175th Anniversary Post Press Release - Continued from front page
On Friday night at Cook Hall many church members and extended family, friends, and visitors gathered to rekindle friendships and meet new people. The stage was set early for a terrific weekend of events. Saturday was a resounding success with many participants for the Cemetery Tour, the Campus Tour and the Hymn Sing. It is noted that the oldest headstone in The Blawenburg Cemetery dates from 1805, before the Church was even built. The Hymn Sing, led by Dr. Martin Tel, was a wonderful combination of music, singing, faith and hope. The Blawenburg Village preschool, built in 1850, was also open for visitors to see the classrooms and wonderful work and of our 150 preschool children.
A celebration dinner held at the Elks Club on Route 518 was attended by over 150 people. Past ministers to BRC were in attendance and recalled fond memories from their time at Blawenburg. Dr. James Cook served 1953 to 1963, David Blauw served 1982 to 1994 and Ken Bradsell served 1976 to 1982. They let current Pastor Rich Van Doren in on a little known secret during the night. Every Pastor since 1953 has signed the bottom of the trash can in the Pastor’s office. On Saturday night, Reverend Richard Van Doren added his autograph to the simple metal can that has been in his office for the past 6 years.
Blawenburg Reformed Church held its first worship service as an independent congregation on Sunday, March 4th, 1832, twenty nine years before the start of the Civil War. The worship service held on Sunday, March 4, 2007 in Memorial Hall was attended by about 200 people. The Great Room of Memorial Hall was filled to capacity. The sanctuary itself was not usable for the occasion because of a deteriorating ceiling, now being restored. Reverend Richard Van Doren, led worshipers in a moving remembrance of what the church has stood for during its 175 years. As usual, the hospitality of the BRC family was evident at a wonderful luncheon held after the service.
Displays of the past, present and future of BRC were on hand to remind us of the past, celebrate the present and plan for the future. The present was celebrated through a slide presentation highlighting the Blawenburg Village Preschool, now serving over 100 area families. Videos of interviews from our senior members and long time Montgomery Township residents were also running. The future looks promising with wonderful plans from local architect Jeremiah Ford. Many items from the archives will remain on display for a few more weeks. Those interested in viewing our impressive collection of local history can contact the Church office for an appointment.
The sanctuary or The Blawenburg Reformed Church is currently undergoing major repairs to restore the ceiling. As the work progressed many new problems were found and are now being corrected to insure the structural integrity of this beautiful building. Costs for the work have far exceeded our expectations and we now turn to the community for assistance. Estimates of the cost of repair to the ceiling range as high as $100,000. Costs of restoring the entire building could run into several hundred thousand dollars. If you would like to make a tax deductible donation to help preserve this local landmark please forward your check to the Church office and note ceiling repair in the memo. All donations will be gratefully accepted and very much appreciated.
The Blawenburg Reformed Church, currently celebrating our 175th year, is a covenant community of God's people united in Christ through the Holy Spirit. We commit our gifts to worship, hospitality, life-long learning, serving those in need, and proclaiming the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ. Services are held every Sunday at 10am, all are welcome! Contact the church office at 609-466-3108 or visit our website www.blawenburgchurch.org for further information. For information on the Blawenburg Village Preschool please call our Director, Alison Young, at 609-466-6600 or visit our website at www.bvspreschool.com.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Contact:
Jean Butcher
Nancy Curtis
609-924-5864
609-466-3108
meanjean@patmedia.net