A Message from Pastor Doug
Anniversaries are great events. They are that moment in time when you celebrate a special occasion from the past. I think a part of most anniversary celebrations, whether it’s a husband and wife or the anniversary of starting a job or the beginning of a church, they offer a wonderful opportunity to remember. So much of who we are comes from stories that are told and retold over and over again. Beginning on October 16th, we will be celebrating a year long anniversary. It is the Sesquicentennial Anniversary and our celebration will culminate in October 2006 when we celebrate 150 years of mission and ministry. Every month our anniversary committee will be providing us with a little of Bethel History, so we can remember where we have been and who we are. I would like ot commend to you the following story that begins that history from Chris Renner:
In late spring/early summer of 1856 a Lutheran minister from Sharpsville, Indiana, the Rev Ambrose H. Scherer, visited the town of Cicero, Indiana with the intention of forming a mission congregation, or as the church record states “a missionary station”. On October 12, 1856, Rev. Scherer met with 8 individuals from the Cicero area in a broom shop in downtown Cicero to form a new Lutheran congregation. These individuals were of German Lutheran decent who had settled in northern Hamilton County. Many of the German Lutherans in the area had migrated from Pennsylvania or North Carolina. Per church records, it is believed that the 8 individuals were: Michael Brown, David Garber, David Kistler, Charlotte Kepner, Francis Kepner, Samuel Kepner, John Applegate, and Jacob Kepner. This group of believers adopted a constitution on that October day, forming Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church. In 2006, Bethel will celebrate 150 years of ministry to the faithful of Hamilton County. As Hamilton County has grown over the past 150 years, so has Bethel. What once was a small, but determined group of 8 individuals has become a large, but still determined congregation of 400 individuals worshiping on Sunday morning. While the faces have changed, the spirit and determination, Rev. Scherer and those 8 pioneers had in October 1856 has not. Beginning this October and continuing through 2006, we will celebrate Bethel’s Sesquicentennial with worship, education, service and fellowship. A committee of dedicated members has met for the past five months to start the planning for this important year. Throughout the year we will have special worship services in celebration and thanksgiving of our long heritage. We have extended an invitation to our former ministers who have served Bethel so faithfully through the years, to return and share in one of our worship services during 2006. Members will offer Temple Talks on the history of Bethel and pictures and items reflecting our past, as well as items reflecting our prayers for the future will be on display. Plans are also being made for a summer/fall festival with lots of fun, fellowship and food. The culmination of our year long celebration will be a Festival Worship Service/picnic in October 2006 offering thanks to God for our past and looking to our future. Please continue to watch the Sunday bulletins and the Banner for more details of these and other special events. We will kick off our year long celebration on Sunday, October 16th, 2005, with special worship services honoring some of the faithful from our flock who have been an integral part of this congregation for more than 5 decades. Some of these individuals are direct descendents of one of the 9 individuals who met in that broom shop on that October day in 1856. These individuals have shared their stories of Bethel along with stories of the two churches that merged with Bethel in the 1930’s, Olive Branch and Mt. Pleasant. Their stories, along with additional history of the three congregations, will be written in this column during the next 15 months. Please join us for this wonderful celebration of the ministry of a faithful congregation.
— Pastor Doug
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