by CONNIE TABBERT
Editor
FORESTERS FALLS — Phyllis Mclaughlin and Lila Rankin are the two longest, surviving members of Ross St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, and both attended a very difficult, but special event, Sunday afternoon, Sept. 28.
They attended, with family members at their side, as well as many other parishioners and guests, the closing service of the 156 year old church.
Standing before the church-goers, Reverend Patrica Van Gelder said, “This time of worship is many things. It is Ross St. Andrew’s 156th anniversary as a congregation and we thank God for that.
“It is a time to mark the joining of Ross St. Andrew’s and St. Andrew’s, Cobden who are coming together to form one congregation and we look for God’s guidance in this new chapter of our lives.
“And it’s time to say goodbye to this lovely old sanctuary as our regular place of worship. And we turn to God for strength. In all that we do here today, let us open our hearts and minds and listen for God’s voice.”
Following songs and scripture reading by Simon Tunley, Rev. Van Gelder spoke to her parishioners once again.
“There is a theory that people have two kinds of memory,” she said. “There’s our personal memory, where we remember things that happen to us personally. And there’s our collective memory, where we remember things that happen to a group, it happened to our family, it happened to our community, it happened to our church. It’s our story.
“So whether you are part of the group that is or has been Ross church or whether you are part of the larger group of the body of Christ, for just a moment I’d like you to remember a time back before any of us were here. Farm places up and down the Kerr Line were only a few years old then.”
She spoke about a Presbyterian minister who came from Litchfield, Quebec to lead worship. While the people were grateful for the sermons preached and the sacraments celebrated, they needed two things: a place large enough for them to gather in faith, celebration and grief and a cemetery. Land was purchased and a wood frame church was built, most of it by the parishioners. Twenty-nine years later, the current church was constructed, with changes made over the years. These included the front steps being changed, a ramp added, a propane furnace replacing an oil furnace which had replaced the wood burning stoves.
“How many of you were here when we had that fire on a Sunday morning,” Rev. Van Gelder asked. “There was smoke pouring out the back wall,” she said, bringing laughter from the crowd.
Stained glass windows were added as were new doors, she said. The old scroll work on the ceiling and around the choir loft faded and disappeared and a new cross was added, as well as the sanctuary ceiling being lowered.
“Of course it’s not not just the building we remember, it’s not even mostly the building. We remember events. We remember people.
“Do you remember the baptism when the baby tried to climb into the font? Or the service when the mouse ran across the front of the pulpit? That probably happened more than once,” Rev. Van Gelder said as the people laughed.
“Or the Christmas concert when the actors in a skit were laughing so hard they could barely get their lines out. I saw that, and it definitely happened more than once.
“We remember great events and ordinary every day ones,” she said. “Some of it personally, some of it because it happened to our family.
“It’s all our story,” she said. “One-hundred-and-fifty-six years after our people first gathered in kitchens and parlours to worship, we gather today to thank God, who has been with us every step of the way and still is.
“And that brings us to here and now. Not an easy day for many of us, but an important one. A time to remember who we are,” she said.
“First and foremost, we are people of faith,” Rev. Van Gelder said, as she choked up and fought back tears. “You know, it took me a while to settle on the scripture Simon just read (Psalm 45). I kept coming back to that one and finally I got the message. And I realized that this is the word we need to hear. This is the word we need to speak to ourselves and to each other over and over again. In times of change, when we can’t see what laughter or tears are ahead, God is our shelter and strength always ready to help.”
Finding it a bit difficult to talk due to the emotions she was trying to keep at bay, Rev. Van Gelder finished with, “In times of uncertainty, loss and fear, we will not be afraid, because God is with us. And you know in spite of whatever we are feeling, that is one powerful statement. We will not be afraid because God is with us. Always was, always will be. Why would we expect anything different? Thanks be to God.”
Reverend John Vaudry, moderator of the Lanark and Renfrew Presbytery, as well as minister of First Presbyterian Church in Pembroke, also addressed the crowd. He focused on the future of the two churches as they amalgamate into one as well as the future of Christianity.
The service was not to focus on closing a building, but forming a new congregation at another church, he said. And it’s not just about one congregation going to a new church, it’s about two congregations coming together to form a new church, he said.
“Amalgamation means two things that were separate come together and do truly become a new body,” Rev. Vaudry said. “Of course you are meeting in the Cobden building and it’s going to take a little bit of imagination in terms of this, because it is really two congregations coming together and are now a new one.”
He suggested the parishioners come up with a distinctive name for their new entity. It’s a new beginning, he said.
“I think the point we need to think about is this is a new beginning,” he said. “I think it’s always hard to end one phase of life and go onto another, to make those transitions is always a challenge. But we’re not the first people to do that.”
He recalled the ancestors of the parishioners who came from across the ocean to a new country, where they cleared land, built homes, worked the fields.
“They came out to the wilderness, basically, and carved out a life for themselves,” Rev. Vaudry said. “They left the familiar for the unknown and that’s what is happening here. You are going into something new and something that is unfamiliar.”
He noted this is not the first church whose doors have closed forcing its parishioners to seek a new home. And, it won’t be the last church. It’s happening all over because the Christian faith isn’t as favoured as it once was, he noted.
“We’re living in a time when many people do not accept the Christian faith and many people don’t feel very much a need for the church,” he said. “And this is making a big difference for our congregations.”
It could be that some day, his church in Pembroke may close and he will have to travel to get to church, which could be as far as Cobden, which is about 20 minutes away, he said. However, that’s happening already, noting his daughter in Montreal commutes 35 minutes one way to get to her church.
Rev. Vaudry went much further, saying even if the Presbyterian churches were to close throughout Canada, there would still be the church of Jesus Christ, which will continue in many different traditions and many denominations all over the world. A biblical outlook is what’s required, because that’s the approach of the New Testament, he added.
He recalled the three-point charge he was pastor of. In the summer, two of the churches would close and there would just be church each Sunday at the town church. Well, many of the parishioners from the other two churches just did not go to church during the summer, he said.
“It’s almost as though people said, if my little church building isn’t open on that Sunday, then church doesn’t exist anymore,” he said. “I think we need to really come to see that the church is the body of Christ, it is those people who gather together to worship, to sing praises to hear the word of God. And we’re not worshiping buildings, we’re not worshipping our ancestors, we’re not worshipping tradition. If Christ means something to us, we’ll want to gather with another, one way or another,” he stated.
“Jesus has not given any specific promise that a particular congregation will always be around,” Rev. Vaudry continued. “There’s no promise that First Church Pembroke will be here until the end of time. And I don’t think there’s any promise that a church in Renfrew or Arnprior or Pembroke or Ottawa or anywhere will always be around.
“But, He has said that He will build His church and when He talks of My church, He means the whole body. What we in the creed say is the holy catholic church, doesn’t mean the Roman Catholic church, it’s the universal Christian church and that body continues throughout the earth.
“And Jesus says He will build that church and the powers of death, the old translation is the gates of hell, the powers of death will not prevail against, they’re going to try very hard, but Jesus is building His church and it will succeed, it will prevail all over the earth.”
There is also declining membership in churches right across Canada, Rev. Vaudry said. However, that’s not true throughout the world, he said, noting in Africa there has been “phenomenal growth” in the Christian faith, as well as in communist China. He recalled that in 1949/50, missionaries were expelled from China and there were about one million Presbyterians. Today, he said, there are 150 million Presbyterians in China.
“The word of God is a powerful thing,” Rev. Vaudry said. “Christ is going to build His church. Jesus said I will build My church. Let’s take that bigger view of things and let’s rejoice that Christ is being made known among the nations. And let’s pray that His name will be magnified everywhere in the earth.”
Rev. Vaudy encouraged everyone to tell family, friends and neighbours about the Christian faith.
“The seed of the word of God will not take root if we don’t go out and scatter it,” he said. “We may not see our church buildings packed to the doors, but maybe we’ll see some modest growth if we all make some effort to go and reach out to those around us.
“Get out of the church,” he said. “It’s wonderful we come together for worship and fellowship, and we enjoy each other, but we can’t become a holy huddle. We have to go out and reach out to other people. Christ will build His church. That’s a great comfort. He will build it. And amazingly, He will do it through us.
“Some days that`s pretty hard to believe, it’s always amazing and humbling, but it’s true,” he continued. “We’re living in very challenging times as a church, whether we’re a newly amalgamated congregation or a congregation around for a long time and continues in the same place. Whatever we are, we’re living in challenging times, but by the grace of God, I believe we can and must rise to that challenge.”
The Litany of Blessing, which was a way of saying thanks for the way in which things have been used by the parishioners in church, was read aloud by Rick Olmstead and Wilda Johnston. Those blessings covered the worship space, which allowed them to worship in the presence of God, the cross that is a visible reminder of faith, the communion table, the baptismal font, the pulpit, lecturn and music, as well as other objects that have touched the hearts and brings cherished memories to life: memorial gifts, stained glass windows and the pews.
To formalize the amalgamation of Ross St. Andrew’s with St. Andrew’s, Cobden to form St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, the session records from each of the churches were passed from the clerks of each session to Rev. Vaudry.
“I’m receiving these session records from the two congregations and I’m not shuffling them together, but it symbolizes they are now one congregation,” he said.
Rev. Vaudry then presented the one set of books to Rev. Van Gelder.
“In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the only King and head of the church and by the authority of the Presbytery of Lanark and Renfrew, I declare the two congregations of Ross St. Andrew’s and St. Andrew’s, Cobden to be one new congregation, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, and charge you to go forward by the power of the holy spirit in faith, hope and love, to fulfill your mission to the glory of God the Father.”
The closing service then ended with prayer.
“Gracious God, at this very special moment, as these two congregations are joined as one, we pray oh Lord that You will cause Your blessing to rest upon this new entity, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church. We pray that You will bless the worship from week to week, the preaching of Your word, the faithful administration of the sacraments and pastoral care and discipline. We pray oh Lord that the church in this area will be strong. Bless the minister and the elders and all who have part in the leadership of the new congregation. And may this congregation be bound together in a wonderful fellowship, may they maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. And may they be endowed with a strong sense of mission to reach out beyond their walls to those who are in the community who are outside the church, to those who are seeking, to those who are without God, who are without hope in the world. And we pray that many people will be drawn into this church to know You and to serve You. May this be a Christ centre, spirit filled, renew and alive congregation that truly lives to Your glory and praise and honour. These things we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
Rev. Van Gelder and Rev. Vaudry shook hands and hugged many of those who attended the service and were leaving or just going downstairs for a social time.
As she watched the gathered guests while sitting downstairs, Rev. Van Gelder said the plan is to keep the building, but all the treasures will be taken to Cobden and it will be minimally heated throughout the winter months
“We’ll take it one step at a time,” she said.
The cemetery will be maintained and in July, the annual Dedication Service will be held at 2 p.m., she said.
It was a hard decision to close the church, Rev. Van Gelder said.
“We struggled with the decision,” she said. “People don’t like the comparison to a funeral, but every congregation and building has a beginning and an end.”
She hoped the service was a celebration for people as they joined together as one congregation.
Prior to the amalgamation, Rev. Van Gelder was in charge of a two-point charge, with two congregations and one minister and sharing expenses.
Smiling, she said, “When most people do math, they add one and one to make two.
“In this case, I add one and one and get one,” she said.
Service at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Cobden will be each Sunday at 10:45 a.m.
