By Rodney Richey, Herald Bulletin Feature Writer
WILKINSON — It is a new sentiment that a church is more than just a building. On Saturday, there will be a festival to celebrate that.
A homecoming is set for noon to 4 p.m. at the By His Grace Ministry church at 9886 N. Nashville Road in nrothern Hancock County.
The ministry itself has been in business for a year. The building it occupies? More than a century.
Pastor Susan Jones said that the previous tenant, Maple Grove Community Church, had been losing parishioners for a while, mostly through relocation or death.
“They had tried to keep it going, but there just weren’t enough people,“ Jones said. “They were going to let us use it for Bible study. We felt like the Lord wanted us to try to build it back up. We talked to them about it, and they were OK with that.”
Jones‘ friend and parishioner, Georgi Goen, explains further.
“There were about five or six of us girls, now it’s about 14, who wanted a place where we could have prayer meeting,“ Goen said. “And we didn’t want to drive all the way to Charlottesville (the site of the original By His Grace Ministry church), because a lot of us are from the Anderson, Pendleton area.
“This little church out here in the country was empty, and so Sue asked the people, ‘Could we just have prayer meeting in there?’ And they said, ‘Yeah, that would be great!’”
A church first occupied the property in 1891. The United Brethren Church in Christ opened for worship then, with 24 charter members. The building was erected in 1894, and yet, in 1902, a tornado laid waste to it.
According to church history, the only things left were the organ, pulpit and Bible, which had been blown open to Psalms 103:16, which reads: “For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone, and the place thereof shall know it no more.“
A new church building was quickly assembled by 1903, and it has stood since, acquired by the Maple Grove Community Church since 1968.
In His Ministry, which Jones describes as a charismatic Christian church, assumed the deed in October 2008. Since then, much work has been done, including new windows, paint and other renovations.
“We’re in the process of getting the bell outside fixed,“ Jones said. “There’s a lot of remodeling. And we haven’t even started on the inside. It’s just a little old country church.”
The numbers have held consistently in the congregation, which Jones describes as interdenominational but leaning toward Pentecostal. “But we love all churches, so we don't care about that,“ she says.
Goen, who says she and Jones have been friends since the the age of 12, notes that many new attendees already have a connection to the church building.
“A lot of people from the area, maybe their grandmother or somebody had gone there, so they’ve been coming,” Goen said, adding that her friend “is a great pastor. She really, really is. She’s got such a heart for people.”
“Spiritually speaking, there’s been a whole spiritual uplift,“ Jones added. “We’ve got wonderful people, and we have wonderful services. We’re really blessed.”
And today‘s homecoming will include free food, games, face painting, silent auction, gospel singing and possibly a bonfire, if the weather cooperates.
“What we want to do is give back to community,“ Jones said. “We want them to know that we’re here for them.”
By His Grace Ministry Homecoming
What: Celebration of church's first anniversary
Where: 9886 N. Nashville Road, Wilkinson
When: Noon-4 p.m. today (Saturday, Sept. 26)
With: Games for kids, duck pond, beanbag toss, free hot dogs and chips, cake walk, silent auction, gospel singing
Information: 778-2814
Contact Rodney Richey, 640-4861, rodney.richey@heraldbulletin.com.
