Bethel Pentecostal Church in Shawville celebrated its 100th anniversary over the weekend. On Saturday, they hosted a community meet-and-greet in the church’s fellowship hall followed by a banquet at the Shawville fairgrounds, and on Sunday held a special commemorative service.
Saturday’s meet-and-greet was lively, bringing parishioners old and new from near and far for a relaxed celebration and kick-off. Subsequently, the banquet was attended by some 130 and was akin to a very large kitchen party where greetings were shared and re-shared across all manner of attendee.
The open mic saw wave after wave of cheerful, and at times tearful, stories and testimonies being shared by community members, former church leaders and visitors alike.
On Sunday morning, Pastor Edwin Valles set the tone for the service to follow by leading off and leaning into the experiences from the previous day.
“Last night was amazing – we had a great time, a great dinner, we talked about things that happened in the past, we sang, we cried, we shared,” he said.
And as if that wasn’t enough of an opening invitation to continue the celebration, he continued.
“Just in case you didn’t realize it, this is Pentecost Sunday. I was raised in Pentecost, and I’ve never known Pentecost to be quiet and subdued. And so we’re going to start with a song.”
From there, the next two hours of service offered a lively combination of music, sermon and scripture with a strong focus on the power of music and hymn.
Judy Hines Chretien continued the theme with a turn at the organ, and before launching into The Goodness Of God, she took a moment to offer a personal and very real perspective on what the church means to the community.
“I came to this church as a little girl. I was married in this church and my mom had her funeral service in this church. It has a lot of memories for me,” she said, offering insight into the pivotal role the church has played in her life.
On hand and offering a slightly more top-down perspective were the assistant superintendents from the Quebec and Eastern Ontario District of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC). Reverends John Ippolito and David Blakely both took the opportunity to congratulate the gathered.
“As I arrived I saw cars to the far reaches of the parking lot and I was impressed by the commitment that you have to this church, whether you’re still here in this community or whether you’ve returned back for this weekend,” Blakely said.
The special service message was delivered by invited Pastor Ben Kjiersdam and he captured the attention of all when he spoke of the role of the church.
“Our culture has radically changed,” he said, referencing statistics he had sourced.
“In 1957, 61 per cent of Canadians attended church every week. Today, that number is closer to 22 per cent or less.”
“We need to bridge, we need to try new things,” he continued, “and make sure Shawville knows that we exist more than just as a building. Be creative. There are people out there who need us, and we need to be there for them. May our heart beat for this community.”
The service was followed by fellowship in the church basement where lunch was served and the afterglow of an amazing weekend seemed to be in full force. There was already talk of the next 100 years, and, if undertaking is the act of faith, there should be little to no doubt that it will be so.
