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The Times Advocate, 2007-08-01, Page 27Wednesday, August 1, 2007 TIMES—ADVOCATE 27 History of early settlers' faith celebrated By Rhoda Rohde THAMES ROAD CORRESPONDENT THAMES ROAD - The Community of Local United Churches service on Sunday morning from `horse and buggy days to modern days' was held in Kirkton Church shed with a good crowd in attendance. Bill Denham spoke a few words before the band played. The band was composed of Mike Brine on the piano, Matt Denham on drums, Jason Denham on Banjo and electric guitar, Agnes Denham on the guitar and harp (she also sang), Rev. Nancy Wetselaar on the acoustic guitar, Jack Wiles and Bill Rohde on violins. There was a hymn sing of the following hymns: Leaning On The Everlasting Arms, In The Garden, Mansion Over the Hilltop, and I'll Fly Away. Judy Mills of Centralia dressed in a nice costume welcomed everyone and gave the announcements for the different churches. Judy told a story and led in the call to worship responsively. The gathering hymn Church In the Wildwood was sung. Dave Williams of Woodham dressed in an old costume rode in on a bicycle. Dave gave the first Scripture Matthew 7:24, 25 and a few verses of chapter 16. The topic of Dave's meditation was "Built On A Rock". The communities of Kirkton-Woodham, Thames Road, Elimville, Winchelsea, Zion, Centralia had a number of things in common, represented by these three articles: wood, stone and brick. Early European settlers had brought their faith with them Wesleyan and British Methodism, Bible Christians, The Church of England, The New Connection and Primitive Methodists, the Scottish Presbyterians. In 1867 Bible Christians moved from the village of Centralia and Wesleyn Med, from Biddulph, joined in 1884 building a large brick church in Centralia (oldest congregation established 1833). In 1921 the church was struck by lightening and burned; it was replaced in 1922 with the present structure. Zion West began as a log school house, Bible Christian's first church in 1865 - oldest church build- ing of the group. Methodist Church present standing structure - 1884 to Elimville, Sunshine Line Free Will Bethany Ebaneezer Whalen church which became part of Zion Congregation at it's closure built it's church shed first. Summer services were held here until the church built in 1907 with part of two church buildings combined. Kirkton - Presbyterian Faith began in a log school house at Kirkton where the present brick school now stands. Shared with Methodists in area it was used in the a.m. and the Presbyterians used it in the p.m. in October of 1862. Presbyterians erected a field stone church at the back of the cemetery. The building lasted until 1933 when a storm blew the roof off. The stones were later used to build the present cemetery gates. In 1859 Methodists erected in Kirkton the first brick church in Blanshard because of the brick yard 1 1/4 miles north and same side of Fish Creek. In 1888 the red brick structure was torn down, some brick reused on inside and present white brick struc- ture was built. In 1904 a new church shed was built replaced by this structure in 1927. St. Pauls Anglican was built in 1862 although services were held earlier in a small log house parish and Trinity Prospect Hill. The frame structure of white clapboard siding and bell are still in use today. What was donated at that time and installed is still in the present structure that was built in 1899. Woodham U.C. 1st Primitive Methodist before 1870 where Gartenburgs lived, another branch further east on Base Line as well as Coopers Church, still farther east New Connection Church began in 1857 (having purchased on lot 5 con. 6 south west corner where Ray Switzer lives) building log church where they wor- shiped until 1885. Woodham Primitives, Methodists, Coopers and Eden joined to New Connection served until 1906, present red brick structure was built unique for its Cross design and stained glass windows, and west and north donated by Orange Lodge and Forresters Lodge. Thames Road's 1st church log structure 1857 Presbyterian, at some point in time must have been a stone church but it had been torn down and replaced by a brick structure in 1881, 2nd oldest of present standing structure across road was bethany Bible Christian Church built in 1868, later destroyed in 1923. The Presbytery used this until their church was completed, boasted of large church shed, holding up to 60 teams of horse and buggy. Presbyterian church, Rev. Colin Fletcher was the min- ister of 42 years only rural minister to serve as moder- ator for Presbytery Church of Canada. Elimville United 1st service 1851, held at school in Winchelsea 1854. Moved to Elimville by 1864 had built a log church 1st Bible Christian - 1869 Wesleyn Methodists Tradition introduced and another brick church erected east end of village building closed moved to Sunshine corner served until 1926. Dave Williams then led in prayer. The hymns Onward Christian Soldiers and This Is My Father's World was sung. Rev. Nancy Wetselaar spoke a few words and 0 God of Bethel was sung. Rev. Nancy read a few verses from John and the title of her meditation was "Uniting The United Churches of Canada" and she led in prayer. The hymn Though Ancient Walls was sung along with This Is The Day. Judy Mills, Helen Kadey and Zachary and Dave Williams received the offering. The children's hymn When Peace Like a River was sung. Rev. Judith Ritchie read the third Scripture lesson Mark 10:13-16 and she told the children a story "Food For Your Body, Food For Your Mind, Food For Our Spirit." Beatrice Dawson told what it was like when she was a girl in Sunday School. Everyone repeated the Lord's Prayer in unison. Put Your Hand In The Hand, I Have Decided and Long Black Train were sung. Rev. Judith gave the commissioning and pronounced the benediction. The Grace For All Your Goodness God was sung. THAMES ROAD NEWS A lunch of hotdogs, sundaes and beverages was par- taken of which brought a very impressive service to a close. Announcements Kirkton-Woodham August - no services. Holiday time for the minister. In case of emergency please contact rev. Ray Hagerman at 284-3512. Sun., Sept. 2 -joint service at Woodham United church at 10 a.m. Sun., Sept. 16 -Covenant service for Rev. Nancy Wetselaar at Kirkton United Church at 7:30 p.m. Sun., Sept. 23-Kirkton Chicken BBQ at Community Centre. Serving 4 -7 p.m. For tickets contact Keith Stephen 229-6410, Pam Benoit 229-6931 or Vera Fletcher 229-6661. Oct. 15 -18 -Marion Foster of Kirkton will be hosting a four-day fall colour bus tour to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania's Lancaster County, a beautiful Amish area is well known for its religious plays at the Millenium Theatre in Strasburg. The cur- rent production is "In the Beginning" - the Biblical story of creation as presented in the book of Genesis. Marion's tour will feature "In the Beginning" and numerous other highlights of the area. For more information, please contact Marion at 229-8718. Thamesroad-Elimville August -Rev. Judith will be on holidays. In case of a pastoral emergency or pastoral care, please contact John Miner at 229-6345 and he will put you in contact with the appropriate person. Sun., Sept. 2 -Communion in the lower half on the church. Please pass this news around to others that are usually unable to attend worship and encourage them to join us. Centralia -Zion West There will be no church services from Aug. 1 - Sept. 2 for holidays. In case of an emergency or for pastoral care, please contact Rev. Harry Disher from Grand Bend United Church at his office 238-2402 or his home at 238-5690. Ray Mills 228-6704 or Ivan Hern 229- 6712 can also be contacted for emergencies. Sun., Aug. 26 -Zion West Cemetery annual memorial service at 11 a.m. The guest speaker is Mrs. Jean Bennett and special music will be performed by a ladies quartet from Stratford. Sun., Sept. 9 -services will resume with Zion West commencing at 9:45 a.m. and Centralia at 11:30 a.m. Guest speaker for both services will be Peter Gummow from Stratford. Personals Belated Congratulations to Nathan and Angie Elford of Wingham on the birth of their daughter Sierra Ashley April 28 also congratulations to grandparents Michael and Cindy Elford. Get well wishes are extended to Mary Rowcliffe who fell and broke her arm recently. Rick and Beverly Mellenger of White Rock B. C. called on Bill and Rhoda Rohde one day last week. Quite a number of relatives from this area attended the 25th wedding anniversary celebration for Ivan and Brenda Hern on Saturday evening. Congratulations Ivan and Brenda. Their anniversary was July 24. It's in our community EXETER — Beautiful scenic areas, quality health care, social services for all ages and exciting opportunities in the arts. That's just some of the ways South Huron cre- ates a vibrant community. It's easy to overlook the many opportunities we have in our area, and each one of them plays a part in eco- nomic development. As mentioned in last week's article, economic development includes anything that improves the quality of life of residents. Recreation is an important public invest- ment as it allows us to refresh our bodies and minds. At the Morrison Dam Conservation Area visitors can enjoy canoe- ing, fishing, picnicking, bird watching, and hiking The Municipality of South Huron's Recreation Department also co-ordinates activities for all ages such as the summer playground program, swimming lessons, skating and dance classes. Recreation and leisure activities have a direct impact on our community as they provide employment, improve physical fitness and allow communi- ty members to have fun. As reported in last week's newspaper, South Huron Hospital has recently undergone a thorough safety inspection. The x-ray department's equipment and pro- tocols were rated as excellent, and there was high praise for the staff that places all patients as top priori- ty. Known as "the little hospital that does," our local hospital is part of a network of other quality medical facilities and health care providers. A healthy communi- ty is an active community, and our qualified and caring medical staff makes certain this remains true. The Relouw Childhood Learning Centre and Community Living South Huron are some examples of local social services that allow us to be productive citi- zens. Day cares give parents the chance to enter or rejoin the workforce and allow children to benefit from a mix of activities. Community Living South Huron and other similar organizations assist people with intellectual disabilities to reduce the barriers that prevent them from participating in the community. All these social services make sure residents have the chance to grow and suc- ceed in their lives. While we may not realize it, South Huron is home to writers, artists and actors. I recently attended a sneak peak of the Blyth Festival's "Reverend Jonah," a play written by local resi- dent Paul Ciufo. It's quite inspiring to see how one person's passion for the arts has trans- formed into a play appearing at an award-win- ning theatre. In light of the recent tragic events that occurred in the Mount Carmel area, our need to remain a strong and supportive community is needed more than ever. It's essential that a variety of local pro- grams and services are available when the unexpected happens. It's also important we ensure these programs TRISTALYN RUSSELL SOUTH HURON PLANNING ASSISTANT remain active. To maintain local programs and services, participation and volunteers are a must. Take some time to do a little research and find out what's happening in South Huron. You'll be surprised at how much is offered in our own community. I welcome your comments or suggestions. You can reach me by e-mail at t.russell@town.southhuron.on.ca Coming up: BR+E Project and County programs/ini- tiatives HOLIDAY DEADLINE Due to the CIVIC HOLIDAY (MON., AUG. 6) DISPLAY & CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING MUST be submitted by Fri. Aug. 3 at 10 A.M. T -A OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED ON MON. AUG. 6 TIMES ADVOCATE 424 Main St. Exeter 519-235-1331 Fax 519-235-0766 E-mail: ads@southhuron.com