Harrowsmith Free Methodist Church celebrates centenary

Wilma Kenny | Jun 12, 2019

Harrowsmith Free Methodist Church celebrated their hundredth anniversary last Sunday with a packed church filled with fellowship and music in a service led by Jason Silver.

“They must have been shorter in those days,” commented Bishop Cliff Fletcher, who towered above the pulpit from the original church. He brought greetings and congratulations on having come a long way from 1919, when the Rev Charles Fairbairn’s first meetings were pelted with tomatoes by Harrowsmith protesters. Today the church is an important and welcome part of the whole community, sharing its facilities with a variety of groups and activities. Glen Snook, who at 88 is the oldest living member of the congregation (he joined 81 years ago, when he was seven years old) said, “I am an old man now, and I say to you, ‘Stay with it, stay together’.” Mayor Vandewal brought greetings, both personal and from the Township.

The downstairs hall told the history of the church and its congregation through a display of artifacts and story-boards, one for each decade, filled with photos, newspaper clippings and excerpts from church documents. Two more exhibits featured the women’s contributions, which combined fellowship with food preparation, bake sales, sewing and missionary outreach. These were all compiled by Maureen Adams.

Following the church service, two newlyplanted “Autumn Glory” Maples were dedicated on the front lawn: one in recognition of the past hundred years, and the other looking forward to the future. After that came lunch on the back lawn, near the newly-built outdoor stage, which will host a series of musical concerts this summer.