offices weekdays from 9 - 5. Mrs. McDonnell says there will be other workshops in the coming months for both adults and child­ ren. form a separate church in Blyth. In the first week of February, 1962, he recalls, two men from Blyth approached the “consis­ tory” of the Clinton church with a proposal for a Blyth church. They 1 got a polite, but not overwhelming, reception. Rev. Slofstra remem­ bers as the Clinton church worried if they would have enough support to keep a church going. A month later the men were back with a list of 33 families, six single people and one potential family which might join the new church after it was orga nized. Still cautious, the Clinton church decided to think on the situation some more, then held a meeting in Blyth Memorial Hall to talk to the ' people who had expressed interest in joining the new church. At the meeting on April 11 it was decided to operate a separate church in Blyth on a trial basis for three months to see if attendance and revenues were high enough. A target was set for contributions of $3 per family per week. Elders and deacons were nomi­ nated for the “Blyth group” as it was called, who would represent Blyth’s interest at the Clinton consistory during the period. J. NonkesandH. Thalen were named elders and M. Datema was the deacon. The first service during the trial period was held May 6 in Memorial Hall with Rev. Slofstra officiating at the morning service while a young student R.J. Sikkema 1 preached the afternoon service. A 1 year and a half later he would become thechurch’sfirst minister. 1 The morning service was attend­ ed by 110 people and the afternoon service by 120. From the first Sunday, Sunday School was held with Mrs. Van Amersfoort assisted by Joanne Greidanusfrom Clinton. Mrs. M. Siertsema organized a nursery. Since Memorial Hall didn’t have an organ, five families offered theirs with one being accepted from John Stryker. The trial progressed well enough that on July 23 another meeting was held in Memorial Hall, attended by 29 families who signed a request for organization of a church with eight more families signedlater. Financially, itwas revealed the 36 families in the congregation had given $1,234 more than had been budgeted during the trial period. The group also learned that the Blyth Presby- terian Church would be available for rent at a rate of $950 a year. On Sept. 11 permission was given by Classis Chatham at a meeting in Clinton, for the Blyth congregation to be formed. Clinton church gave a gift of $3,000 to help get the new church started. At an organizational meeting on Oct. 3, 1962 with G. Heyink. J. Nonkes and H. Thalen elected as elders M. Datema and M. Siert­ sema as deacons. The first church service in the new congregation was held on Oct. 7. In those days there were two services a day, one in English and one in Dutch. By February. 1963 the congrega­ tion was meeting again to consider whether or not to call their own minister. A minister needed a house to live in and so an investigation was undertaken to rent, buy or build a house. In June the church bought a house from John Manning and later that month two candidates were con­ sidered as the first minister of the church. Rev. Sikkemaaccepted the call but when he and his wife and four children arrived in early August, the house wasn’t ready so they moved in with Siebolt and Annie Siertsema, who had just recently been married. In 1968 the congregation began to consider even bigger decisions as plans were drawn up for a new church building. The debate on whether or not to build went on for some time but in May, 1970 the church learned the Presbyterian Church was willing to sell its buildingandon June3,1970the deal was completed for a price of $8,024. Thatfall and into the winter of 1971 a new addition was added to thebackofthechurchwithfour rooms and two bathrooms at a cost of $17,500. There have been five pastors at the church over the 25 years. Rev. Sikkemastayed until 1966 when he moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan. From 1967 until he retired in 1973 thepastorwas Rev. H. Kroeze. Rev. Ted Hoogsteen served from 1973 until he left to study in the Netherlandsin 1979. From 1979 until 1983 the ministerwas Rev. Adrian Dieleman. In Sept. 1984 Rev. Roger Gelwicks became pastor and remained there until August of this year when he left for Indiana. When the church began 25 years ago there were 37 families. As of this spring there were 87 families with 386 members of the church. IiiiiimuimiMiiniiiiniiiiiniiuiiiiiiiimniuiiin^ntMM PARK THEATRE•• STARTS FRI. J AT THE • : THE SECOND STORY Z ALL NEW! Houst II at 7:00 FRI. & SAT. ONLY HOUSE II Brand • i rOIGHTCNING SCENES FRI.BORN IN EAST I A ♦ A Comedy Bordering On Insanity. New House! MtTAl^JACXfT SUN. Stanley Kubrick's FULL METAL JACKET COARSE LANGUAGE & SAT. ONLY CHEECH MARIN BORN IN EAST L A. - THURS. AT 7:30 ORUlAl VIOLENCE In Vietnam, the wind doesn't ryoJ blow, it sucks. According to French food writer Robert J. Courtine, even though most of northern Europe treated the tomato with great suspicion until as late as the 19th century, Poland took to the tomato way back during the Renaissance. WEDNESDAY,SEPT.30,1987 10a.m. BLYTH UNITED CHURCH Discover "PRAYER" Interdenominational Bible Study J oin us for fellowship and coffee 11^ jO _ ANDNURSERY 9:45a.m. BLYTH CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH Everyone Welcome IbYCBVM VBBAVRB | Playing from Friday to J Thursday,October2to X October 8.Showtimes: Friday X and Saturday at 7:00 and9:30. Sunday to Thursday a a show each evening _ at 8:00 p.m. only a ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft Phone 357-1630 for 24 hour movie information WINGHAM to all who organized and produc­ ed an enjoyable and much appreciated farewell afternoon on Sunday, Sept. 27/87. Thank you - Lothar, Jean and Phillip Weher. ft We would like to extend gratitude to our supportive customers for their 24 years of patronage. We encourage your continuing support of the Ethel General Store now under the ownership of Doreen Suter. Thankfully yours, Lothar and Jean Weber. & "Doe for JanThomasand Brian Deitner on Friday, October2 at Bruce Armstrong’s hangar “Heated” BINGO sponsored by the Walton Area Sports Club 14regulargames-$20. 2specials-$75. Share-the-wealth Jack Pot of $150. [mustgo] DOORS OPEN EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT IN OCTOBER AT 7:00 P.M. at the BRUSSELS LEGION Restricted to 16 years and older Proceeds to Walton Minor Ball THEY COULDN’T BE BOUGHT, THEY WOULDN’T BE BRIBED. Breaking free Looking for a way to break free—from old fences that bind you? From the things that hold you back? Come worship with us. Christ can bring exhilarating freedom. Not that it’s easy We’re a bunch of Christians still discovering what it means to make faith work daily Join us in our search! Brussels Mennonite Fellowship Rev. DougZehr, Pastor SUNDAY,OCT.4 9:30a.m. Worship 10:30a.m. BibleStudy 7:00pm. Still Not Ashamed A Jews for Jesus Film No Admission Fee - Free Will Collection Only