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Rogersville church celebrates its 175th anniversary

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United Methodist Church was erected in 1904 after the last church building was destroyed by fire.

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The church will be celebrating its 175th anniversary this weekend.

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The stained glass windows reaching from the floor to the ceiling have become an iconic part of the church.

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A part of the celebration weekend will focus on the history of the dedicated and memorial names on the stained glass windows.

ROGERSVILLE – United Methodist Church in Rogersville is more than rows of pews, stained glass windows and four walls.

This church isn’t just a building, but it’s a congregation and pillar of the community, the church’s pastor said.

“Yes, we are celebrating the building, but it’s much more than that,” the Rev. Cynthia Deter said. “It’s past these walls. We are celebrating years of support from the community that have kept us going and will continue to keep us going.”

This coming weekend marks the church’s 175th anniversary. The Rogersville church was founded in 1840 and was first under the assembly of the Methodist Protestant Church Organization.

The church began meeting in a schoolhouse west of the old Center Township High School building. It then moved to a couple of schoolhouses throughout the community and, in 1874, an actual church building was erected on No. 7 lot in the Rogersville plan.

The church lasted 29 years before a fire destroyed it June 23, 1903, which quickly followed with the building of the dark red brick church that still stands today. The current building, with its floor to ceiling stained glass windows, was dedicated May 21, 1905.

“It’s changed a lot through the years,” said Doris Moore, 89, a member of the church for nearly five decades.

Moore was there when the church grew from the 1968 merger between the Methodist church and Evangelical United Brethren Church. She has seen the church transform into a community outlet over the years.

“The church isn’t just the people who sit in the pews every Sunday,” Moore said. “The church has become our entire community in a lot of different ways.”

With this iconic anniversary this weekend, the church wants to focus not only on looking back and seeing how far it has come, but also taking the time to thank the community for its support.

“It’s sad (because) you see a lot of small town churches dissipating because the community just lets them disappear,” Charlie Jones of Rogersville said. “We have never had to experience that here. Our church is a huge part of this community.”

With the creation of their Outreach Program a couple of years ago, the church’s reach into the community continues to grow.

The church tries to offer assistance to anyone in the area. It offers monthly dinners, food bank donations that are available to anyone in need, a prom shop that gives girls at local high schools the opportunity to buy inexpensive prom gowns and many other events, such as a Thanksgiving dinner and light-up night.

“This 175th anniversary is not just celebrating the church but celebrating the community,” Deter said.

The celebration begins Friday with a community dinner, and church historian Joyce Conklin will give a presentation and tour of the iconic stained glass windows and the names and memorials on them. The dinner and tour will be from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The festivities continue Saturday with Heaven Bound Ministries singing from 6 to 8 p.m.

Sunday will mark a special church service where the Rev. William Meekins, who is assistant to the bishop, and District Superintendent Brad Lauster will join former clergy and congregation members for a celebratory worship service at 11 a.m. A catered meal will follow for the church members to gather and celebrate the occasion.

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